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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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to soil and water conservation 2
districts; repealing ch. 582, F.S., relating to soil 3
and water conservation districts; abolishing all soil 4
and water conservation districts in the state; 5
transferring the assets and liabilities of such 6
districts; amending ss. 120.52, 189.0695, 259.032, 7
259.036, 373.1391, 373.1401, 373.591, 403.067, 570.66, 8
and 570.921, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes 9
made by the act; providing an effective date. 10
11
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
13
Section 1. Chapter 582, Florida Statutes, consisting of 14
sections 582.01, 582.02, 582.055, 582.06, 582.10, 582.11, 15
582.12, 582.13, 582.14, 582.15, 582 .16, 582.18, 582.19, 582.20, 16
582.28, 582.29, 582.30, 582.31, and 582.32, is repealed. 17
Section 2. The following soil and water conservation 18
districts are abolished and all assets and liabilities of each 19
district are transferred to the Northwest Florida Water 20
Management District: 21
(1) Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District. 22
(2) Yellow River Soil and Water Conservation District. 23
(3) Choctawhatchee River Soil and Water Conservation 24
District. 25
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(4) Holmes Creek Soil and Water Conservation Distric t. 26
(5) Orange Hill Soil and Water Conservation District. 27
(6) Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District. 28
(7) Chipola River Soil and Water Conservation District. 29
(8) Tupelo Soil and Water Conservation District. 30
(9) Gadsden Soil and Water Conserv ation District. 31
(10) Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. 32
(11) Leon Soil and Water Conservation District. 33
(12) Wakulla Soil and Water Conservation District. 34
(13) Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District. 35
Section 3. The following soil and water conservation 36
districts are abolished and all assets and liabilities of each 37
district are transferred to the Suwannee River Water Management 38
District: 39
(1) Taylor Soil and Water Conservation District. 40
(2) Hamilton County Soil and Water Con servation District. 41
(3) Suwannee County Conservation District. 42
(4) Lafayette Soil and Water Conservation District. 43
(5) Dixie Soil and Water Conservation District. 44
(6) Santa Fe Soil and Water Conservation District. 45
(7) Gilchrist Soil and Water Con servation District. 46
(8) Levy Soil and Water Conservation District. 47
(9) Bradford Soil and Water Conservation District. 48
(10) Alachua Soil and Water Conservation District. 49
Section 4. The following soil and water conservation 50
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districts are abolished a nd all assets and liabilities of each 51
district are transferred to the St. Johns River Water Management 52
District: 53
(1) Nassau Soil and Water Conservation District. 54
(2) Baker Soil and Water Conservation District. 55
(3) Duval Soil and Water Conservation Di strict. 56
(4) Clay Soil and Water Conservation District. 57
(5) St. Johns Soil and Water Conservation District. 58
(6) Putnam Soil and Water Conservation District. 59
(7) Marion Soil and Water Conservation District. 60
(8) Volusia Soil and Water Conservation D istrict. 61
(9) Lake Soil and Water Conservation District. 62
(10) Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District. 63
(11) Orange Soil and Water Conservation District. 64
(12) Brevard Soil and Water Conservation District. 65
(13) Indian River Soil and Water Conservation District. 66
Section 5. The following soil and water conservation 67
districts are abolished and all assets and liabilities of each 68
district are transferred to the Southwest Florida Water 69
Management District: 70
(1) Sumter Soil and Water Conservation District. 71
(2) Polk Soil and Water Conservation District. 72
(3) Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District. 73
(4) Manatee River Soil and Water Conservation District. 74
(5) Hardee Soil and Water Conservation District. 75
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(6) Peace River Soil and Water Conservation District. 76
(7) Sarasota Soil and Water Conservation District. 77
(8) Charlotte Soil and Water Conservation District. 78
Section 6. The following soil and water conservation 79
districts are abolished and all assets and liabilities of each 80
district are transferred to the South Florida Water Management 81
District: 82
(1) Osceola Soil and Water Conservation District. 83
(2) Okeechobee Soil and Water Conservation District. 84
(3) Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District. 85
(4) Collier Soil and Water Conservation District. 86
(5) St. Lucie Soil and Water Conservation District. 87
(6) Martin Soil and Water Conservation District. 88
(7) Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District. 89
(8) Broward Soil and Water Conservation District. 90
(9) South Dade Soil and Water Conservation District. 91
Section 7. The Blackwater Soil and Water Conservation 92
District is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the 93
