The Florida Senate
BILL ANALYSIS AND FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
(This document is based on the provisions contained in the legislation as of the latest date listed below.)
Prepared By: The Professional Staff of the Committee on Education
BILL: SB 676
INTRODUCER: Senator Cruz
SUBJECT: Drinking Water in Public Schools
DATE: February 7, 2022
ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR REFERENCE ACTION
1. Brick Bouck ED Pre-meeting
2. AED
3. AP
I. Summary:
SB 676 requires each school district to filter drinking water at each source for each district
school built before 1986. Specifically, for such schools the bill requires each school district to,
by June 30, 2023:
Install and maintain a filter that meets specified standards and capacity to reduce lead at each
school water source.
Post a conspicuous sign near each school non-drinking-water source warning that water from
such source should not be used for human consumption or food preparation.
Publish on the school district’s website information about filters and location for each
drinking water source.
The bill provides a $3 million nonrecurring appropriation from the Drinking Water Revolving
Loan Trust Fund to the board of a county water and sewer district to implement the requirements
of the bill.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2022.
II. Present Situation:
Lead is a common hazardous contaminant found in the plumbing systems of older homes,
businesses and schools. Although rarely found in source water, lead can enter tap water through
the corrosion of aging plumbing materials. The three main sources of lead in water found in
schools include:
1
Lead-containing service lines connected to public water systems, most often in schools built
prior to 1950;
1
NSF, Lead in Schools and Older Homes, https://www.nsf.org/consumer-resources/articles/lead-schools-older-homes, (last
visited Feb. 4, 2022).
REVISED: BILL: SB 676 Page 2
Lead solder used in copper piping systems prior to 1986; and
Lead-containing brass or galvanized pipe and fittings, which includes many products
manufactured prior to the mid-1990s.
2
Lead is a neurotoxin that can accumulate in the body over time with long-lasting effects,
particularly for children. Lead in a child’s body can slow down growth and development,
damage hearing and speech, and lead to learning disabilities. For adults, lead can have
detrimental effects on cardiovascular, renal, and reproductive systems and can prompt memory
loss. The concentration of lead, total amount consumed, and duration of exposure influence the
severity of health effects.
3
Lead in school drinking water is a concern because it is a daily source
of water for over 50 million children enrolled in public schools.
4
Federal Safe Water Requirements
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public
health by regulating the nation’s public drinking water supply.
5
The SWDA authorizes the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set standards for drinking water
contaminants in public water systems.
6
The SDWA applies to every public water system in the
United States, which are regulated by the EPA under the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR),
7
as
required by the SDWA.
8
2
In 1986, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA), prohibiting the use of pipes, solder, or flux that were not
“lead free” in public water systems or plumbing providing water for human consumption. At the time “lead free” was defined
as solder and flux with no more than 0.2 percent lead and pipes with no more than 8 percent. In 1996 Congress further
amended the SWDA, requiring plumbing fittings and fixtures to be in compliance with voluntary lead leaching standards.
The amendments also prohibited the sale of any pipe, pipe or plumbing fitting or fixture that is not lead free. United States
Environmental Protection Agency, Use of Lead Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder and Flux for Drinking Water,
https://www.epa.gov/dwstandardsregulations/use-lead-free-pipes-fittings-fixtures-solder-and-flux-drinking-water (last visited
Feb. 4, 2022).
3
United States Government Accountability Office, Lead Testing of School Drinking Water Would Benefit from Improved
Federal Guidance (July 2018), available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/692979.pdf, at 5.
4
Id. at 1.
5
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Understanding the Safe Drinking Water Act (June 2004), available at
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-04/documents/epa816f04030.pdf, at 1. The SWDA is administered through
programs that establish standards and treatment requirements for public water supplies, finance drinking water infrastructure
projects, promote water system compliance, and control the underground injection of fluids to protect underground sources of
drinking water. Congressional Research Service, Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): A Summary of the Act and Its Major
Requirements (Mar. 1. 2017), available at https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31243.pdf, at 5.
