H0543 creates the “Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act” and adds a new section to Florida Statutes governing third-party reservation platforms. The bill defines a third-party reservation platform as an online service that offers or arranges reservations for public food service establishments without a contractual relationship with the restaurant. It then prohibits reservations at public food service establishments from being listed, advertised, promoted, facilitated, sold, or otherwise enabled through such platforms.
The bill includes a narrow exception for a customer’s personal, nontransferable designee that makes a reservation at the customer’s request at no cost, so long as the designee shares the customer’s contact information, allows the restaurant to confirm the reservation, and honors opt-out requests from the establishment. The Division of Hotels and Restaurants in the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is authorized to enforce the law by imposing civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation, with violations accruing daily for each affected reservation and establishment. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill would add a new regulatory restriction on restaurant reservation marketplaces and other internet-based reservation intermediaries in Florida. It would give the Division of Hotels and Restaurants explicit authority to fine third-party reservation platforms for unauthorized reservation activity involving public food service establishments, while leaving contractual reservation arrangements between restaurants and approved partners unaffected. Restaurants and reservation-platform operators would need to review their practices, contracts, and listing systems to avoid daily accruing penalties.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support for the bill in committee, with unanimous approval in both the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee (17-0) and the House Commerce Committee (24-0). No committee transcripts were provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate opposition or concerns in discussion. Based on the votes, the bill appears to have been viewed favorably by lawmakers at the committee stage.
Contention
The main policy issue is the bill’s restriction on third-party reservation platforms that do not have a direct contractual relationship with restaurants, which could affect reservation aggregators and related online services. Potential points of contention include whether the prohibition limits consumer choice, how broadly the term “facilitated” may be interpreted, and whether the daily civil penalties are too punitive. The bill’s exception for customer-designated reservation assistance suggests an effort to preserve personal concierge-style arrangements while targeting unauthorized commercial reservation resale or brokering.