Florida Senate - 2026 SB 544
By Senator Truenow
13-00768-26 2026544__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to golf courses; transferring,
3 renumbering, and amending s. 403.9339, F.S.; providing
4 a short title; providing legislative findings and
5 intent regarding golf course best management practices
6 certification; defining the term “department”;
7 conforming cross-references; providing for a type two
8 transfer of the Golf Course Best Management Practices
9 Certification program in the Department of
10 Environmental Protection to the Department of
11 Agriculture and Consumer Services; providing an
12 effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Section 403.9339, Florida Statutes, is
17 transferred, renumbered as section 604.75, Florida Statutes, and
18 amended to read:
19 604.75 403.9339 Golf course best management practices
20 certification.—
21 (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section shall be known and may be
22 cited as the “Golf Course Best Management Practices
23 Certification Act.”
24 (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature finds
25 that, due to the foundational agricultural nature of golf
26 courses and since the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
27 Services oversees best management practices programs for sod
28 growing operations and for the green industry, it is appropriate
29 for the department to oversee golf course best management
30 practices certification. Certified participants must abide by
31 the best management practices governing the application of
32 fertilizer on sod.
33 (3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term
34 “department” means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
35 Services.
36 (4)(1) To provide a means of documenting and ensuring
37 compliance with best management practices for fertilizer
38 application to golf courses, the turfgrass science program at
39 the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural
40 Sciences, in coordination with the department, shall administer
41 a certification for golf course best management practices.
42 (5)(2) The turfgrass science program, in cooperation with
43 the department, shall:
44 (a) Provide training and testing programs in golf course
45 best management practices and may issue certificates
46 demonstrating satisfactory completion of the training.
47 (b) Approve training and testing programs in golf course
48 best management practices that are equivalent to or more
49 comprehensive than the programs provided by the turfgrass
50 science program under this subsection paragraph (a). Such
51 programs must be reviewed and reapproved by the turfgrass
52 science program if significant changes are made.
53 (6)(3) To obtain a golf course best management practices
54 certification, an applicant must submit to the turfgrass science
55 program a copy of the training certificate issued under
56 subsection (5) subsection (2).
57 (7)(4) A golf course best management practices
58 certification issued under this section expires 4 years after
59 the date of issuance. Upon expiration of the certification, or
60 after a grace period of not more than 30 days after the
61 expiration date, a recertification may be issued.
62 (8)(5) To obtain a golf course best management practices
63 recertification, an applicant must submit to the turfgrass
64 science program proof of having completed 8 classroom hours of
65 continuing education, of which at least 2 hours must address
66 fertilizer best management practices.
67 (9)(6) A person certified under this section is exempt
68 from:
69 (a) Additional local training.
70 (b) Local ordinances relating to water and fertilizer use
71 blackout periods or restrictions, unless a state of emergency is
72 declared. The certified person must continue to coordinate with
73 the local government to ensure that he or she adheres to the
74 comprehensive best management practices for that specific
75 community.
76 (10)(7) This section does not exempt a person certified
77 under this section from complying with the rules and
78 requirements for basin management action plans set forth in s.
79 403.067(7) if the golf course is located in an area within a
80 basin management action plan.
81 (11)(a)(8)(a) The turfgrass science program may provide the
82 certification status of persons certified under this section to
83 local and state governmental entities.
84 (b) The turfgrass science program is encouraged to create a
85 registry of persons certified under this section on its website.
86 Section 2. Type two transfer from the Department of
87 Environmental Protection.—
88 (1) All powers, duties, functions, records, offices,
89 personnel, associated administrative support positions,
90 property, pending issues, existing contracts, administrative
91 authority, administrative rules, and unexpended balances of
92 appropriations, allocations, and other funds relating to the
93 Golf Course Best Management Practices Certification program
94 within the Department of Environmental Protection are
95 transferred by a type two transfer, as defined in s. 20.06(2),
96 Florida Statutes, to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
97 Services.
98 (2) Any binding contract or interagency agreement existing
99 before July 1, 2026, between the Department of Environmental
100 Protection, or an entity or agent of the department, and any
101 other agency, entity, or person relating to the Golf Course Best
102 Management Practices Certification program shall continue as a
103 binding contract or agreement for the remainder of the term of
104 such contract or agreement on the successor entity responsible
105 for the program, activity, or functions relative to the contract
106 or agreement.
107 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.