Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 87 (HB 87) into law on June 21, 2024. The bill, which allows Floridians to protect their homes, pets and their persons from aggressive black bears, was passed by a whopping 83-28 vote in the House, and would have gone into law on June 22nd regardless. While Floridians always had the right to claim self-defense when shooting an attacking bear, the bill give citizens back the undisputed right to do so without first alerting the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC).
The FWC first acquired the power to control what bears are killed in 2012, when they unilaterally created a regulation requiring people to apply with them before removing a menacing bear. The legislature itself never voted on or approved said change. Section 1 of 68A-4.009 stated, "No person shall take, possess, injure, shoot, collect, or sell black bears or their parts or to attempt to engage in such conduct except as authorized by Commission rule or by permit from the Commission."
HB 87 does not take the FWC fully out of the loop, of course. It simply places the responsibility of decision-making authority back where it belongs—with everyday citizens. Citizens will still have to notify the FWC within 24 hours of shooting the bear, and to disincentivize non-necessary shootings, the bear carcass will not be able to be kept or sold.
This bill rights an injustice that had been inflicted upon citizens of the Sunshine State, and tied up emergency services for the past 12 years. Floridians, particularly those in rural areas, were calling local Sheriffs' offices to determine if they could shoot bears inside their very homes. In the midst of such uncertainty, pets and people were repeatedly attacked.
HB 87 does not fully restore Floridian's rights to defend property, as they still must apply for a depredation permit to take a bear that is only destroying property or livestock, and only after attempting non-lethal methods. The 24-hour reporting requirement remains for these bears.
The black bear population in Florida has risen from a mere 300 in 1976, to over 4000 in 2015. It is projected to be above 7000 this year. The FWC removed them from their "Threatened" list some time ago. HB 87 takes full effect on July 1, 2024.