district are transferred to Santa Rosa County. 94
Section 8. The Glades Soil and Water Conservation District 95
is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the district are 96
transferred to Glades County. 97
Section 9. The Hendry Soil and Water Conservation District 98
is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the district are 99
transferred to Hendry County. 100
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Section 10. The Madison Soil and Water Conservation 101
District is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the 102
district are transferred to Madison County. 103
Section 11. The Union Soil and Water Conservation District 104
is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the district are 105
transferred to Union County. 106
Section 12. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 107
120.52, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 108
120.52 Definitions. —As used in this act: 109
(1) "Agency" means the follow ing officers or governmental 110
entities if acting pursuant to powers other than those derived 111
from the constitution: 112
(a) The Governor; each state officer and state department, 113
and each departmental unit described in s. 20.04; the Board of 114
Governors of the State University System; the Commission on 115
Ethics; the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; a 116
regional water supply authority; a regional planning agency; a 117
multicounty special district, but only if a majority of its 118
governing board is comprised of n onelected persons; educational 119
units; and each entity described in chapters 163, 373, and 380, 120
and 582 and s. 186.504. 121
122
This definition does not include a municipality or legal entity 123
created solely by a municipality; a legal entity or agency 124
created in whole or in part pursuant to part II of chapter 361; 125
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a metropolitan planning organization created pursuant to s. 126
339.175; a separate legal or administrative entity created 127
pursuant to s. 339.175 of which a metropolitan planning 128
organization is a member; an e xpressway authority pursuant to 129
chapter 348 or any transportation authority or commission under 130
chapter 343 or chapter 349; or a legal or administrative entity 131
created by an interlocal agreement pursuant to s. 163.01(7), 132
unless any party to such agreement is otherwise an agency as 133
defined in this subsection. 134
Section 13. Subsection (3) of section 189.0695, Florida 135
Statutes, is amended to read: 136
189.0695 Independent special districts; performance 137
reviews.— 138
(3) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government 139
Accountability must conduct a performance review of all 140
independent mosquito control special districts within the 141
classifications described in paragraphs (a) and (b) and may 142
contract as needed to co mplete the requirements of this 143
subsection. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government 144
Accountability shall submit the final report of the performance 145
review to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the 146
House of Representatives as follows: 147
(a) For all independent mosquito control districts as 148
defined in s. 388.011, no later than September 30, 2023. 149
(b) For all soil and water conservation districts as 150
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defined in s. 582.01, no later than September 30, 2024. 151
Section 14. Subsection (5 ), paragraphs (d) and (e) of 152
subsection (7), and paragraph (b) of subsection (8) of section 153
259.032, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 154
259.032 Conservation and recreation lands. — 155
(5) The board of trustees may enter into any contract 156
necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The lead 157
land managing agencies designated by the board of trustees also 158
are directed by the Legislature to enter into contracts or 159
interagency agreements with other governmental entities , 160
including local soil and wa ter conservation districts, or 161
private land managers who have the expertise to perform specific 162
management activities which a lead agency lacks, or which would 163
cost more to provide in -house. Such activities shall include, 164
but not be limited to, controlled burning, road and ditch 165
maintenance, mowing, and wildlife assessments. 166
(7) All lands managed under this chapter and s. 253.034 167
shall be: 168
(d) Concurrent with the approval of the acquisition 169
contract pursuant to s. 253.025(4)(c) for any interest in lands 170
except those lands acquired pursuant to s. 259.1052, the board 171
shall designate an agency or agencies to manage such lands. The 172
board shall evaluate and amend, as appropriate, the management 173
policy statement for the project as provided by s. 259.035 to 174
ensure that the policy statement is compatible with 175
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conservation, recreation, or both. For any fee simple 176
acquisition of a parcel which is or will be leased back for 177