6
United States Government Accountability Office, Lead Testing of School Drinking Water Would Benefit from Improved
Federal Guidance (July 2018), available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/692979.pdf, at 5. For a given contaminant the act
requires the EPA to first establish a maximum contaminant level goal, which is the level at which no known or anticipated
adverse effects on the health of persons occur and which allows an adequate margin of safety. EPA must then set an
enforceable maximum contaminant level as close to the maximum contaminant level goal as is feasible, or require water
systems to use a treatment technique to prevent known or anticipated adverse effects on the health of persons to the extent
feasible.
7
40 C.F.R. ss. 141.80-141.91.
8
Pub. L. No. 93-523, 88 Stat. 1660 (1974). Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA is authorized to regulate
contaminants in public drinking water systems. Since 1974, EPA has implemented its drinking water program under three
separate legislative frameworks—first under the initial statute and subsequently under major amendments in 1986 and 1996.
United States Government Accountability Office, Lead Testing of School Drinking Water Would Benefit from Improved
Federal Guidance (July 2018), available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/692979.pdf, at 2. BILL: SB 676 Page 3
In the LCR, the EPA established a maximum contaminant level
9
goal of zero, concluding that
there was no established safe level of lead exposure. However, the rule established an “action
level” of 15 micrograms of lead per liter (15 parts-per-billion (ppb)) of water, a level the EPA
believed was generally representative of what could be feasibly achieved at the tap.
10
If more
than 10 percent of tap water samples exceed the lead action level of 15 ppb, then water systems
are required to take specified treatment actions.
11
Because the LCR regulates public water systems, it does not directly address individual schools
that are served by a public water system. There is no federal law requiring testing of lead in
drinking water for schools receiving water from a public water system.
12
States and local
jurisdictions may establish their own voluntary or mandatory programs for testing drinking water
in schools and child-care facilities.
13
The most direct oversight of water systems is conducted by state drinking water programs. States
can apply to the EPA for “primacy,” the authority to implement the SDWA within their
jurisdictions, if they can show that they will adopt standards at least as stringent as the EPA’s
and make sure water systems meet these standards. All states and territories, except Wyoming
and the District of Columbia, have received primacy.
14
Florida Safe Water Requirements
The “Florida Safe Drinking Water Act”
15
(Act) establishes the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) as the lead-agency with primary responsibility for the Act, with
support by the Department of Health and its units, including county health departments. The Act
is intended to:
16
Implement the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
Encourage cooperation between federal, state, and local agencies, not only in their
enforcement role, but also in their service and assistance roles to city and county elected
bodies.
Provide for safe drinking water at all times throughout the state, with due regard for
economic factors and efficiency in government.
9
The maximum contaminant level goal is the maximum level of a contaminant in drinking water at which no known or
anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons would occur, allowing an adequate margin of safety.
10
U.S. Government Accountability Office, Lead Testing of School Drinking Water Would Benefit from Improved Federal
Guidance (July 2018), available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/692979.pdf, at 6.
11
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water,
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water (last visited Feb. 4,
2022).
12
U.S. Government Accountability Office, Lead Testing of School Drinking Water Would Benefit from Improved Federal
Guidance (July 2018), available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/692979.pdf, at 2.
13
United States Environmental Protection Agency, 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Toolkit,
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/3ts-reducing-lead-drinking-water-toolkit (last visited Feb. 4, 2022).
14
U.S. EPA, Safe Drinking Water Act Resources and FAQs, https://echo.epa.gov/help/sdwa-faqs (last visited Feb. 4, 2022.)
15
Section 403.850, F.S. The Act includes ss. 403.850-403.891, F.S.
16
Section 403.851, F.S. BILL: SB 676 Page 4
In Florida, lead is monitored by the LCR and state rules.
17
The Inorganics Monitoring Rule
18
requires specified public water systems
19
to monitor for lead at each point of entry to its
distribution system. This requires monitoring to occur after the water leaves the treatment plant,
but before it reaches the water system’s first customer.
20
The LCR also requires that public water
systems notify the department that they have complied with their obligation to notify consumers
of the results of lead and copper sampling.
21
Florida law does not require schools to test or filter drinking water.
22
However, Florida
regulations do require that any school with an on-site potable water system must be in proper
working order and comply with the Florida Safe Drinking Water Act, which requires sampling
and testing of the water supply.
