Signed by Governor Rick Scott

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that repeals the mandatory inspection of septic tanks and restructures the Florida Department of Health.

Highlights:

• Repeals a requirement that mandated the inspection of all septic tanks every 5 years (Sec. 32).

• Requires any ordinance regarding the inspection of septic tanks to consist of at least the following requirements unless the local ordinance was in effect before January 1, 2011 (Sec. 33);
• An assessment of all septic tanks in the county must be taken once every 5 years to determine operation conditional and to identify system failures;
• The inspection to be carried out by a qualified contractor; and
• The local ordinance is prohibited from requiring a repair, modification, or replacement of the septic system unless the evaluation identifies a system failure.    

• Defines a “system failure” as a system discharging untreated water onto the ground or into surface water, or a failure resulting in failure of the building's plumbing (Sec. 33).

• Requires counties with a water spring that has a median discharge of 100 cubic feet per second or more to develop their own ordinance, in accordance with the above requirements, regarding the inspection of septic tanks by January 1, 2013 (Sec. 33).

• Authorizes a county or municipality to opt out of the required ordinance regulation if 60 percent of that county’s or municipality’s governing body votes to opt out (Sec. 33).  

• Authorizes a municipality to opt out of the ordinance regulation only if the county has also opted out (Sec. 33).

• Specifies that the inspections will be paid for by the owners of the septic systems through a fee schedule that will raise no revenue for the county above the cost of the program (Sec. 33).

• Repeals the authorization of the Health Department to operate the A.G. Holly State Hospital for the care and treatment of patients with tuberculosis (Secs. 81 & 82).

• Specifies that the state will make contracts with health care providers to provide treatment for individuals with active tuberculosis (Secs. 81 & 82).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that repeals the mandatory inspection of septic tanks and restructures the Florida Department of Health.

Highlights:

• Repeals a requirement that mandated the inspection of all septic tanks every 5 years (Sec. 32).

• Requires any ordinance regarding the inspection of septic tanks to consist of at least the following requirements unless the local ordinance was in effect before January 1, 2011 (Sec. 33);
• An assessment of all septic tanks in the county must be taken once every 5 years to determine operation conditional and to identify system failures;
• The inspection to be carried out by a qualified contractor; and
• The local ordinance is prohibited from requiring a repair, modification, or replacement of the septic system unless the evaluation identifies a system failure.    

• Defines a “system failure” as a system discharging untreated water onto the ground or into surface water, or a failure resulting in failure of the building's plumbing (Sec. 33).

• Requires counties with a water spring that has a median discharge of 100 cubic feet per second or more to develop their own ordinance, in accordance with the above requirements, regarding the inspection of septic tanks by January 1, 2013 (Sec. 33).

• Authorizes a county or municipality to opt out of the required ordinance regulation if 60 percent of that county’s or municipality’s governing body votes to opt out (Sec. 33).  

• Authorizes a municipality to opt out of the ordinance regulation only if the county has also opted out (Sec. 33).

• Specifies that the inspections will be paid for by the owners of the septic systems through a fee schedule that will raise no revenue for the county above the cost of the program (Sec. 33).

• Repeals the authorization of the Health Department to operate the A.G. Holly State Hospital for the care and treatment of patients with tuberculosis (Secs. 81 & 82).

• Specifies that the state will make contracts with health care providers to provide treatment for individuals with active tuberculosis (Secs. 81 & 82).

Full Bill Text