CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 1 of 13
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 geoengineering and weather 2
modification activities; repealing ss. 403.281, 3
403.291, 403.301, 403.311, 403.321, 403.331, 403.341, 4
403.351, 403.361, 403.371, 403.381, 403.391, and 5
403.401, F.S., relating to the definitions, purpose, 6
licensing requirements, applications, proof of 7
financial responsibility requirements, license 8
issuance and discipline provisions, publication of 9
notice of intention to operate requirements, required 10
contents of the notice of intention, publication of 11
the notice of intention requirements, proof of 12
publication requirements, record and reports of 13
operations requirements, provision of emergency 14
licenses, and suspension or revocation of licenses, 15
respectively, of the weather modification law; 16
amending s. 403.411, F.S. ; prohibiting certain acts 17
intended to affect the temperature, the weather, or 18
the intensity of sunlight within the atmosphere of 19
this state; increasing civil penalties for violations 20
of the geoengineering and weather modification law; 21
requiring that speci fied moneys be deposited in the 22
Air Pollution Control Trust Fund and used only for 23
specified purposes; authorizing a person who observes 24
a geoengineering or weather modification activity to 25
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 2 of 13
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
report such activity; providing construction; 26
requiring the Depart ment of Environmental Protection 27
to establish a method for the intake and screening of 28
such reports; requiring the department to investigate 29
certain reports; requiring the department to refer 30
reports of observed violations to the Department of 31
Health or the Division of Emergency Management, under 32
certain circumstances; requiring the department to 33
adopt rules; creating s. 403.4115, F.S.; defining 34
terms; requiring an operator of public infrastructure 35
to report certain information monthly to the 36
Department of Transportation; prohibiting the 37
department from expending funds to support certain 38
projects or programs; requiring the department to 39
submit a report to specified entities; requiring the 40
department to incorporate reporting guidelines in 41
certain grant agreem ents; authorizing the department 42
to adopt rules; amending ss. 253.002, 373.026, 43
373.1501, 373.4598, and 373.470, F.S.; conforming 44
cross-references and provisions to changes made by the 45
act; making technical changes; providing an effective 46
date. 47
48
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 49
50
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 3 of 13
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 1. Sections 403.281, 403.291, 403.301, 403.311, 51
403.321, 403.331, 403.341, 403.351, 403.361, 403.371, 403.381, 52
403.391, and 403.401, Florida Statutes, are repealed. 53
Section 2. Section 403 .411, Florida Statutes, is amended 54
to read: 55
403.411 Geoengineering and weather modification activities 56
prohibited; penalty.— 57
(1) The injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, 58
of a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance, or an apparatus 59
into the atmosphere within the borders of this state for the 60
express purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, 61
or intensity of sunlight is prohibited. 62
(2) Any person, including any public or private 63
corporation, who conducts conducting a geoengineering or weather 64
modification activity in violation of this section commits 65
operation without first having procured a license, or who shall 66
make a false statement in his or her application for license, or 67
who shall fail to file any report or reports as r equired by this 68
act, or who shall conduct any weather modification operation 69
after revocation or suspension of his or her license, or who 70
shall violate any other provision of this act, shall be guilty 71
of a felony misdemeanor of the third second degree, punishable 72
as provided in s. 775.082 and by a fine not exceeding $200,000; 73
or s. 775.083; and, if a corporation, the officers, directors, 74
or employees of the corporation commit shall be guilty of a 75
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 4 of 13
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
felony misdemeanor of the third second degree, punishable by a 76
fine not exceeding $200,000; and, if an aircraft operator or 77
controller, such person commits a felony of the third degree, 78
punishable as provided in s. 775.082 and by a fine not exceeding 79
$5,000 and up to 5 years in prison as provided in s. 775.083 . 80
Each such violation is shall be a separate offense. 81
(3) All moneys collected pursuant to this section must be 82
deposited in the Air Pollution Control Trust Fund and used only 83
for purposes of air pollution control pursuant to this chapter. 84
(4)(a) Any person who observes a geoengineering or weather 85
modification activity conducted in violation of this section may 86
report the observed violation to the department online or by 87
telephone, mail, or e -mail. 88
(b) The department shall establish an e -mail address and 89
an online form for persons to report observed violations 90
pursuant to this subsection. The department shall make the e -91
mail address and online form publicly accessible on its website. 92
(c) The department shall establish a method for intake and 93
screening of the reports made pursuant to this subsection. The 94
department shall investigate any report that warrants further 95
review to determine whether there are violations of this 96
section. 97
(d) The department shall refer reports of observed 98
violations made pursuant t o this subsection to the Department of 99
Health or the Division of Emergency Management, if appropriate. 100
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 5 of 13
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
(e) The department shall adopt any rules that are 101
necessary to implement this subsection. 102
Section 3. Section 403.4115, Florida Statutes, is created 103
to read: 104
403.4115 Reporting on geoengineering and weather 105
modification activities on public infrastructure; penalty. — 106
(1) As used in this section, the term: 107
(a) "Aircraft" means a powered or unpowered machine or 108