23
Florida School District Actions Relating to Lead in Water
Recent examples of Florida school districts testing for lead and taking remedial actions include
the:
Hillsborough County School District, which tested more than 12,041 individual drinking or
cooking water sources, prioritizing older schools. Remediation actions include replacing the
fixture, adding water filters, or other plumbing projects.
24
Pinellas County School District implemented a testing program in 2016.
25
If results were
above the action level, a correction plan was implemented, which included a flushing
protocol with follow-up testing, the supply of bottled water, installation of NSF-approved
lead contaminant filters, and new plumbing.
26
17
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Monitoring Lead and Copper in Florida Drinking Water,
https://floridadep.gov/water/source-drinking-water/content/monitoring-lead-and-copper-florida-drinking-water (last visited
Feb. 4, 2022).
18
Rule 62-550.513, F.A.C.
19
Sections 403.852(3), (17), and (18). These include water systems that regularly serve at least 25 persons.
20
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Monitoring Lead and Copper in Florida Drinking Water,
https://floridadep.gov/water/source-drinking-water/content/monitoring-lead-and-copper-florida-drinking-water (last visited
Feb. 4, 2022).
21
Id.
22
Nationwide, an estimated 43 percent of school districts, serving 35 million students, tested for lead in school drinking
water in 2016 or 2017, according to GAO's nationwide survey of school districts. An estimated 41 percent of school districts,
serving 12 million students, had not tested for lead. GAO's survey showed that, among school districts that did test, an
estimated 37 percent found elevated lead (lead at levels above their selected threshold for taking remedial action.). U.S.
Government Accountability Office, Lead Testing of School Drinking Water Would Benefit from Improved Federal Guidance,
https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-18-382 (last visited Feb. 4, 2022).
23
Florida Department of Education, State Requirements for Educational Facilities (2014), available at
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7738/urlt/srefrule14.pdf, at 62.
24
Hillsborough County Public Schools, Water Testing Information for Families & Community,
https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/Page/4491 (last visited Feb. 4, 2022). The testing revealed less than two percent of
fixtures required remediation. Id.
25
Pinellas County Schools, Water Quality Assessment,
https://www.pcsb.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=39444&dataid=51816&FileName=water-treatment-
brochure-v8-marksandbleed.pdf.
26
Id. BILL: SB 676 Page 5
Filtering Water for Lead
Point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) devices are different types of filtration options. A
POU device is installed at each outlet, while a POE device is installed where the water enters the
building. Specifically:
27
POU units are commercially available and can be effective in removing lead. There are a
number of POU cartridge filter units available that effectively remove lead. They can be
relatively inexpensive ($65 to $250) or more expensive ($250 to $500)
28
and their
effectiveness varies. Filters need routine maintenance (e.g., cartridge filter units need to be
replaced periodically) to remain effective.
POE devices are typically used by public water system under the SDWA, which are required
to meet the federal and state regulations for drinking water, including additional water quality
monitoring. In addition, POE devices are not effective in removing lead that comes from
plumbing materials within the school.
The American National Standards Institute and NSF Standards
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private, non-profit organization that
administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standards and conformity assessment system.
Founded in 1918, the ANSI works in close collaboration with stakeholders from industry and
government to identify and develop standards.
29
The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)
30
is an independent, not-for-profit ANSI-accredited
organization that facilitates development of consensus-based national standards for the safety,
health and performance of food, water and consumer products. This includes developing
standards for drinking water treatment products, including plumbing supplies, and testing these
products to ensure their compliance with NSF and other consensus-based standards.
31
In the 1970s, NSF led the development of standards for materials and products that treat or come
in contact with drinking water, including water filters used in homes and businesses. While no
federal regulations exist for residential water treatment filters, voluntary national standards and
27
U.S. EPA, 3Ts: Training, Testing, Taking Action, Module 6: Remediation and Establishing Routine Practices, Remediation
Options (Oct. 2018), available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-
09/documents/module_6_remediation_options_508.pdf, at 2.
28
Alachua County Schools installed Omnipure K5615_KK filters that are NSF/ANSI-53 rated, with a maximum life of one
year. The cost of such installation for all schools was $30,000, which compares to an estimated cost of $300,000 to test each
school individually for lead contaminants. The Gainesville Sun, Alachua County schools install filters to remove lead (Oct.
