Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for SB 1294
By the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and
General Government; the Committee on Environment and Natural
Resources; and Senator Bradley
601-02833-26 20261294c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to biosolids management; amending s.
3 403.0855, F.S.; prohibiting the land application of
4 bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer and compost
5 products from exceeding the appropriate agronomic
6 rate; providing requirements for the management of the
7 land application of bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer
8 and biosolids compost products at or below the
9 agronomic rate; defining the term “agronomic rate”;
10 prohibiting the bulk land application of biosolids
11 when such bulk application constitutes disposal;
12 defining the term “disposal”; requiring the owner or
13 operator of certain land application sites to maintain
14 application records for a specified timeframe and make
15 such records available to the Department of
16 Environmental Protection upon request; providing
17 requirements for such records; requiring the
18 University of Florida Institute of Food and
19 Agricultural Sciences to, on a specified basis and
20 beginning on a specified date, publish and make
21 publicly available recommended agronomic rates for the
22 reuse of bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer and
23 compost products; providing requirements for such
24 recommendations; providing applicability for specified
25 inspection fees and tonnage reporting; prohibiting
26 biosolids fertilizer products or biosolids compost
27 products from being marketed or distributed for bulk
28 land application as Class AA biosolids unless
29 specified labeling and registration requirements are
30 met; providing applicability; providing an effective
31 date.
32
33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35 Section 1. Subsections (7) through (12) are added to
36 section 403.0855, Florida Statutes, to read:
37 403.0855 Biosolids management.—
38 (7)(a) The land application of bulk Class AA biosolids
39 fertilizer and biosolids compost products may not exceed the
40 appropriate agronomic rate. Land application of bulk Class AA
41 biosolids fertilizer and biosolids compost products at or below
42 the agronomic rate must be managed so that beneficial reuse,
43 rather than biosolids disposal, is the primary objective as
44 evidenced by the manner and circumstances of the application. As
45 used in this subsection, the term “agronomic rate” means the
46 nutrient application rate established using generally accepted,
47 science-based nutrient management principles, including
48 recommendations published by the University of Florida Institute
49 of Food and Agricultural Sciences, which considers plant
50 nutrient requirements; site-specific characteristics, including
51 soil conditions; characteristics of the biosolids fertilizer or
52 biosolids compost products, including nutrient release rates and
53 soil amendment functions; other nutrient inputs applied to the
54 site; and the protection of groundwater and surface water
55 resources.
56 (b) Bulk land application of biosolids, including Class AA
57 biosolids, to the extent that such bulk land application
58 constitutes disposal, is prohibited, and violations shall be
59 subject to chapter 403. As used in this subsection, the term
60 “disposal” means the bulk land application of biosolids,
61 including any application exceeding the agronomic rate, where,
62 considering the manner and circumstances of the application, the
63 nutrients applied cannot reasonably be expected to be taken up
64 by a crop or vegetative cover during the relevant growing
65 season, and the application results in the discard of biosolids
66 on the land application site.
67 (8) The owner or operator of a land application site at
68 which bulk agricultural land application of biosolids fertilizer
69 or biosolids compost products occurs shall maintain application
70 records for at least 5 years. Such records must be made
71 available to the department upon request and must include all of
72 the following:
73 (a) The classification and characteristics of the biosolids
74 applied to the land application site.
75 (b) The physical address of the land application site.
76 (c) The quantity of biosolids transported to the land
77 application site and received by the owner or operator of the
78 land application site.
79 (d) The date on which such biosolids were received by the
80 owner or operator of the land application site.
81 (e) The name of the person or entity responsible for the
82 transportation of the biosolids to the land application site.
83 (f) The quantity of biosolids applied to the land
84 application site.
85 (g) The name of the person or entity responsible for the
86 physical application of the biosolids on the land application
87 site.
88 (h) The date on which land application of such biosolids
89 occurred.
90 (9) The University of Florida Institute of Food and
91 Agricultural Sciences shall, on a biennial basis, publish and
92 make publicly available recommended agronomic rates for the
93 beneficial reuse of bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer and
94 biosolids compost products. The initial publication must occur
95 by November 1, 2027. The recommendations must be informed by a
96 review of the scientific literature and applicable available
97 agronomic guidance and must include, but may not be limited to,
98 all of the following:
99 (a) The characteristics of commonly produced biosolids
100 products relevant to nutrient availability and environmental
101 risk, including nutrient content, nutrient release
102 characteristics, and physical form.
103 (b) Recommended agronomic rate ranges or application
104 approaches that account for crop type, soil conditions,
105 environmental vulnerabilities, seasonal factors, and management
106 practices.
107 (c) The scientific basis and degree of supporting research
108 for recommended agronomic rates, distinguishing recommendations
109 suitable for general application from those requiring site
110 specific evaluation.
111 (d) Data gaps and product types, conditions, or practices
112 for which additional field verification or research would
113 improve future recommendations, including identification of
114 relevant research priorities and associated resource
115 considerations.
116 (e) Best practices for on-the-ground implementation and
117 verification consistent with agronomic principles.
118 (10) Applicable inspection fees and tonnage reporting
119 requirements required pursuant to chapter 576 apply to all Class
120 AA biosolids fertilizer and biosolids compost products marketed
121 or distributed for land application, including such products
122 that are not sold and products that are land applied on property
123 owned or controlled by the biosolids generator, distributor, or
124 applicator.
125 (11) A biosolids fertilizer product or biosolids compost
126 product may not be marketed or distributed for bulk agricultural
127 land application as Class AA biosolids unless the product meets
128 all applicable labeling and registration requirements of chapter
129 576.
130 (12) Subsections (10) and (11) do not apply to Class AA
131 biosolids compost products when the labeling does not claim any
132 plant nutrients or beneficial plant growth properties, as
133 described in s. 576.011(14), and when such biosolids compost
134 products are enrolled in and certified under the U.S. Composting
135 Council Seal of Testing Assurance program.
136 Section 2. This act shall take effect November 1, 2026.