CS/HB 979 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0979-01-c1
Page 1 of 2
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 dredging and beach restoration 2
projects; amending s. 403.816, F.S.; directing the 3
Department of Environmental Protection to require, as 4
a condition of permits issued for certain dredging and 5
beach restoration projects, that any adverse impact 6
analysis conducted for the activity meet certain 7
requirements; requiring a local government to provide 8
notice of its intent to conduct an analysis to c ertain 9
adjacent local governments; providing applicability; 10
providing an effective date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
14
Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 403.816, Florida 15
Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (4), and a new 16
subsection (3) is added to that section, to read: 17
403.816 Permits for maintenance dredging of deepwater 18
ports and beach restoration projects. — 19
(3) As a condition of a permit issued for a project 20
pursuant to this section, the department shall require that any 21
analysis to determine the adverse impacts of the activity on the 22
natural habitat be conducted by an independent contractor 23
selected by the local government and in a manner prescribed by 24
the department. The independent contractor conducting the 25
CS/HB 979 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0979-01-c1
Page 2 of 2
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
analysis may not be associated with any project of the 26
contractor performing the activity for the local government for 27
a period of 5 years before the commencement of the analysis or 28
for a period of 5 years after the completion of the analysis. 29
The local government shall provide written notice of its intent 30
to have an analysis conducted to adjacent local governments that 31
may be impacted by the activity. However, this subsection does 32
not apply to any deepwater port maintenance dredging currently 33
permitted or maintained by the United States Army Corps of 34
Engineers. 35
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 36