Senate Bill 2408

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.



    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 2408

    By Senator Diaz-Balart





    37-1293-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to citrus canker; creating s.

  3         581.1841, F.S.; requiring the Department of

  4         Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish

  5         emergency procedures for citrus canker removal

  6         in residential areas; directing the department

  7         to develop and implement a tree

  8         canopy-replacement program; providing an

  9         effective date.

10

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

12

13         Section 1.  Section 581.1841, Florida Statutes, is

14  created to read:

15         581.1841  Emergency procedures for citrus canker

16  removal in residential properties; tree replacement.--

17         (1)  To carry out its duties with respect to emergency

18  responses to citrus canker when such activities involve entry

19  onto private residential properties in an urban area to

20  achieve detection and elimination of host plants, or other

21  regulated articles, infected or suspected of harboring citrus

22  canker bacteria, the department shall:

23         (a)  Develop and provide a system for dissemination of

24  information to the public concerning bacterial citrus canker

25  and the methods used for its eradication or control. The

26  information disseminated must specify the characteristics of

27  the disease, the products and procedures to be used, any

28  expected effects on the human population and the environment

29  in the area in which the program is to be carried out, and any

30  recommended safety precautions and alternative methods of

31  responding to the disease.

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 2408
    37-1293-99




  1         (b)  Use products that comply with all applicable state

  2  and federal laws and rules.

  3         (c)  Ensure that its emergency procedures for citrus

  4  canker removal in residential properties are reviewed and

  5  approved by scientific experts selected by the department and

  6  found to be biologically sound and in compliance with the

  7  National Plant Board Principles of Plant Quarantine.

  8         (2)  The department shall in writing, give notice to

  9  each property owner, or his or her authorized representative,

10  before entering the property for the purpose of surveying for

11  bacterial citrus canker. The notice must be in the form of a

12  written statement outlining the purpose of the survey and the

13  potential results of the survey. If the property is accessible

14  and notice has been provided to the property owner, the

15  department has the right to proceed with the citrus canker

16  survey.

17         (3)  If after the survey is completed the department

18  suspects that citrus canker is present, a department plant

19  pathologist must inspect the suspect property and take the

20  samples necessary for verification within 5 working days after

21  the survey. Upon receipt of the results of the pathologist,

22  the department shall notify the property owners, or their

23  authorized representatives, in writing of the action to be

24  taken. Such notice must be in the form of an immediate final

25  order and must be delivered to the property owner within 30

26  working days after the survey. The property owner must be

27  given 10 working days from the receipt of the immediate final

28  order to review it and appeal the department's order. Delivery

29  must be by personal delivery, registered mail, or by posting

30  on the property. An appeal of the department's order bars the

31  department from taking any further action on that property. If

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 2408
    37-1293-99




  1  no appeal is initiated, the department shall implement its

  2  order to remove citrus-canker-affected host plants, and other

  3  articles, within 5 working days from the last day an appeal

  4  may be taken, if the property owner signs a waiver agreeing to

  5  such action.

  6         (4)  The department, pursuant to s. 581.031(15) and

  7  (17), may create a citrus canker host-free buffer area,

  8  delineated by department rule, to retard the spread of citrus

  9  canker from known infected areas. In addition, the department

10  shall develop a compensation plan for the trees removed from

11  the buffer area. Compensation for the trees removed from the

12  buffer area is subject to annual legislative appropriation.

13         (5)(a)  The department shall develop and implement a

14  tree-canopy replacement program for residential properties in

15  urbanized areas affected by citrus canker. The provisions of

16  the tree-canopy replacement program are subject to provision

17  and funding in specific legislative appropriations.

18         (b)  As used in this section, the term "urbanized area"

19  means land that is zoned for purposes other than agricultural

20  purposes and that has a residential density of two or more

21  units per acre.

22         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

23

24            *****************************************

25                          SENATE SUMMARY

26    Provides for emergency procedures for citrus canker
      removal in residential areas. Directs the Department of
27    Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop and
      implement a tree-canopy replacement program.
28

29

30

31

                                  3