Florida HB 1457: Stormwater Treatment

Bill Text

CS/CS/HB 1457 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1457-02-c2
Page 1 of 17
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

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to stormwater treatment; amending s. 2
311.106, F.S.; prohibiting certain stormwater 3
treatment and net improvement activities; prohibiting 4
certain water quality enhancement areas from conveying 5
enhancement credits to provide stormwater treatment or 6
achieve net improvement; amending s. 373.403, F.S.; 7
defining terms; amending s. 373.413, F.S.; defining 8
the term "regional stormwater management system"; 9
requiring that the Department of Environmental 10
Protection or a water management district require an 11
applicant to provide certain documentation of adequate 12
financial responsibility in order to meet certain 13
requirements; providing requirements for such 14
financial responsibility; providing construction; 15
requiring an environmental resource permit authorizing 16
a regional stormwater management system to establish 17
and include a specified graphic depiction; authorizing 18
certain environmental resource permit applicants to 19
purchase and use pollution reduction allocations from 20
a regional stormwater management system to meet 21
certain performance criteria; requiring the department 22
or water management district to use a specified 23
identifier to establish the drainage area; providing 24
an exception; amending s. 373.4134, F.S.; revising 25

CS/CS/HB 1457 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1457-02-c2
Page 2 of 17
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

legislative findings; deleting the definition of the 26
term "enhancement credit"; authorizing water quality 27
enhancement credits to be used by governmental 28
entities to meet environmental resource permit 29
stormwater treatment performance standards or achieve 30
net improvement, pursuant to specified provisions; 31
providing that the use of enhancement credits from a 32
water quality enhancement area constitutes 33
compensating stormwater treatment under the 34
environmental resource permitting program; requiring 35
the boundaries of the enhancement service area to 36
include a certain type of sub-basin; prohibiting the 37
term "credit" from being used to refer to pollutant 38
reduction under certain circumstances; requiring the 39
department to adopt rules by a specified date; 40
requiring the department to take certain action 41
pending the adoption of certain rules; requiring the 42
department to issue a provisional permit under certain 43
circumstances; authorizing enhancement credits to be 44
used from certain water quality enhancement areas; 45
providing construction; authorizing the department to 46
modify permits after the adoption of rules; requiring 47
the department and water management districts to 48
recognize any enhancement credit used from a water 49
quality enhancement area established pursuant to a 50

CS/CS/HB 1457 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1457-02-c2
Page 3 of 17
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

provisional permit; amending s. 373.414, F.S.; 51
clarifying the types of mitigation measures for 52
compensating stormwater treatment which the department 53
or a water management district governing board must 54
consider under certain circumstances; making technical 55
changes; reenacting s. 373.4136(6)(d), F.S., relating 56
to establishment and operation of mitigation banks, to 57
incorporate the amendment made to s. 373.414, F.S., in 58
a reference thereto; providing an effective date. 59
60
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 61
62
Section 1. Section 311.106, Florida Statutes, is amended 63
to read: 64
311.106 Seaport stormwater permitting and mitigation.— 65
(1) A seaport listed in s. 403.021(9)(b) is authorized to 66
provide for onsite or offsite stormwater treatment for water 67
quality impacts caused by a proposed port activity that requires 68
a permit and that causes or contributes to pollution from 69
stormwater runoff. Offsite stormwater treatment may occur 70
outside of the established boundaries of the port, but must be 71
within the same drainage basin in which the port activity 72
occurs. A port offsite stormwater treatment project must be 73
constructed and maintained by the seaport or by the seaport in 74
conjunction with an adjacent local government. In order to limit 75

CS/CS/HB 1457 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1457-02-c2
Page 4 of 17
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

stormwater treatment from individual parcels within a port, a 76
seaport may provide for a regional stormwater treatment facility 77
that must be constructed and maintained by the seaport or by the 78
seaport in conjunction with an adjacent local government. 79
(2) For a proposed port