agricultural purposes, or any acquisition of a less than fee 178
interest in land that is or will be used for agricultural 179
purposes, the board shall first consider having a soil and water 180
conservation district, created pursuant to chapter 582, manage 181
and monitor such interests. 182
(e) State agencies designated to manage lands acquired 183
under this chapter or with funds deposited into the Land 184
Acquisition Trust Fund, except those lands acquired under s. 185
259.1052, may contract with local governments and soil and water 186
conservation districts to assist in management activities, 187
including the responsibility of being the lead land manager. 188
Such land management contracts may include a provision for the 189
transfer of management funding to the local government or soil 190
and water conservation district from the land acquisition trust 191
fund of the lead land managing agenc y in an amount adequate for 192
the local government or soil and water conservation district to 193
perform its contractual land management responsibilities and 194
proportionate to its responsibilities, and which otherwise would 195
have been expended by the state agency to manage the property. 196
(8) 197
(b) Individual management plans required by s. 253.034(5), 198
for parcels over 160 acres, shall be developed with input from 199
an advisory group. Members of this advisory group shall include, 200
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at a minimum, representatives of the lead land managing agency, 201
comanaging entities, local private property owners, the 202
appropriate soil and water conservation district, a local 203
conservation organization, and a local elected official. If 204
habitat or potentially restorable habitat for imperiled species 205
is located on state lands, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 206
Commission and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer 207
Services shall be included on any advisory group required under 208
chapter 253, and the short -term and long-term management goals 209
required under chapter 253 must advance the goals and objectives 210
of imperiled species management without restricting other uses 211
identified in the management plan. The advisory group shall 212
conduct at least one public hearing within the county in which 213
the parcel or project is located. For those parcels or projects 214
that are within more than one county, at least one areawide 215
public hearing shall be acceptable and the lead managing agency 216
shall invite a local elected official from each county. The 217
areawide public hearing shall be held in the county in which the 218
core parcels are located. Notice of such public hearing shall be 219
posted on the parcel or project designated for management, 220
advertised in a paper of general circulation, and announced at a 221
scheduled meeting of the local governing body before the actual 222
public hearing. The management prospectus required pursuant to 223
paragraph (7)(c) sha ll be available to the public for a period 224
of 30 days before the public hearing. 225
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226
By July 1 of each year, each governmental agency and each 227
private entity designated to manage lands shall report to the 228
Secretary of Environmental Protection on the progress of 229
funding, staffing, and resource management of every project for 230
which the agency or entity is responsible. 231
Section 15. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 232
259.036, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 233
259.036 Management review teams. — 234
(1) To determine whether conservation, preservation, and 235
recreation lands titled in the name of the board are being 236
managed for purposes that are compatible with conservation, 237
preservation, or recreation in accordance with a land management 238
plan adopted pursuant to s. 259.032, the board, acting through 239
the department, shall cause periodic management reviews to be 240
conducted as follows: 241
(a) The department shall establish a regional land 242
management review team composed of the following members: 243
1. One individual who is from the county or local 244
community in which the parcel or project is located and who is 245
selected by the county commission in the county which is most 246
impacted by the acquisition. 247
2. One individual from the Division of Recreation and 248
Parks of the department. 249
3. One individual from the Florida Forest Service of the 250
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Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 251
4. One individual from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 252
Commission. 253
5. One individual from the department's district office in 254
which the parcel is located. 255
6. A private land manager, preferably from the local 256
community, mutually agreeable to the state agency 257
representatives. 258
7. A member or staff from the jurisdictional water 259
management district or local soil and water conserv ation 260
district board of supervisors . 261
8. A member of a conservation organization. 262