device capable of atmospheric flight, except a parachute or 109
other such device used primarily as safety equipment. 110
(b) "Department" means the Department of Transportation. 111
(c) "Public infrastructure" means any public -use airport 112
as that term is defined in s. 332.004. 113
(2) Beginning on October 1, 2025, all operators of public 114
infrastructure shall report monthly to the department, using a 115
method determined by the department: 116
(a) The physical presence of any aircraft on public 117
property, including any public infrastructure, equipped with any 118
part, component, device, or the like which may be used to 119
support the intentional emission, injection, release, or 120
dispersion of air contaminants into the atmosphere within the 121
borders of this state when such emissions occur for the express 122
purpose of affecting temperature, weather, climate, or the 123
intensity of sunlight. 124
(b) The landing, takeoff, stopover, or refueling of an 125
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 6 of 13
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
aircraft equipped with the components outlined in paragraph (a) 126
on the physical location of the public infrastructure. 127
(3) The department may not expend any state funds as 128
described in s. 215.31 to support a project or program located 129
on or in support of public infrastructure which is not in 130
compliance with this section until such time as the entity 131
becomes compliant with this se ction. 132
(4) Upon receipt of the reports required in subsection 133
(2), the department shall submit aggregated reports to the 134
Department of Environmental Protection and the applicable state 135
law enforcement agency in support of the enforcement of s. 136
403.411. 137
(5) The department shall incorporate reporting guidelines 138
in all grant agreements for public use airports which receive 139
state funds as described in s. 215.31. 140
(6) The department may adopt rules necessary to implement 141
this section. 142
Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 253.002, Florida 143
Statutes, is amended to read: 144
253.002 Department of Environmental Protection, water 145
management districts, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 146
and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; duties with 147
respect to state lands.— 148
(1) The Department of Environmental Protection shall 149
perform all staff duties and functions related to the 150
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 7 of 13
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
acquisition, administration, and disposition of state lands, 151
title to which is or will be vested in the Board of Trustees of 152
the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. However, upon the effective 153
date of rules adopted pursuant to s. 373.427, a water management 154
district created under s. 373.069 shall perform the staff duties 155
and functions related to the review of any application for 156
authorization to use board of trustees -owned submerged lands 157
necessary for an activity regulated under part IV of chapter 373 158
for which the water management district has permitting 159
responsibility as set forth in an operating agreement adopted 160
pursuant to s. 373.046(4). The Department of Agriculture and 161
Consumer Services shall perform the staff duties and functions 162
related to the review of applications and compliance with 163
conditions for use of board of trustees -owned submerged lands 164
under authorizations or leas es issued pursuant to ss. 253.67 -165
253.75 and 597.010 and the acquisition, administration, and 166
disposition of conservation easements pursuant to s. 570.71. 167
Unless expressly prohibited by law, the board of trustees may 168
delegate to the department any statutory duty or obligation 169
relating to the acquisition, administration, or disposition of 170
lands, title to which is or will be vested in the board of 171
trustees. The board of trustees may also delegate to any water 172
management district created under s. 373.069 the au thority to 173
take final agency action, without any action on behalf of the 174
board, on applications for authorization to use board of 175
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 8 of 13
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
trustees-owned submerged lands for any activity regulated under 176
part IV of chapter 373 for which the water management district 177
has permitting responsibility as set forth in an operating 178
agreement adopted pursuant to s. 373.046(4). This water 179
management district responsibility under this subsection is 180
shall be subject to the department's general supervisory 181
authority pursuant to s. 373.026(6) s. 373.026(7). The board of 182
trustees may also delegate to the Department of Agriculture and 183
Consumer Services the authority to take final agency action on 184
behalf of the board on applications to use board of trustees -185
owned submerged lands for a ny activity for which that department 186
has responsibility pursuant to ss. 253.67 -253.75, 369.25, 187
369.251, and 597.010. However, the board of trustees shall 188
retain the authority to take final agency action on establishing 189
any areas for leasing, new leases, e xpanding existing lease 190
areas, or changing the type of lease activity in existing 191
leases. Upon issuance of an aquaculture lease or other real 192
property transaction relating to aquaculture, the Department of 193
Agriculture and Consumer Services must send a copy of the 194
document and the accompanying survey to the Department of 195
Environmental Protection. The board of trustees may also 196
delegate to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission the 197
authority to take final agency action, without any action on 198
behalf of the board, on applications for authorization to use 199
board of trustees-owned submerged lands for any activity 200
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 9 of 13
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
regulated under ss. 369.20 and 369.22. 201
Section 5. Subsection (6) of section 373.026, Florida 202
Statutes, is amended to read: 203
373.026 General powers and duties of the department. —The 204
department, or its successor agency, shall be responsible for 205
the administration of this chapter at the state level. However, 206
