THE BILL ITSELF
CS/HB 479
Land and Water Management
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to land and water management; creating
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s. 373.027, F.S.; prohibiting counties and
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municipalities from adopting a law, regulation, rule,
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policy, or ordinance that prohibits adjacent upland
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activities that are outside a certain wetland buffer;
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providing applicability and construction; repealing s.
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373.591, F.S., relating to management review teams;
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providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Section 373.027, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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373.027 Prohibition on counties and municipalities
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prohibiting adjacent upland activities outside a certain wetland
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buffer.—
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(1) A county or municipality may not adopt a law,
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regulation, rule, policy, or ordinance that prohibits adjacent
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upland activities that are outside a wetland buffer that is a
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minimum width of 15 feet from the wetland and an average width
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of 25 feet from the wetland.
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(2) This section does not:
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(a) Apply to an interagency or interlocal agreement
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between the department and any agency, water management
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district, or local government conducting programs relating to or
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materially affecting the water resources of the state.
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(b) Affect the authority of a county or municipality to
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regulate and operate its own water system, wastewater system, or
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stormwater system.
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Section 2. Section 373.591, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
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Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.