Section 16. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 263
373.1391, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 264
373.1391 Management of real property. — 265
(1) 266
(d) For any fee simple acquisition of a parcel which is or 267
will be leased back for agricultural purposes, or for any 268
acquisition of a less -than-fee interest in lands that is or will 269
be used for agricultural purposes, the district governing board 270
shall first consider havin g a soil and water conservation 271
district created pursuant to chapter 582 manage and monitor such 272
interest. 273
Section 17. Section 373.1401, Florida Statutes, is amended 274
to read: 275
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373.1401 Management of lands of water management 276
districts.—In addition to provisions contained in s. 373.1391(1) 277
for soil and water conservation districts, The governing board 278
of each water management district may contract with a 279
nongovernmental person or entity, any federal or state agency, a 280
county, a municipality, or any othe r governmental entity, or 281
environmental nonprofit organization to provide for the 282
improvement, management, or maintenance of any real property 283
owned by or under the control of the district. 284
Section 18. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 285
373.591, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 286
373.591 Management review teams. — 287
(1) To determine whether conservation, preservation, and 288
recreation lands titled in the names of the water management 289
districts are being managed for the purposes for which they were 290
acquired and in accordance with land management objectives, the 291
water management districts shall establish land management 292
review teams to conduct periodic management reviews. The land 293
management review teams shall be composed of the following 294
members: 295
(d) A member of the local soil and water conservation 296
district board of supervisors. 297
Section 19. Subsection (1), paragraph (a) of subsection 298
(3), paragraph (a) of subsection (6), and paragraph (a) of 299
subsection (7) of section 403.067, Florida Statu tes, are amended 300
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to read: 301
403.067 Establishment and implementation of total maximum 302
daily loads.— 303
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. —In furtherance of 304
public policy established in s. 403.021, the Legislature 305
declares that the waters of the state are among its most basic 306
resources and that the development of a total maximum daily load 307
program for state waters as required by s. 303(d) of the Clean 308
Water Act, Pub. L. No. 92 -500, 33 U.S.C. ss. 1251 et seq. will 309
promote improvements in water quality throug hout the state 310
through the coordinated control of point and nonpoint sources of 311
pollution. The Legislature finds that, while point and nonpoint 312
sources of pollution have been managed through numerous 313
programs, better coordination among these efforts and ad ditional 314
management measures may be needed in order to achieve the 315
restoration of impaired water bodies. The scientifically based 316
total maximum daily load program is necessary to fairly and 317
equitably allocate pollution loads to both nonpoint and point 318
sources. Implementation of the allocation shall include 319
consideration of a cost -effective approach coordinated between 320
contributing point and nonpoint sources of pollution for 321
impaired water bodies or water body segments and may include the 322
opportunity to implement the allocation through nonregulatory 323
and incentive-based programs. The Legislature further declares 324
that the Department of Environmental Protection shall be the 325
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lead agency in administering this program and shall coordinate 326
with local governments, wa ter management districts, the 327
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, local soil and 328
water conservation districts, environmental groups, regulated 329
interests, other appropriate state agencies, and affected 330
pollution sources in developing and execut ing the total maximum 331
daily load program. 332
(3) ASSESSMENT.— 333
(a) Based on the priority ranking and schedule for a 334
particular listed water body or water body segment, the 335
department shall conduct a total maximum daily load assessment 336
of the basin in which the water body or water body segment is 337
located using the methodology developed pursuant to paragraph 338
(b). In conducting this assessment, the department shall 339
coordinate with the local water management district, the 340
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, other 341
appropriate state agencies, soil and water conservation 342
districts, environmental groups, regulated interests, and other 343
interested parties. 344
(6) CALCULATION AND ALLOCATION. — 345
(a) Calculation of total maximum daily load. 346
1. Prior to developing a total maximum daily load 347
calculation for each water body or water body segment on the 348
list specified in subsection (4), the department shall 349