15, 2018), https://www.gainesville.com/news/20181015/alachua-county-schools-install-filters-to-remove-lead (last visited
Feb. 4, 2022).
29
American National Standards Institute, What is ANSI? An Overview, available at
https://share.ansi.org/Shared%20Documents/News%20and%20Publications/Brochures/WhatIsANSI_brochure.pdf at 1.
30
NSF International was founded as the National Sanitation Foundation in 1944, but changed its name to NSF International
in 1990 with expansion of services beyond sanitation and into global markets. The letters NSF do not represent any specific
words today. NSF, Mission, Values, and History, http://www.nsf.org/about-nsf/mission-values-history (last visited Feb. 4,
2022).
31
NSF, Water and Wastewater Standards, https://www.nsf.org/standards-development/standards-portfolio/water-wastewater-
standards (last visited Feb. 4, 2022). BILL: SB 676 Page 6
NSF International protocols have been developed that establish minimum requirements for the
safety and performance of these products to treat drinking water.
32
NSF Standard 53 (NSF-53) Drinking Water Treatment Units - Health Effects is the nationally
recognized standard for evaluating and certifying drinking water treatment systems for the
reduction of contaminants.
33
NSF-53 establishes the minimum requirements for the certification
of POU or POE filtration systems designed to reduce specific health-related contaminants,
including lead, that may be present in drinking water.
34
Drinking Water State Revolving Trust Fund
The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program was created as part of the 1996
amendments to the SDWA
35
to help communities finance infrastructure improvements that are
needed to protect public health and ensure compliance with federal drinking water standards.
Each state provides a 20 percent match
36
to annual capitalization grants from the EPA, which
provide low-interest loans and other types of assistance to eligible
37
public water systems. As
water systems repay their loans, the repayments and interest flow back into the dedicated
revolving fund, which may be used to make additional loans. The DWSRF programs are
administered by state agencies that oversee drinking water systems and therefore can effectively
prioritize infrastructure needs for funding.
38
The DWSRF program funds a wide range of drinking water infrastructure projects. The six
categories of projects that are eligible to receive DWSRF assistance are:
39
Treatment: Installation or upgrade of facilities to improve drinking water quality to comply
with SDWA regulations. POU and POE treatment devices (i.e. filters) are only eligible if the
32
CDC, Choosing Home Water Filters & Other Water Treatment Systems, https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/home-
water-treatment/water-filters.html (last visited Feb. 4, 2022).
33
NSF, Certified Product Listings for Lead Reduction,
http://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/listings_leadreduction.asp?ProductFunction=053|Lead+Reduction&ProductFunction=05
8|Lead+Reduction&ProductType;=&submit2=Search (last visited Feb. 4, 2022).
34
Id. NSF/ANSI Standard 61 (NSF-61) Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects relates to plumbing products
and water treatment and establishes requirements for the control of equipment that may introduce lead into drinking water
because of the materials used in the product. NSF, NSF/ANSI 61-2016: Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects,
available at https://d2evkimvhatqav.cloudfront.net/documents/NSF-
ANSI_61_watemarked.pdf?mtime=20200716160320&focal=none. However, this standard does not include POU devices. Id.
at 1.
35
Public Law 104-182, 110 Stat. 1613.
36
The 2021 GAA appropriated $8,643,080 in general revenue funds and authorized the use of $128,001,478 from the
Drinking Water Revolving Loan Trust Fund. Specific Appropriation 1610, ch. 2021-36, L.O.F.
37
Eligible water systems for DWSRF financial assistance include: existing privately-owned and publicly-owned community
water systems and non-profit non-community water systems, including systems utilizing point of entry or residential central
treatment; and new community water systems that represent cost-effective solutions to existing public health problems with
serious risks. U.S. EPA, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Eligibility Handbook (June 2017), available at
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-
10/documents/dwsrf_eligibility_handbook_june_13_2017_updated_508_versioni.pdf, at 8.
38
U.S. EPA, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (September 2018), available at
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-09/fact-sheet-dwsrf-overview-final_1.pdf, at 1.
