| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to onsite sewage treatment and disposal |
| 3 | systems; creating s. 381.00656, F.S.; establishing the |
| 4 | Wekiva Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System |
| 5 | Compliance Grant Program in the Department of Health for |
| 6 | the purpose of providing grants to low-income property |
| 7 | owners contingent upon specific appropriation; specifying |
| 8 | eligibility and grant amounts; requiring the department to |
| 9 | adopt rules; directing the department, the Department of |
| 10 | Environmental Protection, and the St. Johns River Water |
| 11 | Management District to conduct specified evaluations; |
| 12 | providing that funding for the program is contingent upon |
| 13 | specific appropriation by the Legislature; providing an |
| 14 | effective date. |
| 15 |
|
| 16 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 17 |
|
| 18 | Section 1. Section 381.00656, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 19 | to read: |
| 20 | 381.00656 Wekiva Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal |
| 21 | System Compliance Grant Program.-- |
| 22 | (1) Subject to specific appropriation as provided in |
| 23 | subsection (6), the Wekiva Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal |
| 24 | System Compliance Grant Program is established in the Department |
| 25 | of Health and shall be administered by the department. The |
| 26 | purpose of the program is to provide grants to low-income |
| 27 | property owners in the Wekiva Study Area or the Wekiva River |
| 28 | Protection Area using onsite disposal systems to assist the |
| 29 | property owners in complying with rules for onsite sewage |
| 30 | treatment and disposal systems developed by the department, the |
| 31 | Department of Environmental Protection, or the St. Johns River |
| 32 | Water Management District. The grant program is effective upon |
| 33 | final adoption of department rules and may be applied to costs |
| 34 | incurred by property owners on or after such date. |
| 35 | (2) Any property owner in the Wekiva Study Area or the |
| 36 | Wekiva River Protection Area having an income less than or equal |
| 37 | to 200 percent of the federal poverty level who is required by |
| 38 | rule of the department, the Department of Environmental |
| 39 | Protection, or the St. Johns River Water Management District to |
| 40 | alter, repair, or modify any existing onsite sewage treatment |
| 41 | and disposal system on such property to a nitrogen-reducing, |
| 42 | performance-based treatment system may apply to the department |
| 43 | for a grant to assist the owner with the cost of compliance. |
| 44 | (3) The amount of the grant is limited to the cost |
| 45 | differential between the replacement of a comparable existing |
| 46 | onsite sewage treatment and disposal system and that of an |
| 47 | upgraded nitrogen-reducing, performance-based treatment system, |
| 48 | but may not exceed $10,000 per property. |
| 49 | (4) The department shall adopt rules providing forms, |
| 50 | procedures, and requirements for applying for and disbursing |
| 51 | grants, including bid requirements, and for documenting |
| 52 | compliance costs incurred. |
| 53 | (5) The department, in coordination with the Department of |
| 54 | Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River Water |
| 55 | Management District, shall continue to evaluate, by any means |
| 56 | the department deems appropriate, the level of nitrogen |
| 57 | deposited in the Wekiva Study Area by onsite sewage treatment |
| 58 | and disposal systems. |
| 59 | (6) Funding for the Wekiva Onsite Sewage Treatment and |
| 60 | Disposal System Compliance Grant Program is contingent upon a |
| 61 | specific appropriation by the Legislature. |
| 62 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |