Florida Senate - 2026 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 1294
Ì4199220Î419922
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/12/2026 .
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The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and
General Government (Bradley) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Subsections (7) through (12) are added to
6 section 403.0855, Florida Statutes, to read:
7 403.0855 Biosolids management.—
8 (7)(a) The land application of bulk Class AA biosolids
9 fertilizer and biosolids compost products may not exceed the
10 appropriate agronomic rate. Land application of bulk Class AA
11 biosolids fertilizer and biosolids compost products at or below
12 the agronomic rate must be managed so that beneficial reuse,
13 rather than biosolids disposal, is the primary objective as
14 evidenced by the manner and circumstances of the application. As
15 used in this subsection, the term “agronomic rate” means the
16 nutrient application rate established using generally accepted,
17 science-based nutrient management principles, including
18 recommendations published by the University of Florida Institute
19 of Food and Agriculture Sciences, which considers plant nutrient
20 requirements; site-specific characteristics, including soil
21 conditions; characteristics of the biosolids fertilizer or
22 biosolids compost products, including nutrient release rates and
23 soil amendment functions; other nutrient inputs applied to the
24 site; and the protection of groundwater and surface water
25 resources.
26 (b) Bulk land application of biosolids, including Class AA
27 biosolids, to the extent that such bulk land application
28 constitutes disposal, is prohibited, and violations shall be
29 subject to chapter 403. As used in this subsection, the term
30 “disposal” means the bulk land application of biosolids,
31 including any application exceeding the agronomic rate, where,
32 considering the manner and circumstances of the application, the
33 nutrients applied cannot reasonably be expected to be taken up
34 by a crop or vegetative cover during the relevant growing
35 season, and the application results in the discard of biosolids
36 on the land application site.
37 (8) The owner or operator of a land application site at
38 which bulk agricultural land application of biosolids fertilizer
39 or biosolids compost products occurs shall maintain application
40 records for at least 5 years. Such records must be made
41 available to the department upon request and must include all of
42 the following:
43 (a) The classification and characteristics of the biosolids
44 applied to the land application site.
45 (b) The physical address of the land application site.
46 (c) The quantity of biosolids transported to the land
47 application site and received by the owner or operator of the
48 land application site.
49 (d) The date on which such biosolids were received by the
50 owner or operator of the land application site.
51 (e) The name of the person or entity responsible for the
52 transportation of the biosolids to the land application site.
53 (f) The quantity of biosolids applied to the land
54 application site.
55 (g) The name of the person or entity responsible for the
56 physical application of the biosolids on the land application
57 site.
58 (h) The date on which land application of such biosolids
59 occurred.
60 (9) The University of Florida Institute of Food and
61 Agricultural Sciences shall, on a biennial basis, publish and
62 make publicly available recommended agronomic rates for the
63 beneficial reuse of bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer and
64 biosolids compost products. The initial publication must occur
65 by November 1, 2027. The recommendations must be informed by a
66 review of the scientific literature and applicable available
67 agronomic guidance and must include, but may not be limited to,
68 all of the following:
69 (a) The characteristics of commonly produced biosolids
70 products relevant to nutrient availability and environmental
71 risk, including nutrient content, nutrient release
72 characteristics, and physical form.
73 (b) Recommended agronomic rate ranges or application
74 approaches that account for crop type, soil conditions,
75 environmental vulnerabilities, seasonal factors, and management
76 practices.
77 (c) The scientific basis and degree of supporting research
78 for recommended agronomic rates, distinguishing recommendations
79 suitable for general application from those requiring site
80 specific evaluation.
81 (d) Data gaps and product types, conditions, or practices
82 for which additional field verification or research would
83 improve future recommendations, including identification of
84 relevant research priorities and associated resource
85 considerations.
86 (e) Best practices for on-the-ground implementation and
87 verification consistent with agronomic principles.
88 (10) Applicable inspection fees and tonnage reporting
89 requirements required pursuant to chapter 576 apply to all Class
90 AA biosolids fertilizer and biosolids compost products marketed
91 or distributed for land application, including such products
92 that are not sold and products that are land applied on property
93 owned or controlled by the biosolids generator, distributor, or
94 applicator.
95 (11) A biosolids fertilizer product or biosolids compost
96 product may not be marketed or distributed for bulk agricultural
97 land application as Class AA biosolids unless the product meets
98 all applicable labeling and registration requirements of chapter
99 576.
100 (12) Subsections (10) and (11) do not apply to Class AA
101 biosolids compost products when the labeling does not claim any
102 plant nutrients or beneficial plant growth properties, as
103 defined in s. 576.011(14), and when such biosolids compost
104 products are enrolled in and certified under the U.S. Composting
105 Council Seal of Testing Assurance program.
106 Section 2. This act shall take effect November 1, 2026.
107
108 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
109 And the title is amended as follows:
110 Delete everything before the enacting clause
111 and insert:
112 A bill to be entitled
113 An act relating to biosolids management; amending s.
114 403.0855, F.S.; prohibiting the land application of
115 bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer and compost
116 products from exceeding the appropriate agronomic
117 rate; providing requirements for the management of the
118 land application of bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer
119 and biosolids compost products at or below the
120 agronomic rate; defining the term “agronomic rate”;
121 prohibiting the bulk land application of biosolids
122 when such bulk application constitutes disposal;
123 defining the term “disposal”; requiring the owner or
124 operator of certain land application sites to maintain
125 application records for a specified timeframe and make
126 such records available to the Department of
127 Environmental Protection upon request; providing
128 requirements for such records; requiring the
129 University of Florida Institute of Food and
130 Agricultural Sciences to, on a specified basis and
131 beginning on a specified date, publish and make
132 publicly available recommended agronomic rates for the
133 reuse of bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer and
134 compost products; providing requirements for such
135 recommendations; providing applicability for specified
136 inspection fees and tonnage reporting; prohibiting
137 biosolids fertilizer products or biosolids compost
138 products from being marketed or distributed for bulk
139 land application as Class AA biosolids unless
140 specified labeling and registration requirements are
141 met; providing applicability; providing an effective
142 date.