Agenda Item Name:
Title
Public Hearing to Amend Chapter 118 of the Alachua County Code of Ordinances, entitled “Beggars, panhandlers, solicitors, peddlers and canvassers”
End
Presenter:
Corbin Hanson, County Attorney’s Office
Description:
Amend Chapter 118, entitled “Beggars, panhandlers, solicitors, peddlers and canvassers”
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approve the proposed ordinance amending chapter 118.
End
Prior Board Motions:
N/A
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
N/A
End
Strategic Guide:
Strategic Guide
N/A
End
Background:
Since 2015, courts across the country have struck down ordinances that focus on regulating panhandling. These decisions are largely based on panhandling’s classification as protected speech under the First Amendment, which limits what a government can do to regulate the protected behavior. The proposed amendments to chapter 118 preserve the regulations that do not implicate the First Amendment, while bringing the code into accord with recent court precedent.