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  CS/HB 495  2026
1A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to golf course best management
3practices certification; transferring, renumbering,
4and amending s. 403.9339, F.S.; providing a short
5title; providing legislative findings and intent
6regarding golf course best management practices
7certification; defining the term "department";
8conforming cross-references; providing for a type two
9transfer of the Golf Course Best Management Practices
10Certification program in the Department of
11Environmental Protection to the Department of
12Agriculture and Consumer Services; providing an
13effective date.
14
15Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17Section 1.  Section 403.9339, Florida Statutes, is
18transferred, renumbered as section 604.75, Florida Statutes, and
19amended to read:
20604.75 403.9339  Golf course best management practices
21certification.—
22(1)     SHORT TITLE.—This section shall be known and may be
23cited as the "Golf Course Best Management Practices
24Certification Act."
25(2)     LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature finds
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26    that, due to the foundational agricultural nature of golf
27    courses and since the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
28    Services oversees best management practices programs for sod
29    growing operations and for the green industry, it is appropriate
30    for the department to oversee golf course best management
31    practices certification.
32(3)     DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term
33    "department" means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
34    Services.
35(4)(1)       To provide a means of documenting and ensuring
36    compliance with best management practices for fertilizer
37    application to golf courses, the turfgrass science program at
38    the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural
39    Sciences, in coordination with the department, shall administer
40    a certification for golf course best management practices.
41(5)(2)       The turfgrass science program, in cooperation with
42    the department, shall:
43(a)     Provide training and testing programs in golf course
44    best management practices and may issue certificates
45    demonstrating satisfactory completion of the training.
46(b)     Approve training and testing programs in golf course
47    best management practices that are equivalent to or more
48    comprehensive than the programs provided by the turfgrass
49    science program under this subsection paragraph (a). Such
50    programs must be reviewed and reapproved by the turfgrass
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51    science program if significant changes are made.
52(6)(3)       To obtain a golf course best management practices
53    certification, an applicant must submit to the turfgrass science
54    program a copy of the training certificate issued under
55    subsection (5) subsection (2).
56(7)(4)       A golf course best management practices
57    certification issued under this section expires 4 years after
58    the date of issuance. Upon expiration of the certification, or
59    after a grace period of not more than 30 days after the
60    expiration date, a recertification may be issued.
61(8)(5)       To obtain a golf course best management practices
62    recertification, an applicant must submit to the turfgrass
63    science program proof of having completed 8 classroom hours of
64    continuing education, of which at least 2 hours must address
65    fertilizer best management practices.
66(9)(6)       A person certified under this section is exempt
67    from:
68(a)     Additional local training.
69(b)     Local ordinances relating to water and fertilizer use
70    blackout periods or restrictions, unless a state of emergency is
71    declared. The certified person must continue to coordinate with
72    the local government to ensure that he or she adheres to the
73    comprehensive best management practices for that specific
74    community.
75(10)(7)       This section does not exempt a person certified
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76     under this section from complying with the rules and
77     requirements for basin management action plans set forth in s.
78     403.067(7) if the golf course is located in an area within a
79     basin management action plan.
80(11)(a)(8)(a)  The turfgrass science program may provide
81     the certification status of persons certified under this section
82     to local and state governmental entities.
83(b)     The turfgrass science program is encouraged to create
84     a registry of persons certified under this section on its
85     website.
86Section 2.  Type two transfer from the Department of
87     Environmental Protection.—
88(1)     All powers, duties, functions, records, offices,
89     personnel, associated administrative support positions,
90     property, pending issues, existing contracts, administrative
91     authority, administrative rules, and unexpended balances of
92     appropriations, allocations, and other funds relating to the
93     Golf Course Best Management Practices Certification program
94     within the Department of Environmental Protection are
95     transferred by a type two transfer, as defined in s. 20.06(2),
96     Florida Statutes, to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
97     Services.
98(2)     Any binding contract or interagency agreement existing
99     before July 1, 2026, between the Department of Environmental
100    Protection, or an entity or agent of the department, and any
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101    other agency, entity, or person relating to the Golf Course Best
102    Management Practices Certification program shall continue as a
103    binding contract or agreement for the remainder of the term of
104    such contract or agreement on the successor entity responsible
105    for the program, activity, or functions relative to the contract
106    or agreement.
107Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
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