This bill amends several sections of Florida Statutes concerning the management and rehabilitation of brownfields, which are contaminated sites. It eliminates the requirement for property owners to provide information about institutional controls to local governments and removes local government mapping requirements. Additionally, sites that receive a site rehabilitation completion order without institutional controls will be removed from the registry of contaminated sites. The bill also revises the conditions for claiming tax credits for rehabilitating contaminated sites, including a specified timeframe for application submissions and updated eligibility criteria. New definitions for "brownfield" and "brownfield site" are introduced, and the Department of Environmental Protection is tasked with issuing annual site rehabilitation tax credit certificates by June 1, rather than May 1, while also extending the response time for tax credit applications from 90 to 120 days.

Moreover, the bill expands eligibility for the brownfield program to local governmental entities and other associated persons, provided they did not contribute to the contamination after July 1, 2025. It clarifies that potential brownfield sites under federal enforcement actions can participate in the program with necessary letters of no objection from the EPA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The job creation requirement is waived for projects that provide affordable housing or recreational areas. The term "no further action letter" is replaced with "site rehabilitation completion order," and the bill emphasizes promoting the reuse of brownfield sites while allowing the Department of Environmental Protection to negotiate with the EPA for participation facilitation. Other provisions include economic development tax exemptions for businesses in brownfield areas and prioritization of funding for agricultural education facilities located on such sites. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 736 Filed: 376.78, 196.1995, 288.1175
S 736 c1: 376.78, 196.1995, 288.1175
S 736 c2: 376.78, 196.1995, 288.1175