Florida HB 1417: Department of Environmental Protection

Bill Text

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CS/CS/CS/HB 1417, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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An act relating to the Department of Environmental 2
Protection; amending s. 20.255, F.S.; removing 3
provisions creating the Environmental Regulation 4
Commission; amending s. 163.3205, F.S.; requiring 5
certain solar facility permit applicants to 6
incorporate certain protections in the development and 7
implementation of erosion and sediment control plans 8
for the construction of such facilities; specifying 9
requirements for such plans; providing requirements 10
for certain operational phase stormwater management 11
systems; requiring solar facility operators to 12
implement specified construction and operational 13
permit requirements; amending s. 255.065, F.S.; 14
revising the definition of the term "qualifying 15
project"; amending s. 373.469, F.S.; specifying that 16
commercial and residential properties of a specified 17
size with existing onsite sewage treatment and 18
disposal systems, and located in a certain area, must 19
connect to a central sewer or upgrade to a specified 20
type of nutrient-reducing wastewater treatment system; 21
requiring a permitting agency to notify a property 22
owner of such requirement if the agency, before a 23
certain date, receives an application to repair, 24
modify, or replace a conventional onsite sewage 25

ENROLLED
CS/CS/CS/HB 1417, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1417 -04-er
Page 2 of 92
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

treatment and disposal system on certain property; 26
creating s. 380.0934, F.S.; providing definitions; 27
authorizing the department to take certain actions to 28
encourage private sector investment in coastal 29
resiliency projects; requiring the department to 30
publish certain information on its website; amending 31
s. 403.0872, F.S.; revising the date by which certain 32
major permitted sources of air pollution must pay an 33
annual operation license fee; authorizing the 34
department to impose penalties; removing provisions 35
relating to certain administrative costs; repealing s. 36
403.804, F.S., relating to the powers and duties of 37
the Environmental Regulation Commission; amending ss. 38
120.81, 373.421, 376.302, 403.031, 403.061, 403.067, 39
403.1838, 403.704, 403.707, 403.7222, 403.7234, 40
403.803, 403.805, 403.8055, and 403.814, F.S.; 41
conforming provisions to changes made by the act; 42
reenacting s. 373.4595, F.S., relating to the Northern 43
Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program, to 44
incorporate the amendment made to s. 403.067, F.S., in 45
a reference thereto; reenacting s. 403.0873, F.S., 46
relating to the Florida Air-Operation License Fee 47
Account, to incorporate the amendment made to s. 48
403.1838, F.S., in a reference thereto; reenacting s. 49
403.1835(3)(d), F.S., relating to water pollution 50

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CS/CS/CS/HB 1417, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1417 -04-er
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control financial assistance, to incorporate the 51
amendment made to s. 403.1838, F.S., in a reference 52
thereto; ratifying specified rules relating to the 53
Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and Priority 54
Springs minimum flows and recovery strategy for the 55
sole and exclusive purpose of satisfying any condition 56
on effectiveness pursuant to s. 120.541(3), F.S., 57
which requires ratification of any rule exceeding the 58
specified thresholds for likely adverse impact or 59
increase in regulatory costs; providing construction; 60
providing an effective date. 61
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 63
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Section 1. Subsection (6) of section 20.255, Florida 65
Statutes, is amended to read: 66
20.255 Department of Environmental Protection.—There is 67
created a Department of Environmental Protection. 68
(6) There is created as a part of the Department of 69
Environmental Protection an Environmental Regulation Commission. 70
The commission shall be composed of seven residents of this 71
state appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the 72
Senate. In making appointments, the Governor shall provide 73
reasonable representation from all sections of the state. 74
Membership shall be representative of agriculture, the 75

ENROLLED
CS/CS/CS/HB 1417, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1417 -04-er
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development industry, local government, the environmental 76
community, lay citizens, and members of the scientific and 77
technical community who have substantial expertise in the areas 78
of the fate and transport of water pollut