The 2020 Florida Legislative session is quickly coming to an end as the last day of the Regular Session is March 13th.
Below are some of the noteworthy food-related legislation movement we have seen in the House and Senate. Visit The Florida Senate official website for full bill descriptions and actions.
The following legislation has passed on the Senate Floor:
HB 73 – Environmental Regulation
The bill passed the Senate and is enrolled as of 3/3.
“Specifies requirements for contracts between residential recycling collectors or recovered materials processing facilities & counties or municipalities for collecting, transporting, & processing residential recycling material & contaminated recyclable material; prohibits local governments from requiring further verification from DEP for certain projects; revises types of dock & pier replacements & repairs that are exempt from such verification & certain permitting requirements.”
SB 680 – Shark Fins
The bill passed the Senate and is Received as of 3/6.
“Prohibiting the import, export, and sale of shark fins in this state; providing exceptions; requiring the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to evaluate the potential economic impacts to the commercial shark fishing industry in this state, etc.”
SB 712 – The Clean Waterways Act
This bill passed the Senate and is In Messages in the House as of 3/6.
“Citing this act as the “Clean Waterways Act”; requiring the Department of Health to provide a specified report to the Governor and the Legislature by a specified date; requiring the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Protection to submit to the Governor and the Legislature, by a specified date, certain recommendations relating to the transfer of the Onsite Sewage Program; directing water management districts to submit consolidated annual reports to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research; removing provisions requiring certain onsite sewage treatment and disposal system research projects to be approved by a Department of Health technical review and advisory panel, etc.”
HB 827 – Recovery Care Services
This bill was passed in the Senate and is Received as of 3/2.
“Provides for licensure of recovery care centers by AHCA; provides criteria for admission of patients to recovery care centers; requires centers to have specified protocols; prohibits centers from providing services to children until standards are established; requires AHCA to adopt minimum standards for centers; directs AHCA to enforce specified provisions of Florida Building Code applicable to recovery care centers; exempts centers from specified minimum licensure requirements.”
SB 1414 – Fish and Wildlife Activities
This bill passed the Senate and is In Messages in the House as of 3/5.
“Prohibiting certain harassment of hunters, trappers, and fishers within or on public lands or publicly or privately owned wildlife and fish management areas, or in or on public waters; authorizing the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to designate additional annual free freshwater and saltwater fishing days; prohibiting the keeping, possessing, importing, selling, bartering, trading, or breeding of certain species except for educational, research, or eradication or control purposes; including green iguanas and species of the genera Salvator and Tupinambis in such prohibition, etc.”
SB 7020 – Emergency Staging Areas
This bill passed the Senate and is In Messages in the House as of 3/6.
“Authorizing the Department of Transportation to plan, design, and construct staging areas as part of the turnpike system for the intended purpose of staging supplies for prompt provision of assistance to the public in a declared state of emergency; requiring the department, in consultation with the Division of Emergency Management, to select sites for such areas; requiring the department to give priority consideration to placement of such staging areas in specified counties, etc.”
SB 7016 – Statewide Office of Resiliency
This bill passed the Senate and is In Messages in the House as of 3/6.
“Establishing the office within the Executive Office of the Governor; creating the Statewide Sea-Level Rise Task Force within the office; authorizing the Department of Environmental Protection to contract for specified services, upon request of the task force; requiring the Environmental Regulation Commission to take certain action on the task force’s recommendations, etc. APPROPRIATION: $500,000”
The following legislation has seen movement in the Senate or House:
SB 168 – Drinking Water in Public Schools
The Committee Substitute by Education was read the 1st time on 1/14.
“Drinking Water in Public Schools; Subject to legislative appropriation, requiring district boards to coordinate with district school boards to identify certain schools and to provide funding to such schools; requiring certain school districts to install filters that meet certain specifications on drinking water sources; authorizing district boards to request additional funding to compensate school district staff for the installation or replacement of filters, etc. APPROPRIATION: $3,000,000”
HB 715 – Recycled Water
This bill is placed on 3rd reading as of 3/6.
“Requires certain domestic wastewater utilities to submit plans for eliminating nonbeneficial surface water discharges; requires DEP & WMDs to develop & execute memorandum of agreement for coordinated review of specified permits for indirect potable reuse projects; provides that potable reuse projects by private entities are eligible for certain expedited permitting & funding priorities; requires counties, municipalities, & special districts to authorize graywater technologies & provide incentives for implementation of such technologies; requires DEP to convene technical advisory group, & review & revise reclaimed water, potable reuse, drinking water, & aquifer recharge rules.”