coordinate with applicable local governments, water management 350
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districts, the Department of Agriculture an d Consumer Services, 351
other appropriate state agencies, local soil and water 352
conservation districts, environmental groups, regulated 353
interests, and affected pollution sources to determine the 354
information required, accepted methods of data collection and 355
analysis, and quality control/quality assurance requirements. 356
The analysis may include mathematical water quality modeling 357
using approved procedures and methods. 358
2. The department shall develop total maximum daily load 359
calculations for each water body or wa ter body segment on the 360
list described in subsection (4) according to the priority 361
ranking and schedule unless the impairment of such waters is due 362
solely to activities other than point and nonpoint sources of 363
pollution. For waters determined to be impaire d due solely to 364
factors other than point and nonpoint sources of pollution, no 365
total maximum daily load will be required. A total maximum daily 366
load may be required for those waters that are impaired 367
predominantly due to activities other than point and non point 368
sources. The total maximum daily load calculation shall 369
establish the amount of a pollutant that a water body or water 370
body segment may receive from all sources without exceeding 371
water quality standards, and shall account for seasonal 372
variations and include a margin of safety that takes into 373
account any lack of knowledge concerning the relationship 374
between effluent limitations and water quality. The total 375
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maximum daily load may be based on a pollutant load reduction 376
goal developed by a water managemen t district, provided that 377
such pollutant load reduction goal is promulgated by the 378
department in accordance with the procedural and substantive 379
requirements of this subsection. 380
(7) DEVELOPMENT OF BASIN MANAGEMENT PLANS AND 381
IMPLEMENTATION OF TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS.— 382
(a) Basin management action plans. — 383
1. In developing and implementing the total maximum daily 384
load for a water body, the department, or the department in 385
conjunction with a water management district, may develop a 386
basin management action plan that addresses some or all of the 387
watersheds and basins tributary to the water body. Such plan 388
must integrate the appropriate management strategies available 389
to the state through existing water quality protection programs 390
to achieve the total maximum daily loads and may provide for 391
phased implementation of these management strategies to promote 392
timely, cost-effective actions as provided for in s. 403.151. 393
The plan must establish a schedule implementing the management 394
strategies, establish a basis for evaluating the plan's 395
effectiveness, and identify feasible funding strategies for 396
implementing the plan's management strategies. The management 397
strategies may include regional treatment systems or other 398
public works, when appropriate, and voluntary trading of water 399
quality credits to achieve the needed pollutant load reductions. 400
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2. A basin management action plan must equitably allocate, 401
pursuant to paragraph (6)(b), pollutant reductions to individual 402
basins, as a whole to all basins, or to each identified point 403
source or category of nonpoint sources, as appropriate. For 404
nonpoint sources for which best management practices have been 405
adopted, the initial requirement specified by the plan must be 406
those practices developed pursuant to paragraph (c). When 407
appropriate, the plan may take into account the benefits of 408
pollutant load reduction achieved by point or nonpoint sources 409
that have implemented management strategies to reduce pollutant 410
loads, including best management practices, before the 411
development of the basin management action plan. The plan must 412
also identify the mechanisms that will address potential future 413
increases in pollutant loading. 414
3. The basin management action planning process is 415
intended to involve the broadest possible range of interested 416
parties, with the objective of encouraging the greatest amount 417
of cooperation and consensus possible. In developing a basin 418
management action plan, the department shall assure that key 419
stakeholders, including, but not limited to, applicable local 420
governments, water management districts, the Department of 421
Agriculture and Consumer Services, other appropriate state 422
agencies, local soil and water conservation districts, 423
environmental groups, regulated interests, and affected 424
pollution sources, are invited to par ticipate in the process. 425
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The department shall hold at least one public meeting in the 426
vicinity of the watershed or basin to discuss and receive 427
comments during the planning process and shall otherwise 428