it is the policy of the state that, to the greatest extent 207
possible, the department may ent er into interagency or 208
interlocal agreements with any other state agency, any water 209
management district, or any local government conducting programs 210
related to or materially affecting the water resources of the 211
state. All such agreements shall be subject t o the provisions of 212
s. 373.046. In addition to its other powers and duties, the 213
department shall, to the greatest extent possible: 214
(6) Conduct, either independently or in cooperation with 215
any person or governmental agency, a program of study, research, 216
and experimentation and evaluation in the field of weather 217
modification. 218
Section 6. Subsections (1) and (9) of section 373.1501, 219
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 220
373.1501 South Florida Water Management District as local 221
sponsor.— 222
(1) As used in this section and s. 373.026(7) s. 223
373.026(8), the term: 224
(a) "C-111 Project" means the project identified in the 225
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 10 of 13
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
Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project, Real Estate 226
Design Memorandum, Canal 111, South Miami -Dade County, Florida. 227
(b) "Department" means the Department of Environmental 228
Protection. 229
(c) "District" means the South Florida Water Management 230
District. 231
(d) "Kissimmee River Restoration Project" means the 232
project identified in the Project Cooperation Agreement between 233
the United States Department of the Army and the South Florida 234
Water Management District dated March 22, 1994. 235
(e) "Pal-Mar Project" means the Pal -Mar (West Jupiter 236
Wetlands) lands identified in the Save Our Rivers 2000 Land 237
Acquisition and Management Plan approved b y the South Florida 238
Water Management District on September 9, 1999 (Resolution 99 -239
94). 240
(f) "Project" means the Central and Southern Florida 241
Project. 242
(g) "Project component" means any structural or 243
operational change, resulting from the restudy, to the Central 244
and Southern Florida Project as it existed and was operated as 245
of January 1, 1999. 246
(h) "Restudy" means the Comprehensive Review Study of the 247
Central and Southern Florida Project, for which federal 248
participation was authorized by the federal Water Resources 249
Development Acts of 1992 and 1996 together with related 250
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 11 of 13
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
congressional resolutions and for which participation by the 251
South Florida Water Management District is authorized by this 252
section. The term includes all actions undertaken pursuant to 253
the aforementioned authorizations which will result in 254
recommendations for modifications or additions to the Central 255
and Southern Florida Project. 256
(i) "Southern Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed 257
Project" means the area described in the Critical Restoration 258
Project Contract C-9906 Southern Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem 259
Watershed Project Addition/Imperial River Flowway and approved 260
by the South Florida Water Management District on August 12, 261
1999. 262
(j) "Water Preserve Areas" means those areas locat ed only 263
within Palm Beach and Broward counties that are designated as 264
Water Preserve Areas, as approved by the South Florida Water 265
Management District Governing Board on September 11, 1997, and 266
shall also include all of those lands within Cell II of the Ea st 267
Coast Buffer in Broward County as delineated in the boundary 268
survey prepared by Stoner and Associates, Inc., dated January 269
31, 2000, SWFWMD #10953. 270
(k) "Ten Mile Creek Project" means the Ten Mile Creek 271
Water Preserve Area identified in the Central and Southern 272
Florida Ecosystem Critical Project Letter Report dated April 13, 273
1998. 274
(9) Final agency action with regard to any project 275
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 12 of 13
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
component subject to s. 373.026(7)(b) s. 373.026(8)(b) shall be 276
taken by the department. Actions taken by the district pur suant 277
to subsection (5) may shall not be considered final agency 278
action. A Any petition for formal proceedings filed pursuant to 279
ss. 120.569 and 120.57 requires shall require a hearing under 280
the summary hearing provisions of s. 120.574, which is shall be 281
mandatory. The final hearing under this section must shall be 282
held within 30 days after receipt of the petition by the 283
Division of Administrative Hearings. 284
Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (10) of section 285
373.4598, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 286
373.4598 Water storage reservoirs. — 287
(10) FUNDING.— 288
(c) Notwithstanding s. 373.026(7)(b) s. 373.026(8)(b) or 289
any other provision of law, the use of state funds is authorized 290
for the EAA reservoir project. 291
Section 8. Paragraph (a) of subsecti on (6) of section 292
373.470, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 293
373.470 Everglades restoration. — 294
(6) DISTRIBUTIONS FROM SAVE OUR EVERGLADES TRUST FUND. — 295
(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) and for 296
funds appropriated for debt service, th e department shall 297
distribute funds in the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund to the 298
district in accordance with a legislative appropriation and s. 299
373.026(7)(b) s. 373.026(8)(b). Distribution of funds to the 300
CS/CS/HB 477 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb477-02-c2
Page 13 of 13
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
district from the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund shall be 301
equally matched by the cumulative contributions from the 302
district by fiscal year 2019 -2020 by providing funding or 303
credits toward project components. The dollar value of in -kind 304
project design and construction work by the district in 305
furtherance of the comprehensive plan and existing interest in 306
public lands needed for a project component are credits towards 307
the district's contributions. 308
Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 309