39
U.S. EPA, DWSRF Eligibilities, https://www.epa.gov/dwsrf/dwsrf-eligibilities-0 (last visited Feb. 4, 2022), see also 40
CFR 35.3520. BILL: SB 676 Page 7
device is a designated compliance treatment technology
40
and is owned and maintained by
the public water system.
41
Transmission and distribution: Rehabilitation, replacement, or installation of pipes to
improve water pressure to safe levels or to prevent contamination caused by leaky or broken
pipes.
Source: Rehabilitation of wells or development of eligible sources to replace contaminated
sources.
Storage: Installation or upgrade of finished water storage tanks to prevent microbiological
contamination from entering the distribution system.
Consolidation: Interconnecting two or more water systems.
Creation of new systems: Construction of a new system to serve homes with contaminated
individual wells or consolidation of existing systems into a new regional water system.
Each state is currently authorized to transfer up to 33 percent of its capitalization grants between
the DWSRF and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
42
Recent legislation
43
authorized states, in consultation with the EPA, to transfer up to 5 percent more of the federal
grant funds in their CWSRF to their DWSRF for projects to address public health threats related
to lead exposure in drinking water. States may use transferred funds to provide additional
subsidy to eligible recipients in the form of forgiveness of principal, negative interest loans, or
grants (or any combination of these).
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
44
authorized $11.7 billion for DWSRF uses and over
$200 million over five years to address lead contamination in schools via testing and
remediation.
45
Florida law
46
establishes the state Drinking Water Revolving Loan Trust Fund administered by
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to make, loans, grants, and deposits
to various water systems to assist them in planning, designing, and constructing public water
40
The challenges facing small public water systems (systems serving 10,000 people or fewer) were a major focus of the 1996
Amendments SDWA. One way Congress sought to help systems meet these challenges was by explicitly allowing systems to
install POU and POE treatment devices to achieve compliance with some of the maximum contaminant levels established in
the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. POU filters that are identified by the EPA as small system compliance
technology (SSCT) for lead reduction are those that employ cation exchange and reverse osmosis. Distillation filters will
reduce lead, but are not listed by the EPA as SSCT filters. U.S. EPA, Point-of-Use or Point-of-Entry Treatment Options for
Small Drinking Water Systems (April 2006), available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-
09/documents/guide_smallsystems_pou-poe_june6-2006.pdf at 3-3.
41
U.S. EPA, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Eligibility Handbook (June 2017), available at
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-
10/documents/dwsrf_eligibility_handbook_june_13_2017_updated_508_versioni.pdf, at 10.
42
The CWSRF is similar to the DWSRF, except is targeted toward wastewater infrastructure projects.
43
Pub. L. No: 116-63, 133 Stat. 1120 (Oct. 4, 2019).
44
Pub. L. No. 117-58, 135 Stat. 1140 (Nov. 15, 2021).
45
NCSL, State and Federal Efforts to Address Lead in Drinking Water, https://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-
natural-resources/state-and-federal-efforts-to-address-lead-in-drinking-water.aspx (last visited Feb. 4, 2022).
46
Section 403.8533, F.S. See also s. 403.8532, F.S. BILL: SB 676 Page 8
systems. The DEP receives requests for funding, which are used to establish the annual project
priority list.
47
Specific to lead abatement, the Florida DWSRF program may provide loans for:
48
Replacement of water supplies with new sources.
Construction or upgrade of treatment facilities.
Lining or coating a lead service line.
Lead service line replacement.
III. Effect of Proposed Changes:
SB 676 requires each school district to filter drinking water at each source for each district
school built before 1986. Specifically, for such schools the bill requires each school district to:
Install and maintain a filter that meets specified standards and capacity to reduce lead at each
school water source.
Post a conspicuous sign near each school non-drinking-water source warning that water from
such source should not be used for human consumption or food preparation.
Publish on the school district’s website information about filters and location for each
drinking water source.