encourage public participation to the greatest practica ble 429
extent. Notice of the public meeting must be published in a 430
newspaper of general circulation in each county in which the 431
watershed or basin lies at least 5 days, but not more than 15 432
days, before the public meeting. A basin management action plan 433
does not supplant or otherwise alter any assessment made under 434
subsection (3) or subsection (4) or any calculation or initial 435
allocation. 436
4. Each new or revised basin management action plan shall 437
include: 438
a. The appropriate management strategies available t hrough 439
existing water quality protection programs to achieve total 440
maximum daily loads, which may provide for phased implementation 441
to promote timely, cost -effective actions as provided for in s. 442
403.151; 443
b. A description of best management practices ado pted by 444
rule; 445
c. A list of projects in priority ranking with a planning -446
level cost estimate and estimated date of completion for each 447
listed project; 448
d. The source and amount of financial assistance to be 449
made available by the department, a water manag ement district, 450
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or other entity for each listed project, if applicable; and 451
e. A planning-level estimate of each listed project's 452
expected load reduction, if applicable. 453
5. The department shall adopt all or any part of a basin 454
management action plan an d any amendment to such plan by 455
secretarial order pursuant to chapter 120 to implement this 456
section. 457
6. The basin management action plan must include 458
milestones for implementation and water quality improvement, and 459
an associated water quality monitoring component sufficient to 460
evaluate whether reasonable progress in pollutant load 461
reductions is being achieved over time. An assessment of 462
progress toward these milestones shall be conducted every 5 463
years, and revisions to the plan shall be made as appropriat e. 464
Revisions to the basin management action plan shall be made by 465
the department in cooperation with basin stakeholders. Revisions 466
to the management strategies required for nonpoint sources must 467
follow the procedures in subparagraph (c)4. Revised basin 468
management action plans must be adopted pursuant to subparagraph 469
5. 470
7. In accordance with procedures adopted by rule under 471
paragraph (9)(c), basin management action plans, and other 472
pollution control programs under local, state, or federal 473
authority as provided in subsection (4), may allow point or 474
nonpoint sources that will achieve greater pollutant reductions 475
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than required by an adopted total maximum daily load or 476
wasteload allocation to generate, register, and trade water 477
quality credits for the excess re ductions to enable other 478
sources to achieve their allocation; however, the generation of 479
water quality credits does not remove the obligation of a source 480
or activity to meet applicable technology requirements or 481
adopted best management practices. Such plan s must allow trading 482
between NPDES permittees, and trading that may or may not 483
involve NPDES permittees, where the generation or use of the 484
credits involve an entity or activity not subject to department 485
water discharge permits whose owner voluntarily elec ts to obtain 486
department authorization for the generation and sale of credits. 487
8. The department's rule relating to the equitable 488
abatement of pollutants into surface waters do not apply to 489
water bodies or water body segments for which a basin management 490
plan that takes into account future new or expanded activities 491
or discharges has been adopted under this section. 492
9. In order to promote resilient wastewater utilities, if 493
the department identifies domestic wastewater treatment 494
facilities or onsite sewag e treatment and disposal systems as 495
contributors of at least 20 percent of point source or nonpoint 496
source nutrient pollution or if the department determines 497
remediation is necessary to achieve the total maximum daily 498
load, a basin management action plan f or a nutrient total 499
maximum daily load must include the following: 500
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a. A wastewater treatment plan developed by each local 501
government, in cooperation with the department, the water 502
management district, and the public and private domestic 503
wastewater treatment facilities within the jurisdiction of the 504
local government, that addresses domestic wastewater. The 505
wastewater treatment plan must: 506
(I) Provide for construction, expansion, or upgrades 507
necessary to achieve the total maximum daily load requirements 508
applicable to the domestic wastewater treatment facility. 509
(II) Include the permitted capacity in average annual 510
gallons per day for the domestic wastewater treatment facility; 511
the average nutrient concentration and the estimated average 512
nutrient load of the domestic wastewater; a projected timeline 513
