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Subcommittee reports nine natural-resources bills favorably (unanimous or near-unanimous votes)
Summary
The Natural Resources & Disaster Subcommittee advanced nine bills covering land conveyances, waste and solid-waste policy, FWC police powers, historic cemeteries, beach management, DEP agency changes, and septage disposal; all bills were reported favorably with unanimous or near-unanimous roll-call tallies.
The Natural Resources & Disaster Subcommittee heard nine bills and reported each favorably on February 5, 2026. Below is a concise summary of each bill and the subcommittee vote recorded at the hearing:
HB 4085 — Convey about 406 acres (Cemetery Road wastewater treatment plant) to the Okeechobee Utility Authority. Vote: 13-0 reported favorably.
HB 1089 — Prohibit new ash-producing incinerators or waste-to-energy facilities within a protective buffer around federally authorized impoundment areas; sponsor amended the bill to narrow a 2-mile buffer to 1 mile and limit application by county population. Vote: 14-0 reported favorably.
HB 1249 — Align Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officers’ property-entry standards with other law enforcement (warrants/probable cause). Vote: 14-0 reported favorably.
HB 1479 — Authorize state ingress/egress easements for noninvasive research at abandoned historic cemeteries, add confirmed sites to the master site file, and allow landowners to receive conservation easements (Florida Forever). Vote: 14-0 reported favorably.
HB 4039 — Local bill requiring Broward County to complete a feasibility study and hold a public hearing before expanding an existing landfill (Monarch). Vote: 16-0 reported favorably.
CS for HB 4057 — Transfer ~7.1 acres to City of Phoenix Springs to enable grant eligibility; city-supported. Vote: 15-0 reported favorably.
HB 1417 — Department of Environmental Protection agency package (strike-all amendment adopted). The strike-all addresses septic upgrades in priority springs, commercial wastewater permits, P3 authority for coastal resiliency projects, and more; committee adopted a Representative Boles amendment directing DEP to establish BMPs for stormwater on land-based solar facilities. Vote: 16-0 reported favorably.
HB 1297 — Beach management bill clarifying data DEP must review for critical erosion designations; technical amendment adopted. Vote: 16-0 reported favorably.
HB 1285 — Prohibit land application of septage when a sanitary sewer treatment facility is available; definition amendment adopted. Vote: 16-0 reported favorably.
The subcommittee's unanimous roll-call tallies reflect either unanimous consent or broad bipartisan support at this stage; several bills drew substantive stakeholder comment and amendments that narrowed scope or clarified implementation. Next steps vary by bill and include full committee or House floor scheduling.
