TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Senate on Tuesday backed a measure that would lead to state oversight of Walt Disney World’s monorail system, as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ fight with the entertainment giant continues to expand.

The Republican-controlled Senate voted 26-14 along almost-straight party lines to pass the bill (HB 1305), which includes requiring the Department of Transportation to inspect Disney’s monorail system.

The House passed a version of the broad transportation bill last week. But the Senate made changes, meaning the measure will have to go back to the House for a final vote.
Senate Transportation Chairman Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, said the monorail-inspection requirement is simply “about safety.”

“I personally, obviously, don’t think it is unreasonable for a monorail system that carries 150,000 people a day to have the state and their experts oversee in, what I think, is a very reasonable process that they have,” DiCeglie said.

The bill would require state oversight of “any governmentally or privately owned fixed-guideway transportation systems operating in this state which are located within an independent special district created by a local act which have boundaries within two contiguous counties.” That definition would apply to Disney.

The state now requires Department of Transportation safety standards for governmentally owned fixed-guideway systems and systems that are privately owned but funded all or in part by the state.

Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, tried to block the proposed inspections of Disney’s monorail, calling the plan “retaliatory.”

Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, and Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, crossed party lines and joined Democrats in voting against the bill.

Disney and other large theme parks conduct their own safety inspections because of a carve-out from oversight by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The department inspects amusement-park rides except at facilities or parks that have more than 1,000 employees and full-time inspectors on staff.

The bill would require compliance reports every three years and an annual onsite evaluation.