Don’t let go: DeSantis signs bill banning intentional balloon releases in Florida

Floridians will no longer be allowed to purposely let go of balloons, including at group events like memorials or parties, after a measure banning their release was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

With his signature Monday, anyone caught intentionally releasing a balloon beginning July 1 could face a $150 fine, according to the measure. State litter laws are now updated to include balloons, and the measure clarifies that children 6 years or younger are exempt from penalties.

The bill was widely supported by ocean conservation groups who point to marine debris as a growing problem as millions of pounds of plastic enter Earth’s oceans each year. Florida wildlife officials have found balloons dozens of miles offshore, and turtles have been rehabbed in coastal rescue facilities after mistaking the plastic for food.

That ecological issue is one of the main reasons why Rep. Linda Chaney, a Republican representing southern Pinellas County, sponsored the bill.

“Our beaches are the greatest asset that Florida has, and not releasing a balloon is an easy way to protect our waterways and our wildlife,” Chaney said. “A released balloon is damaging and there’s nothing good about it.”

Under current law, it’s illegal to release more than 10 balloons within a 24-hour period. The new measure also removes a loophole that allows the release of biodegradable balloons, which can still cause harm to the environment.

The bipartisan bill cruised through both the Senate and House with little opposition. Thirty-eight senators voted in favor, with only two opposing, according to a vote count. For the House’s part, 102 representatives supported the bill, and nine opposed.

The bill also brought typically unrelated organizations together in support. Listed as lobbyists on the bill, for example, are the usual environmental advocacy groups like the Sierra Club, the Surfrider Foundation and Conservation Florida Inc. Joining them in support were groups like the Florida Retail Federation and the Florida Cattlemen’s Association.

The cattle association sees balloons as a threat to their livestock, Chaney said, because balloons can fall onto ranches and may be mistaken as food by cows. For that reason, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times signaled support for the bill and “keeping our agriculture land and waterways free of garbage and debris.”

Despite his signature Monday, the governor’s office had concerns about the measure. In recent weeks, DeSantis’ office had shared apprehension the bill could be used as a new vehicle to fine Floridians, and it was particularly worried about children receiving fines, according to Chaney and spokespeople for two of the environmental nonprofits involved in lobbying the measure.

Still, Chaney was cautiously optimistic he would sign the bill into law.

“He was weighing the environmental benefits against the potential for fining people, when that’s not what we really want to do,” she said in a phone interview. The point of the bill, Chaney said, is to change the conversation around balloon releases and littering in general. The bill is meant to evolve the culture of environmental stewardship, something that is already unfolding with the extensive media coverage, she noted.

When she brought concerns about potentially fining children who released balloons to law enforcement agencies, she was greeted with laughter, Chaney said. Still, the bill was eventually amended to not apply to children 6 years or younger, according to the bill language.

Across Florida’s environmental advocacy community, there’s been a “huge outpouring of support” for the bill, including from coastal residents and fishing guides, said Emma Haydocy, the Surfrider Foundation’s Florida policy manager. Healthy beaches are the backbone of the state’s tourism economy, and keeping trash off their shores is sound public policy, she said.

“Floridians don’t want balloon litter in their backyard, at their favorite beach, or floating in local waterways, and neither do the hundreds of millions of tourists who visit the state every year,” Haydocy said in a statement.

It’s a great thing to commemorate the life of a loved one, but there are more sustainable ways than when large groups gather together to mourn somebody’s death than releasing balloons, according to J.P. Brooker, the senior manager and policy counsel for Florida conservation at the Ocean Conservancy.

Brooker said you can honor somebody’s life in a sustainable way by:

• Planting a native tree or garden
• Scattering flower pedals
• Joining a community “paddle out” popularized by surfing culture
• Flying kites or colorful streamers.

“Balloons are one the most dangerous types of marine debris out there,” Brooker said. “Anything that we can do to keep them off the beach is better for our beaches, and better for our marine wildlife.”