Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 558
       
       
        
       By Senator Burgess
       
       
       
       
       
       23-00616A-26                                           2026558__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to standards for storm water systems;
    3         creating ss. 125.5695 and 166.04815, F.S.; requiring
    4         storm water systems in counties and municipalities,
    5         respectively, to comply with specified Department of
    6         Transportation standards; providing inspection
    7         requirements for such systems; specifying that certain
    8         local standards are superseded; providing a
    9         declaration of an important state interest; providing
   10         an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 125.5695, Florida Statutes, is created
   15  to read:
   16         125.5695 Standards for storm water systems.—
   17         (1) All storm water systems, including storm pipe and storm
   18  structures in counties in this state, when installing new storm
   19  pipe and storm structures, must follow the annual Department of
   20  Transportation’s Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge
   21  Construction contained in the sections “Pipe Culverts” and “Pipe
   22  Liner.”
   23         (2) Final inspections for all storm pipe and storm
   24  structures in counties in this state must be performed by a
   25  NASSCO’s Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP)
   26  certified technician who is employed by a third-party licensed
   27  engineering firm that does not have a controlling interest in
   28  the company that installed the storm system being inspected. The
   29  inspection and video process may use standard closed-circuit
   30  television inspection equipment, along with an optional camera
   31  with a fisheye lens for video inspection purposes.
   32         (3) The standards for installation and inspection in
   33  subsections (1) and (2) supersede all existing and local
   34  standards in counties.
   35         Section 2. Section 166.04815, Florida Statutes, is created
   36  to read:
   37         166.04815 Standards for storm water systems.—
   38         (1) All storm water systems, including storm pipe and storm
   39  structures in municipalities in this state, when installing new
   40  storm pipe and storm structures, must follow the annual
   41  Department of Transportation’s Standard Specifications for Road
   42  and Bridge Construction contained in the sections “Pipe
   43  Culverts” and “Pipe Liner.”
   44         (2) Final inspections for all storm pipe and storm
   45  structures in municipalities in this state must be performed by
   46  a NASSCO’s Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP)
   47  certified technician who is employed by a third-party licensed
   48  engineering firm that does not have a controlling interest in
   49  the company that installed the storm system being inspected. The
   50  inspection and video process may use standard closed-circuit
   51  television inspection equipment, along with an optional camera
   52  with a fisheye lens for video inspection purposes.
   53         (3) The standards for installation and inspection in
   54  subsections (1) and (2) supersede all existing and local
   55  standards in municipalities.
   56         Section 3. Pursuant to s. 18, Article VII of the State
   57  Constitution, the Legislature hereby determines and declares
   58  that this act fulfills an important state interest.
   59         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.