of the dates by which the construction of any facility 514
improvements will begin and be completed and the date by which 515
operations of the improved facility will begin; the estimated 516
cost of the improvements; and th e identity of responsible 517
parties. 518
519
The wastewater treatment plan must be adopted as part of the 520
basin management action plan no later than July 1, 2025. A local 521
government that does not have a domestic wastewater treatment 522
facility in its jurisdiction is not required to develop a 523
wastewater treatment plan unless there is a demonstrated need to 524
establish a domestic wastewater treatment facility within its 525
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jurisdiction to improve water quality necessary to achieve a 526
total maximum daily load. A local governme nt is not responsible 527
for a private domestic wastewater facility's compliance with a 528
basin management action plan unless such facility is operated 529
through a public-private partnership to which the local 530
government is a party. 531
b. An onsite sewage treatmen t and disposal system 532
remediation plan developed by each local government in 533
cooperation with the department, the Department of Health, water 534
management districts, and public and private domestic wastewater 535
treatment facilities. 536
(I) The onsite sewage tre atment and disposal system 537
remediation plan must identify cost -effective and financially 538
feasible projects necessary to achieve the nutrient load 539
reductions required for onsite sewage treatment and disposal 540
systems. To identify cost -effective and financial ly feasible 541
projects for remediation of onsite sewage treatment and disposal 542
systems, the local government shall: 543
(A) Include an inventory of onsite sewage treatment and 544
disposal systems based on the best information available; 545
(B) Identify onsite sewa ge treatment and disposal systems 546
that would be eliminated through connection to existing or 547
future central domestic wastewater infrastructure in the 548
jurisdiction or domestic wastewater service area of the local 549
government, that would be replaced with or u pgraded to enhanced 550
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nutrient-reducing onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems, 551
or that would remain on conventional onsite sewage treatment and 552
disposal systems; 553
(C) Estimate the costs of potential onsite sewage 554
treatment and disposal system connect ions, upgrades, or 555
replacements; and 556
(D) Identify deadlines and interim milestones for the 557
planning, design, and construction of projects. 558
(II) The department shall adopt the onsite sewage 559
treatment and disposal system remediation plan as part of the 560
basin management action plan no later than July 1, 2025, or as 561
required for Outstanding Florida Springs under s. 373.807. 562
10. When identifying wastewater projects in a basin 563
management action plan, the department may not require the 564
higher cost option if it achieves the same nutrient load 565
reduction as a lower cost option. A regulated entity may choose 566
a different cost option if it complies with the pollutant 567
reduction requirements of an adopted total maximum daily load 568
and meets or exceeds the pollution re duction requirement of the 569
original project. 570
Section 20. Section 570.66, Florida Statutes, is amended 571
to read: 572
570.66 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; 573
water policy.—The commissioner may create an Office of 574
Agricultural Water Policy un der the supervision of a senior 575
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manager exempt under s. 110.205 in the Senior Management 576
Service. The commissioner may designate the bureaus and 577
positions in the various organizational divisions of the 578
department that report to the office relating to any m atter over 579
which the department has jurisdiction in matters relating to 580
water policy affecting agriculture, application of such 581
policies, and coordination of such matters with state and 582
federal agencies. The office shall enforce and implement the 583
provisions of chapter 582 and rules relating to soil and water 584
conservation. 585
Section 21. Subsection (3) of section 570.921, Florida 586
Statutes, is amended to read: 587
570.921 Environmental Stewardship Certification Program. —588
The department may establish the Environ mental Stewardship 589
Certification Program consistent with this section. 590
(3) The Soil and Water Conservation Council created by s. 591
582.06 may develop and recommend to the department for adoption 592
additional criteria for receipt of an agricultural certificat ion 593
which may include, but not be limited to: 594
(a) Comprehensive management of all on -farm resources. 595
(b) Promotion of environmental awareness and responsible 596
resource stewardship in agricultural or urban communities. 597
(c) Completion of a curriculum of study that is related to 598
environmental issues and regulation. 599
Section 22. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 600