HB 767 – Assisted Living Facilities
This bill is placed on 3rd reading as of 3/6.
“Revises requirements & standards relating to ALF licensure, inspections, resident criteria & rights, & staff training & continuing education.”
SB 786 – Public Records /Aquaculture Records/Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
This bill was favorable by Governmental Oversight and Accountability and is in Rules as of 2/3.
“Providing a public records exemption for certain aquaculture records held by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; providing for future legislative review and repeal under the Open Government Sunset Review Act; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.”
SB 1130 — Young Farmers and Ranchers
This bill was voted favorable by the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government and is in Appropriations as of 2/25.
“Creating the Florida Young Farmer and Rancher Matching Grant Program within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; requiring the department to select grant recipients based on specified criteria; requiring the department to give preference to veterans, etc.”
SB 1276 — Department of Citrus
This bill is placed on 3rd reading as of 3/6.
“Establishing the Friends of Florida Citrus Program within the Department of Citrus; creating the Friends of Florida Citrus Advisory Council adjunct to the department; authorizing the Department of Citrus to loan department employees to or share department employees with specified state and federal entities, etc.”
SB 1706 — Water Testing for Pollution
This bill is was voted favorable by the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and is in Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services as of 2/10.
“Authorizing specified persons or businesses that suspect contamination of their private water systems, multifamily water systems, or certain public water systems to request that the Department of Health or its agents test such source for pollution, under certain circumstances; requiring such testing to be done within a specified timeframe and follow certain procedures; revising the specified purposes that funds in a County Health Department Trust Fund may be used for to include the costs and expenditures related to certain water testing provisions, etc.”
SB 1720 — Florida Safe Drinking Water Act
This bill was voted favorable by the Environment and Natural Resources Committee on 2/3. The bill is in Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government as of 2/4.
“Requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt and implement rules for statewide maximum contaminant levels for specified pollutants by a date certain, etc.”
HB 3419 – North Miami Food Pantry
This bill is in Appropriations Committee as of 1/22.
“Food and Housing Insecurity; Provides an appropriation for the Florida Student Association, Inc. - Food and Housing Insecurity. APPROPRIATION: $340,00”
The following legislation has been temporarily postponed:
SB 724 – Local Government Recycling Programs
This bill but is Temporarily Postponed as of 2/5.
“Local Government Recycling Programs; Creating the Florida Recycling Working Group; requiring the working group to submit a report to the Legislature by a specified date; providing an expiration date for the working group; providing an exemption for fiscally constrained counties from recycling requirements, etc.”
SB 1096 – Bottled Water
This bill is Temporarily Postponed as of 1/16.
Requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to monitor certain consumptive use permits; providing penalties for nonpayment of fees; directing the department to adopt rules, etc.
SB 1098 – Fees/Bottled Water Companies/Department of Environmental Protection
This bill is Temporarily Postponed as of 1/16.
“Requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to charge bottled water companies a specified fee per gallon extracted; requiring the fees to be deposited into the Water Protection and Sustainability Program Trust Fund, etc.”
SB 1112 — Bottled Water Excise Tax
This bill is temporarily postponed as of 1/16.
“Imposing an excise tax upon bottled water operators; specifying the rate of the tax and the trust fund where tax proceeds are to be deposited; specifying requirements for bottled water operators in filing monthly returns and declarations of estimated tax with, and remitting estimated taxes to, the Department of Revenue; specifying the department’s authority to inspect, examine, and audit bottled water operator books and records, issue subpoenas, require testimony under oath or affirmation of certain persons, and apply for certain judicial orders, etc.”
HB 1343 – Environmental Resource Management
This bill is temporarily postponed as of 3/6.
“Requires DOH & DEP to submit reports & recommendations relating to transfer of Onsite Sewage Program in DOH to DEP; transfers Onsite Sewage Program from DOH to DEP; requires WMDs to submit consolidated annual reports to OEDR; removes provisions relating to DOH technical review & advisory panel & research & review advisory committee; requires DEP to conduct bottled water study; prohibits approval of certain consumptive use permits; authorizes nutrient reducing OSTDS; creates OSTDS technical advisory committee; requires basin management action plans to include plans & cooperative elements; requires DEP to submit cost estimates to OEDR; provides priority funding for utility projects; provides for biosolids management & water quality monitoring; revises administrative penalties; prohibits legal rights for environment.”