The bill creates s. 1013.29, F.S., to control or eliminate lead in school water sources to prevent
the harmful effects of lead poisoning. The bill requires, by June of 2023 and subject to
appropriation by the Legislature, each district board
49
to coordinate with the local school district
to determine which district schools were built before 1986, and to provide funding for school
districts to:
Install a point of use filter
50
that reduces lead content in drinking water on each drinking
water source
51
and maintain each filter in a manner consistent with the manufacturer’s
recommendations. In addition, the filter:
o Must be installed by school district staff.
o Must meet the National Sanitation Foundation/American National Standards Institute
Standard 53: Drinking Water Treatment Units-Health Effects.
o Must have a certified capacity of 7,900 gallons and, at a minimum, must be changed or
replaced annually.
47
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, DWSRF Program, https://floridadep.gov/wra/srf/content/dwsrf-program
(last visited Feb. 4, 2022).
48
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Funding Assistance in Florida for Drinking Water Systems with
Excessive Lead and Copper, https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/FundingLeadCopper_DrinkingWater.pdf (last visited
Feb. 4, 2022).
49
The “district board” is the board of county commissioners of any county constituting the governing body of any water and
sewer district, and acting for and on behalf of such district as a body corporate and politic. Section 153.52(3), F.S. A county
water and sewer district is a special district, which a unit of local government created for a special purpose, as opposed to a
general purpose, which has jurisdiction to operate within a limited geographic boundary and is created by general law, special
act, local ordinance, or by rule of the Governor and Cabinet. Section 189.012(6), F.S. Special districts are very similar to
municipalities and counties, but with local specialized governmental services and limited, related, and explicit powers.
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Introduction to Special Districts, http://www.floridajobs.org/community-
planning-and-development/special-districts/special-district-accountability-program/florida-special-district-handbook-
online/introduction-to-special-districts (last visited Feb. 4, 2022).
50
The bill defines a “point of use filter” or “filter” as a water filtration system that treats water at a single tap.
51
The bill defines a “drinking water source” as any water source used for drinking, food preparation, or cooking, and
includes water fountains, ice makers, and kitchen sinks. BILL: SB 676 Page 9
Post a conspicuous sign near each school water source that is not a drinking water source.
The sign must include wording and an image that clearly communicate that water from the
source should not be used for human consumption, food preparation, or cooking.
Publish on the school district’s website a list of drinking water sources at such schools. At a
minimum, the list must include for each drinking water source all of the following:
o The date on which the current filter was installed.
o The date on which the current filter is scheduled to be replaced.
o The location of each water source.
o Any actions necessary to comply with the requirements of the law which have been
completed or are pending.
The bill authorizes the State Board of Education to adopt rules to implement these requirements.
The bill appropriates, for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, $3 million in nonrecurring funds from the
Drinking Water Revolving Loan Trust Fund to boards of county water and sewer districts to
implement these requirements. In addition, each such board may request additional funds for the
purpose of compensating school district staff for the installation or replacement of filters.
However, additional funds provided may not exceed the total appropriation.
The bill requires point-of-use water filtration devices on specified drinking water sources, which
may lower the risk of students and school personnel ingesting lead through drinking water. The
bill may also increase public awareness of the risks of lead in drinking water, specifically in
schools.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2022.
IV. Constitutional Issues:
A. Municipality/County Mandates Restrictions:
None.
B. Public Records/Open Meetings Issues:
None.
C. Trust Funds Restrictions:
None.
D. State Tax or Fee Increases:
None.
E. Other Constitutional Issues:
None. BILL: SB 676 Page 10
V. Fiscal Impact Statement:
A. Tax/Fee Issues:
None.
B. Private Sector Impact:
None.
C. Government Sector Impact:
SB 676 appropriates $3 million in nonrecurring funds from the Drinking Water
Revolving Loan Trust Fund to the board of the county water and sewer district to
implement the provisions of the bill, which include the installation and annual
replacement of water filters that are certified to remove lead at drinking water sources.
VI. Technical Deficiencies:
None.
VII. Related Issues:
None.
VIII. Statutes Affected:
This bill creates section 1013.29 of the Florida Statutes.
This bill creates an unnumbered section of law.
IX. Additional Information:
A. Committee Substitute – Statement of Changes:
(Summarizing differences between the Committee Substitute and the prior version of the bill.)
None.
B. Amendments:
None.
This Senate Bill Analysis does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill’s introducer or the Florida Senate.