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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 carbon sequestration; creating s. 2
403.945, F.S.; providing definitions; providing 3
legislative findings; creating the Carbon 4
Sequestration Task Force adjunct to the Department of 5
Environmental Protection; providing for task force 6
membership and duties; requiring the task force to 7
submit specified reports to the Secretary of 8
Environmental Protection and to the Governor and 9
Legislature by specified dates; providing for 10
expiration of the task force; providing construction; 11
providing that participation in certain programs or 12
activities is voluntary; requiring certain frameworks 13
or enforcement mechanisms to have explicit legislative 14
approval; providing an effective date. 15
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
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Section 1. Section 403.945, Florida Statutes, is created 19
to read: 20
403.945 Carbon Sequestration Task Force .— 21
(1) As used in this section, the term: 22
(a) "Blue carbon" means carbon sequestered by marine and 23
coastal ecosystems. 24
(b) "Carbon sequestration" mean s the long-term storage of 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
carbon in plants, soils, geologic formations, and the ocean 26
through land and aquatic habitat management. 27
(2) The Legislature finds that: 28
(a) Maintaining coastal and freshwater wetlands, nearshore 29
and offshore aquatic ecosyste ms, conservation lands, healthy and 30
sustainable agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber and 31
silvicultural industries is vital to the state's economy, 32
environment, and natural resources, including significant 33
environmental contributions to water qual ity and quantity, air 34
purification, carbon sequestration, blue carbon, coastal 35
resilience, and habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife. 36
(b) The continued expansion of urban sprawl and the 37
development of coastal areas have led to losses of the stat e's 38
natural and agricultural lands and decreases in water quality 39
and quantity that have harmed coastal ecosystems and industries, 40
including imperiled wetlands, coral reefs, seagrasses, and 41
shellfish aquaculture. 42
(c) To ensure healthy and sustainable agr iculture, 43
shellfish aquaculture and silvicultural industries, and natural 44
and working lands and waters, a statewide program is necessary 45
to provide incentives for landowners and managers to continue 46
activities and land uses that sequester carbon. 47
(3) The Carbon Sequestration Task Force, a task force as 48
defined in s. 20.03, is created adjunct to the department to 49
provide recommendations for the development of a statewide 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
carbon sequestration program. The task force shall operate in a 51
manner consistent with the requirements of s. 20.052. 52
(4)(a) The task force shall be composed of the following 53
members: 54
1. The Secretary of Environmental Protection, or his or 55
her designee. 56
2. The Commissioner of Agriculture, or his or her 57
designee. 58
3. The executive director of the Fish and Wildlife 59
Conservation Commission, or his or her designee. 60
4. The Chief Resilience Officer, or his or her designee. 61
5. The State Geologist. 62
6. A representative from the National Estuary Program, 63
appointed by the Secretary of E nvironmental Protection. 64
7. A member of an environmental not -for-profit 65
organization, appointed by the Secretary of Environmental 66
Protection. 67
8. A landowner of working agricultural lands, appointed by 68
the Commissioner of Agriculture. 69
9. A representative from a state university with expertise 70
in energy or sustainability, appointed by the Secretary of 71
Environmental Protection. 72
10. A representative from the University of Florida 73
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences , appointed by the 74
Commissioner of Agriculture. 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
11. A representative from the Florida Sea Grant Program , 76
appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture. 77
(b) Appointments to the task force must be made by August 78
1, 2025. 79
(c) Each appointed member serves at the pleasure of the 80
appointing official. 81
(d) A vacancy on the task force must be filled in the same 82
manner as the original appointment. 83
(e) The task force shall elect a chair from among the 84
members. 85
(f) The task force shall convene no later than September 86
1, 2025. The task for ce shall meet quarterly or upon the call of 87
the chair. The task force shall hold its meetings in person or 88
through teleconference or other electronic means. 89
(5) The duties of the task force shall include all of the 90
following: 91
(a) Identify and inventory terrestrial and aquatic 92
environments suitable for carbon sequestration in this state. 93
(b) Consider possible methods of increasing carbon 94
sequestration within the natural environment through state land 95
and marine resource use policies; agricultural, aqua cultural, 96
and silvicultural practices; and other practices to achieve 97
restoration of natural resources and long -term conservation. 98
(c) Develop a standardized methodology, including 99
appropriate technology and existing research, to establish 100
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baseline carbon levels and account for increases in carbon 101
sequestration over time. 102
(d) Evaluate additional ecosystem services and benefits of 103
terrestrial and aquatic environments that may promote 104
conservation and ecosystem restoration success, including water 105
recharge, stormwater filtration, threatened or endangered 106
wildlife habitat, nutrient reduction, flood mitigation and 107
protection, coastal resilience, air quality, soil health, and 108
food security. 109
(e) Recommend short -term and long-term benchmarks for 110
increasing carbon sequestration in terrestrial and aquatic 111
ecosystems. 112
(f) Identify existing carbon markets and other 113
considerations relevant to participation by the state in such 114
markets. 115
(g) Identify potential funding mechanisms to encourage 116
carbon sequestration practices and activities in this state. 117
(6) By October 1, 2026, the task force shall submit to the 118
Secretary of Environmental Protection a report summarizing the 119
task force activities and findings in its first year, including 120
a nonrecurring budget reques t for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. 121
(7) By October 1, 2027, the task force shall submit to the 122
Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the 123
House of Representatives a report that compiles the findings and 124
recommendations of the task force. The task force shall 125
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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
terminate on April 30, 2028. 126
(8) This act does not authorize access to private property 127
without the express written consent of the landowner. 128
Participation in any carbon sequestration program or activity 129
recommended by the task force is strictly voluntary. Landowners 130
may not be penalized or denied access to other state programs 131
for declining to participate. Any future regulatory framework or 132
enforcement mechanism related to carbon sequestration must 133
require explicit legislative approv al. 134
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 135