Florida HB 1245: Biosolids Management

Bill Text

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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

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An act relating to biosolids management; amending s. 2
403.0855, F.S.; prohibiting the land application of 3
bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer and compost 4
products from exceeding the appropriate agronomic 5
rate; specifying requirements for the management of 6
the land application of bulk Class AA biosolids 7
fertilizer and biosolids compost products at or below 8
the agronomic rate; defining the term "agronomic 9
rate"; prohibiting the bulk land application of 10
biosolids when such bulk application constitutes 11
disposal; defining the term "disposal"; requiring the 12
owner or operator of certain land application sites to 13
maintain application records for a specified timeframe 14
and make such records available to the Department of 15
Environmental Protection upon request; specifying 16
requirements for such records; specifying that the 17
department must require written notification of such 18
recordkeeping requirements be provided to the owner or 19
operator of such land at the time bulk Class AA 20
biosolids are distributed for land application; 21
providing that such recordkeeping requirements do not 22
apply to certain biosolids; specifying requirements 23
for the distribution of such biosolids; requiring the 24
department to initiate rulemaking by a specified date; 25

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CS/CS/HB 1245 2026 Legislature

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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

requiring the University of Florida Institute of Food 26
and Agricultural Sciences, on a specified basis and 27
beginning on a specified date, to publish and make 28
publicly available recommended agronomic rates for the 29
reuse of bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer and 30
compost products; specifying requirements for such 31
recommendations; prohibiting Class AA biosolids 32
fertilizer products and certain Class AA biosolids 33
compost products from being marketed or distributed 34
for agricultural land application unless specified 35
requirements are met; prohibiting Class AA biosolids 36
from being used for agricultural land application 37
unless certain requirements are met; providing an 38
effective date. 39
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 41
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Section 1. Subsections (7) through (14) are added to 43
section 403.0855, Florida Statutes, to read: 44
403.0855 Biosolids management.— 45
(7)(a) Land application of bulk Class AA biosolids 46
fertilizer and biosolids compost products may not exceed the 47
appropriate agronomic rate. Land application of bulk Class AA 48
biosolids fertilizer and biosolids compost products at or below 49
the agronomic rate must be managed so that beneficial reuse, 50

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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

rather than biosolids disposal, is the primary objective as 51
evidenced by the manner and circumstances of the application. As 52
used in this subsection, the term "agronomic rate" means the 53
nutrient application rate established using generally accepted, 54
science-based nutrient management principles, including 55
recommendations published by the University of Florida Institute 56
of Food and Agricultural Sciences, which considers plant 57
nutrient requirements; site-specific characteristics, including 58
soil conditions; characteristics of the biosolids fertilizer or 59
biosolids compost products, including nutrient release rates and 60
soil amendment functions; other nutrient inputs applied to the 61
site; and the protection of groundwater and surface water 62
resources. 63
(b) Bulk land application of biosolids, including Class AA 64
biosolids, to the extent that such bulk land application 65
constitutes disposal, is prohibited, and violations are subject 66
to chapter 403. As used in this subsection, the term "disposal" 67
means the bulk land application of biosolids, including any 68
application exceeding the agronomic rate, when, considering the 69
manner and circumstances of the application, the nutrients 70
applied cannot reasonably be expected to be taken up by a crop 71
or vegetative cover during the relevant growing season, and the 72
application results in the discard of biosolids on the land 73
application site. 74
(8)(a) The owner or operator of a land application site at 75

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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

which bulk agricultural land application of biosolids fertilizer 76
or biosolids compost products occurs shall maintain application 77
records fo