TALLAHASSEE — Bungee jumping in Florida is legal again, but the thrill may be gone.

State officials on Monday lifted a one-month-old emergency ban on bungee jumping after imposing strict new safety rules. The old leaps, sometimes as high as 280 feet, will be shortened to only 100 feet.

“At 100 feet, it’s a kiddie ride,” said Jules Ross, owner of Bungee Terror of Dania. He had been offering his customers a 200-foot daredevil drop for $75.

“It would kill the entire business,” he said. “It’s like going back to a tricycle. There’s no free fall. Nobody would want to do it.”

The proposed standards also include the mandatory use of body harnesses that would effectively outlaw the popular use of the more thrilling ankle strap. In addition, bungee operations must have trained personnel and submit to inspections by engineers. Anyone under 12 would be barred from taking the plunge.

Agriculture Commissioner Bob Crawford, who made the announcement on Monday, said, “The rules that we’re going to impose reduce the risk … and should increase the chances of survival for anybody who makes a bungee jump.

“Hopefully we have established a model that will be a standard for the rest of the world,” Crawford said.

Bungee operators can apply right away to reopen their sites as long as they meet the safety guidelines.

Crawford denied he was trying to shackle the industry with impossibly strict standards. He said he was willing to negotiate whether the 100-foot maximum on jumps was necessary.

But he said he was determined to reduce the risks of bungee jumping. He ordered the ban in July after a death during a Michigan bungee jump.

“To assume that it’s the same as a ferris wheel is a false assumption. They’re literally defying death to make the jump,” Crawford said.

“If everything works right, they’ll beat the grim reaper. (But) that’s a pretty serious undertaking, and nobody should take it lightly,” he said.

He plans, for instance, to require the posting of warning signs: “DANGER! Bungee jumping has caused serious injuries & death. Are you willing to take the risk?”

Bungee operations also are being told to hire at least one “jump master” — someone with 250 hours of experience including 1,250 incident-free jumps. An assistant would have to be on hand to double check harnessing and other safety systems. And an air bag of sufficient size to cover all the jumper’s movements would become mandatory.

These new rules will not be made final for 45 days. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which has the power to regulate amusement rides, consulted doctors, engineers and equipment manufacturers before drawing up its recommendations. The agency now will listen to opinions from the bungee jumping industry.

Only Bungee Adventures on the Seminole Reservation near Hollywood is exempt from these state regulations because it is on federal land. Its 280-foot free fall remained opened despite the ban.

State bungee operators were unsuccessful earlier when they challenged Crawford’s emergency ban in court. On Monday, their attorneys declined comment on the proposed new safety regulations.

“When we opened (in March), we met most of those safety standards,” Ross said.

Asked why he thought Crawford was cracking down on bungee operators, Ross said, “It sounds like he became a notoriety.”

BUNGEE SAFETY

New safety rules proposed by the state:

— 100-foot height limit on jumps

— No jumpers under age 12

— Certified air bags to cover entire potential landing zone

— Bungee cords, harnesses and other equipment must meet safety standards

— Independent engineer to verify safety of each bungee operation

— Experienced jump personnel

— Body harnesses required

— No tandem jumping

— Posting of warning sign