Department of Environmental Protection

A new section (s. 163.3205) was added that establishes a solar facility approval process and stormwater best management practices. It defines 'solar facility,' makes solar facilities a permitted use in all agricultural land use categories and zoning districts, and sets landscape/buffer requirements that counties may adopt but cannot exceed those for similar uses.

The new solar section requires applicants for stormwater permits related to solar construction to include an erosion and sediment control plan with soil percolation testing, stormwater BMPs designed for the 100-year 24-hour design storm, phased clearing and stabilization, and inspections by a certified Florida Stormwater, Erosion, and Sedimentation Control Inspector.

For solar facilities within the Northwest Florida Water Management District, an operational phase stormwater management system must be designed based on the 100-year, 24-hour design storm. This applies to applications filed after July 1, 2026.

The new solar section does not apply to any site that was the subject of an application to construct a solar facility submitted to a local governmental entity before July 1, 2021, providing a grandfathering provision for earlier applicants.

All existing sections were renumbered by one (old Section 2 became Section 3, etc.) to accommodate the new solar section as Section 2. The bill title was updated to reflect it is now a 'CS for CS' and the Appropriations Committee was added to the committee attribution.

Section 5 (s. 373.807) on Outstanding Florida Springs was substantially rewritten. The original bill protected residential properties larger than 10 acres outside priority focus areas from being required to upgrade their septic systems. The committee substitute instead authorizes remediation plans to require existing conventional septic systems on properties of 10 acres or less (outside priority focus areas but within the springs basin plan) to upgrade to nutrient-reducing systems where central sewer is unavailable, and to require upgrades for properties of ANY size located within established priority focus areas.

Removed the amendment to s. 403.9301 that would have revised the definition of 'wastewater services' to include management of domestic septage from residences served by onsite treatment systems, and revised requirements for local government needs analyses.

Removed amendments to s. 576.041 and s. 576.045 that would have revised fertilizer inspection fees (changing the fee structure for Class AA biosolids from a flat rate to a per-ton calculation based on equivalent dry tons) and required licensees to pay a supplemental fee of 25 cents per ton for Class AA biosolids.

Added new sections amending s. 403.707 (solid waste permits), s. 403.7222 (hazardous waste landfill prohibition), s. 403.7234 (small quantity generator verification), and s. 403.803 (definitions) to conform references following the repeal of the Environmental Regulation Commission provisions.

In s. 403.067, added 'shall' before 'become effective' for basin management action plans and amendments, making the 60-day effective period mandatory rather than merely descriptive.

In s. 381.0065, changed the trigger for operating permit modification from 'any subsequent change in occupancy of the property' to 'any subsequent change in ownership of the property,' narrowing when a permit modification is required. Also removed the fee cap language that limited maintenance entity report fees to an inflation-adjusted cost equivalent to prior biennial operating permit renewals.