CS/CS/HB 1405 2023
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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 biosolids; creating s. 403.0674, 2
F.S.; establishing a biosolids grant program within 3
the Department of Environmental Protection; 4
authorizing the department, subject to legislative 5
appropriation, to provide grants to counties, special 6
districts, and municipalities for certain wastewater 7
conversion projects; providing eligibility, 8
prioritization, and funding requirements; authorizing 9
the department to waive the funding match requirement 10
for specified projects; requiring the department to 11
develop specified annual reporting requirements for 12
counties, special districts, and municipalities 13
awarded such grants; providing an effective date. 14
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16
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Section 1. Section 403.0674, Florida Statutes, is created 18
to read: 19
403.0674 Biosolids grant program. —A biosolids grant 20
program is established within the department. 21
(1) Subject to the appropriation of funds by the 22
Legislature, the department may provide grants to counties, 23
special districts, and municipalities in this state to support 24
projects that: 25
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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) Evaluate and implement innovative technologies and 26
solutions for the disposal of b iosolids; or 27
(b) Construct, upgrade, expand, or retrofit domestic 28
facilities that convert wastewater residuals to Class AA 29
biosolids, nonfertilizer uses or disposal methods, or 30
alternatives to synthetic fertilizers. 31
(2) An applicant for a biosolids gra nt must be a county, 32
special district, or municipality; however, applicants are 33
encouraged to form public -private partnerships with private 34
utilities and firms. 35
(3) Projects eligible for funding under this section may 36
include, but are not limited to, pro jects that: 37
(a) Reduce the amount of nutrients in biosolids. 38
(b) Reduce the amount of emerging contaminants in 39
biosolids. 40
(c) Provide alternatives to the land application or 41
landfilling of biosolids as a method of disposal. 42
(4) In allocating grant funds, the department shall 43
prioritize projects by considering the environmental benefit 44
that a project may provide. To evaluate the environmental 45
benefit of a project, the department shall review an analysis of 46
how the project's conversion of wastewater r esiduals to Class AA 47
biosolids, nonfertilizer uses or disposal methods, alternatives 48
to synthetic fertilizers derived from wastewater residuals, or 49
innovative technologies and solutions for the disposal of 50
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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
biosolids are projected to minimize the impact of nutrients and 51
other pollutants on water quality and the environment. 52
(5) The department shall administer the grant program so 53
that at least 10 percent of the funds made available each year 54
under this section are reserved for projects within an area 55
designated as a rural area of opportunity under s. 288.0656. If 56
the department does not receive sufficient applications for 57
projects within an area designated as a rural area of 58
opportunity, the department may reallocate the reserved funds to 59
other projects prioritized by the department pursuant to 60
subsection (4). 61
(6)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), the department 62
shall require that each biosolids grant has a minimum of a 50 63
percent funding match from local, state, federal, or private 64
funds. 65
(b) The department may waive, in whole or in part, the 66
funding match requirement in paragraph (a) for proposed projects 67
within an area designated as a rural area of opportunity under 68
s. 288.0656. 69
(7) The department shall develop annual reporting 70
requirements for each county, special district, or municipality 71
awarded a grant under this section which must include the 72
phosphorous and nitrogen content, the type, and the amount of 73
each grant-funded product derived from wastewater residuals and 74
the buyers and users of such products. 75
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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
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 76