Legislative Report

The update below outlines where we are as we head into week 4 of the 2019 Session. So far, all of our tracked items are moving through the process. The Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF) is still being tugged at from every angle, while some pieces of legislation are now slightly better aligned with FWF than in their original form. So far, we have supported three bills in Committee, SB’s 78, 1758 and 1278, while communicating direct opposition to SB 7068. We’re not quite halfway through the Session with a lot of time left and a lot of work ahead.

Land Acquisition Trust Fund

• SB 944 (Stewart)/ HB 1341: Land Acquisition Trust Fund; Requiring a specified annual appropriation to the Florida Forever Trust Fund; prohibiting money from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund from being used for certain specified costs, etc.
  • In appropriations subcommittee of Ag./Environment/General Gov’t. Committee
• SB 376 (Montford) / HB 555 (Drake): Land Acquisition Trust Fund; Requiring that certain funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund be used for conservation and management projects in certain counties; providing the types of projects for which the Department of Environmental Protection may use such funds, etc. – Would use LATF funds to assist in counties impacted by Hurricane Michael.
  • In Appropriations Subcommittee – Ag./environment/General Gov’t. Committee
  • Amendment filed at the last Committee stop removing wastewater infrastructure from funding better aligned the legislation with FWF
• SB 1256 (Montford) / HB 921 (Newton): (recently filed) Apalachicola Bay Area of Critical State Concern; Appropriating a sum annually for a specified timeframe from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to a specified area of critical state concern for specified purposes; providing additional principles for guiding development within the Apalachicola Bay Area of Critical State Concern to include projects that protect and improve water quality, etc.
  • In Appropriations subcommittee – Ag./environment/General Gov’t. Committee
  • CS read 1^st time
• SB 216 (Gruters) / HB 141, SB 368 ( Harrell): -Relating to Indian River Lagoon- Water Quality Improvements; Providing an appropriation for certain projects related to the Indian River Lagoon Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan; requiring each wastewater facility that unlawfully discharges sewage into a waterway or aquifer to notify its customers within a specified period; providing penalties for wastewater treatment facilities that unlawfully discharge sewage into designated areas, etc.
  • In Appropriations subcommittee – Ag./environment/General Gov’t. Committee
  • CS Read 1^st time

Other Environmental

• SB 1022 (Albritton): Onsite Treatment and Disposal Systems; Transferring the onsite sewage program of the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection by a type two transfer; defining the term “department” as it relates to onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems provisions; requiring the department to convene a technical advisory committee by a specified date; requiring county health departments to coordinate with the department to administer certain programs, etc.
  • On Committee Agenda 3/26 Environment and Natural Resources
• SB 78 (Rodriguez): Public Financing of Construction Projects; Prohibiting state-financed constructors from commencing construction of certain structures in coastal areas without first conducting a sea-level impact projection study; requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to develop by rule a standard for such studies; providing for enforcement; requiring the department to publish such studies on its website, subject to certain conditions, etc.
  • Now in Infrastructure and Security
  • FWF has supported in Committee
• SB 1330 (Cruz): Public Notification of Pollution; Requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to publish certain notices received from the Department of Health or a governmental entity on a website accessible to the public; requiring the department to provide a written notice to certain homeowners via the United States Postal Service; requiring the Department of Health or a local governmental entity to notify the owner or operator of an installation and the department of certain releases or discharges within a specified timeframe, etc.
• SB 1716 (Bracy): Fertilizers; Requiring, rather than encouraging, county and municipal governments to adopt and enforce the Model Ordinance for Florida-Friendly Fertilizer Use on Urban Landscapes; specifying that county and municipal governments must require the use of specified slow-release fertilizers, etc.
• SB 7068: Transportation; Creating the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance Program within the Department of Transportation; specifying that projects undertaken in the corridors are tolled facilities and certain approved turnpike projects, and are considered as Strategic Intermodal System facilities; requiring the department to identify certain opportunities to accommodate or co-locate multiple types of infrastructure-addressing issues during the project development phase, etc.
  • FWF standing in opposition
• SB 1758 (Mayfield): Water Quality;  Citing this act as the “Clean Waterways Act”; requiring the Department of Environmental Protection, in coordination with the Department of Health, to develop a report to be submitted to the Legislature by a specified date on the impacts of transferring the onsite sewage program of the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection by a type two transfer; revising the requirements for a basin management action plan for an Outstanding Florida Spring; establishing a wastewater grant program within the Department of Environmental Protection, etc.
  • In Community Affairs
  • FWF has supported in Committee
• SB 1278 (Mayfield): Biosolids Management; Defining the term “biosolids”; requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules for biosolids management which meet certain requirements; authorizing a county or municipality to enact or retain in effect certain ordinances, moratoriums, or regulations, etc.
  • In Appropriation Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government
  • FWF has supported in Committee
• SB 1162 (Gainer): Northwest Florida Rural Inland Affected Counties Recovery Fund; Creating the Northwest Florida Rural Inland Affected Counties Recovery Fund within the Department of Economic Opportunity; requiring certain payments to be appropriated annually to the fund; requiring the department to grant awards to organizations and local governments for specified infrastructure projects and workforce programs, etc.
  • In Appropriations

FWCC

• HB 377 (Stone): Residential Conservation Programs; Authorizes FWCC to organize & operate certain conservation education & training programs; provides for implementation of programs.

Beach Management

• HB 325 (LaMarca)/ SB 446 (Mayfield): Coastal Management; Revises criteria DEP must use in determining & assigning annual funding priorities for specified beach management & erosion control projects; specifies tiers for such criteria; requires tiers be given certain weight; requires DEP to update active project lists on its website; specifies allowable uses for certain surplus funds; requires funding for certain projects remain available for a specified period; revises method DEP ranks & funds certain inlet management projects; requires DEP to update & maintain report regarding progress of certain inlet management projects; revises requirements for a comprehensive long-term management plan; requires DEP to submit 3-year work plan & related forecast for availability of funding to Legislature.
  • SB 446 now in Appropriations