Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1214
       
       
        
       By Senator Smith
       
       31-01059-16                                           20161214__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Community Yard Trash Safe Burn
    3         Program; creating s. 590.126, F.S.; providing
    4         legislative intent and findings; defining terms;
    5         creating the Community Yard Trash Safe Burn Program
    6         within the Florida Forest Service; requiring the
    7         Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to
    8         adopt minimum standards for community burn plans;
    9         authorizing homeowners’ associations to create
   10         community burn plans and establish one or more
   11         community burn locations; establishing conditions
   12         homeowners’ associations must meet before commencing
   13         community burns; requiring the service to issue a burn
   14         permit when certain requirements are met; requiring
   15         homeowners’ associations to comply with community burn
   16         plans; authorizing homeowners’ associations to enforce
   17         the community burn plan; authorizing the service to
   18         take specified action upon a determination by the
   19         department that a homeowners’ association has failed
   20         to reasonably oversee compliance with a community burn
   21         plan; requiring the department to adopt rules by a
   22         specified date; providing an effective date.
   23          
   24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25  
   26         Section 1. Section 590.126, Florida Statutes, is created to
   27  read:
   28         590.126 Community Yard Trash Safe Burn Program.—
   29         (1)LEGISLATIVE INTENT AND FINDINGS.—It is the intent of
   30  the Legislature to allow homeowners’ associations in this state
   31  to establish locations within their respective communities for
   32  burning yard trash. The Legislature finds that having such
   33  locations can significantly reduce the risk of wildfires
   34  resulting from burning residential yard waste and vegetative
   35  debris by having an established location for such burns which is
   36  certified as safe and properly managed.
   37         (2)DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   38         (a)“Community burn location” means a burn pile location
   39  established and certified by the service for the purpose of open
   40  burning of yard trash.
   41         (b) “Community burn plan” means a plan filed by a
   42  homeowners’ association with the service. At a minimum, the plan
   43  must include:
   44         1. Each community burn location, including a site map of
   45  such location or locations.
   46         2. Qualifications of individuals authorized to manage or
   47  conduct community burns.
   48         3. Plans for managing wildfire risks, smoke, and other
   49  hazards, nuisances, or environmental impacts.
   50         4. Enforcement provisions to ensure resident compliance.
   51         5. Other information as required by the service.
   52         (c) “Community burns” means the burning of residential yard
   53  trash at a community burn location which is conducted in
   54  accordance with an approved community burn plan.
   55         (d) “Homeowners’ associationhas the same meaning as
   56  provided in s. 720.301.
   57         (e) “Service” means the Florida Forest Service of the
   58  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
   59         (f) “Yard trash” has the same meaning as provided in s.
   60  590.125(1).
   61         (3)CREATION AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—
   62         (a) The Community Yard Trash Safe Burn Program is created
   63  in the Florida Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture
   64  and Consumer Services. The department shall adopt by rule
   65  minimum standards for community burn plans developed under this
   66  section. At a minimum, these standards must include:
   67         1. A communitywide ban on the burning of yard trash by
   68  individual residents outside prescribed community burn
   69  locations.
   70         2. Reasonable setbacks from wildlands, brush, combustible
   71  structures, and public thoroughfares.
   72         3. Minimum qualifications for individuals authorized to
   73  manage and conduct community burns.
   74         4. Reasonable requirements for managing wildfire risks,
   75  smoke, and other hazards, nuisances, or environmental impacts.
   76         5. Requirements for ensuring and enforcing resident
   77  compliance with community burn plans. Plan enforcement may
   78  include the levying of fines, the suspension of use rights, and
   79  other remedies as allowed by law to homeowners’ associations.
   80  Such remedies must be implemented in compliance with chapter 720
   81  and other state law.
   82         (b)Homeowners’ associations may establish one or more
   83  community burn locations for the use of the community’s
   84  residents to dispose of yard trash. Before commencing community
   85  burns, the homeowners’ association must do all of the following:
   86         1. Apply and be approved for a permit by the service.
   87         2. Have an approved community burn plan on file with the
   88  service.
   89         3. Ensure that all burns are in compliance with the
   90  approved community burn plan.
   91         4. Ensure that all burns are in compliance with local,
   92  municipal, and county ordinances governing open burning.
   93         (c) Upon approval by the service of a community burn plan
   94  and compliance by the homeowners’ association with any
   95  additional requirements established by the service, the service
   96  shall issue to the homeowners’ association a permit granting
   97  authorization to conduct community burns.
   98         (4) ENFORCEMENT.—
   99         (a) Upon service approval, the homeowners’ association may
  100  enforce the community burn plan by levying fines, suspending use
  101  rights, and taking other action as allowed by law and approved
  102  by the service as part of the community burn plan. Enforcement
  103  of these remedies must comply with chapter 720 and all other
  104  state law.
  105         (b) Upon a final order finding that the homeowners’
  106  association has failed to reasonably oversee compliance with a
  107  community burn plan, including failure to enforce burn
  108  restrictions, the service may suspend or revoke the permit until
  109  the service deems the homeowners’ association willing and able
  110  to comply with an approved community burn plan. The service may
  111  also assess costs and attorney fees upon issuance of a final
  112  order finding that a homeowners’ association has failed to
  113  reasonably comply with the community burn plan. The service may,
  114  at its discretion, require that such costs and fees be repaid by
  115  the homeowners’ association before reinstating the permit.
  116         (5) RULEMAKING.—By July 1, 2017, the department shall adopt
  117  rules to administer this section.
  118         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.