Florida SB 1066: Impact Fees

Bill Text

1066 
Tributaries of the St. Johns River 
2026-02-16T11:29:44Z 
Citing this act as the "Northeast Florida Rivers, Springs, and Community Investment Act"; requiring the Department of Environmental Protection, by a specified date, to hire a project lead to oversee the implementation of the act; requiring the department to develop, by a specified date, a project plan for the restoration of the Ocklawaha River; providing that the project plan is an environmental restoration or enhancement project subject to a general permit from the department and water management districts; providing for the creation of the Northeast Florida River and Springs Recreation and Economic Development Advisory Council by a specified date, etc. 
Committee Substitute 3 
2026 
S 
GB 
General Bill 
c3 

 Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for CS for SB 1066 

 By the Committee on Appropriations; the Appropriations Committee 
 on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; the 
 Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; and Senator 
 Brodeur 

 576-02814-26 20261066c3 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to tributaries of the St. Johns River; 
 3 providing a short title; creating s. 373.464, F.S.; 
 4 requiring the Department of Environmental Protection, 
 5 by a specified date, to hire a project lead to oversee 
 6 the implementation of the act; requiring that the 
 7 project lead have certain expertise; requiring the 
 8 department to develop, by a specified date, a project 
 9 plan for the restoration of the Ocklawaha River; 
 10 specifying requirements for the project plan; 
 11 providing that the project plan is an environmental 
 12 restoration or enhancement project subject to a 
 13 general permit from the department and water 
 14 management districts; requiring the department to 
 15 complete the project plan by a specified date, subject 
 16 to the provision of funds; providing for the creation 
 17 of the Northeast Florida River and Springs Recreation 
 18 and Economic Development Advisory Council by a 
 19 specified date; assigning the council to the 
 20 Department of Environmental Protection; providing that 
 21 the project lead is the chair of the council; 
 22 providing for council membership, meetings, and 
 23 duties; requiring the council to submit an advisory 
 24 report to the Governor, the Legislature, and the 
 25 department by a specified date; specifying 
 26 requirements for the advisory report; providing for 
 27 future repeal; requiring the department to develop an 
 28 outdoor recreation plan, in collaboration with certain 
 29 commissions, councils, and local governments of river 
 30 communities; specifying requirements for the outdoor 
 31 recreation plan; requiring the department to implement 
 32 the plan by a specified date; requiring the department 
 33 to complete projects on state-owned lands in the 
 34 outdoor recreation plan by a specified date, subject 
 35 to certain funding; requiring the department to 
 36 develop a grant program for a specified purpose; 
 37 requiring that the grant program be compatible with 
 38 certain plans; requiring the department to implement 
 39 the grant program by a specified date; requiring the 
 40 Department of Commerce to develop guidelines and 
 41 processes for and implement an economic development 
 42 program for Marion and Putnam Counties for a specified 
 43 purpose by a specified date; requiring that the 
 44 economic development plan be compatible with certain 
 45 plans and programs; requiring the Department of 
 46 Commerce to implement the economic development program 
 47 by a specified date; providing an effective date. 
 48 
 49 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 50 
 51 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Northeast Florida 
 52 Rivers, Springs, and Community Investment Act.” 
 53 Section 2. Section 373.464, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 54 read: 
 55 373.464 Ocklawaha River restoration, recreation, and 
 56 economic development.— 
 57 (1) PROJECT LEAD.—The department shall, no later than 
 58 August 31, 2026, hire a full-time equivalent contractor or 
 59 employee, whose position title will be project lead, to oversee 
 60 the implementation of this act. The project lead must have 
 61 subject matter expertise in conservation and recreation 
 62 planning. 
 63 (2) PROJECT PLAN.— 
 64 (a) By July 1, 2027, the department shall develop a project 
 65 plan for the restoration of the Ocklawaha River. The project 
 66 plan must provide for restoration and increased resiliency and 
 67 recreation benefits of the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers and 
 68 Silver Springs. The project plan must be designed to restore the 
 69 Ocklawaha River’s natural flow, hydrology, and floodplain 
 70 function to the approximate conditions that existed before the 
 71 construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal project and its 
 72 associated project works by implementing measures that include 
 73 breaching the Kirkpat