Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1854 By Senator Farmer 34-01725-22 20221854__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to legal rights of the natural 3 environment; amending s. 403.412, F.S.; repealing 4 provisions prohibiting local governments from 5 recognizing or granting certain legal rights to the 6 natural environment or granting such rights relating 7 to the natural environment to a person or political 8 subdivision; providing an effective date. 9 10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11 12 Section 1.Subsection (9) of section 403.412, Florida 13 Statutes, is amended to read: 14 403.412Environmental Protection Act. 15 (9)(a)A local government regulation, ordinance, code, 16 rule, comprehensive plan, charter, or any other provision of law 17 may not recognize or grant any legal rights to a plant, an 18 animal, a body of water, or any other part of the natural 19 environment that is not a person or political subdivision as 20 defined in s. 1.01(8) or grant such person or political 21 subdivision any specific rights relating to the natural 22 environment not otherwise authorized in general law or 23 specifically granted in the State Constitution. 24 (b)This subsection does not limit the power of an 25 adversely affected party to challenge the consistency of a 26 development order with a comprehensive plan as provided in s. 27 163.3215 or to file an action for injunctive relief to enforce 28 the terms of a development agreement or challenge compliance of 29 the agreement as provided in s. 163.3243. 30 (c)This subsection does not limit the standing of the 31 Department of Legal Affairs, a political subdivision or 32 municipality of the state, or a citizen of the state to maintain 33 an action for injunctive relief as provided in this section. 34 Section 2.This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.