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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to the Wekiva Onsite Sewage Treatment and

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Disposal System Compliance Grant Program; creating the

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program in the Department of Health; providing purposes;

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authorizing low-income property owners in certain areas of

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the Wekiva basin to apply for grants to improve onsite

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sewage treatment and disposal systems; providing grant

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limitations; providing for the grant to be a rebate of

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costs incurred; requiring documentation of costs;

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requiring the department to adopt rules to administer the

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grant program; providing an effective date.

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

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     Section 1. Wekiva Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal

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System Compliance Grant Program.--

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     (1) The Wekiva Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System

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Compliance Grant Program is established in the Department of

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Health and shall be administered by the department. The purpose

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of the program is to provide grants to low-income property owners

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in the Wekiva Study Area or the Wekiva River Protection Area

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using onsite disposal systems to assist the property owners in

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complying with rules for onsite sewage treatment and disposal

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systems developed by the Department of Health, the Department of

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Environmental Protection, or the St. Johns River Water Management

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District and to enforce compliance with standards for onsite

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sewage treatment and disposal systems. The grant program is

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effective upon final adoption of department rules and may be

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applied to costs incurred on or after such date.

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     (2) Any property owner in the Wekiva Study Area or the

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Wekiva River Protection Area having an income less than or equal

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to 200 percent of the federal poverty level who is required by

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rule of the Department of Health, the Department of Environmental

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Protection, or the St. Johns River Water Management District to

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alter, repair, or modify any existing onsite sewage treatment and

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disposal system to a nitrogen-reducing performance-based

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treatment system on such property may apply to the Department of

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Health for a grant to assist the owner with the cost of

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compliance.

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     (3) The amount of the grant is limited to the cost

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differential between the replacement of a comparable existing

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onsite sewage treatment and disposal system and that of an

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upgraded nitrogen-reducing performance-based treatment system,

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but may not exceed $10,000 per property.

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     (4) The grant shall be in the form of a rebate to the

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property owner for costs incurred in complying with requirements

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for onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems. The property

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owner shall provide to the Department of Health in the grant

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application documentation of costs incurred in complying with

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requirements for the system.

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     (5) The Department of Health shall adopt rules providing

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forms, procedures, and requirements for applying for and

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disbursing grants, including bid requirements, and for

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documenting compliance costs incurred.

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     (6) The Department of Health, in coordination with the

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Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River

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Water Management District, shall continue to evaluate, by any

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means the department deems appropriate, the level of nitrogen

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deposited in the Wekiva Study Area by onsite sewage treatment and

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disposal systems.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.