Florida Senate - 2026                              CS for SB 558
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; and
       Senators Burgess and Sharief
       
       
       
       
       592-02261-26                                           2026558c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to standards for stormwater systems;
    3         creating ss. 125.5695 and 166.04815, F.S.; requiring
    4         stormwater systems owned by counties and
    5         municipalities, respectively, to comply with specified
    6         Department of Transportation standards; providing
    7         inspection requirements for such systems; specifying
    8         that certain local standards are superseded; providing
    9         a declaration of an important state interest;
   10         providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 125.5695, Florida Statutes, is created
   15  to read:
   16         125.5695 Standards for stormwater systems.—
   17         (1) All stormwater systems owned by counties in this state,
   18  when installing new storm pipe and storm structures, must follow
   19  the annual Department of Transportation’s Standard
   20  Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction contained in the
   21  sections “Pipe Culverts” and “Pipe Liner,” except for any
   22  requirement that the Department of Transportation review or
   23  approve installation plans, inspection videos, or inspection
   24  reports.
   25         (2) Final inspections for all storm pipe and storm
   26  structures owned by counties in this state must be performed by
   27  a NASSCO’s Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP)
   28  certified technician who is employed by a third-party licensed
   29  engineering firm or any general contractor that does not have a
   30  controlling interest in the company that installed the storm
   31  system being inspected. The inspection and video process may use
   32  standard closed-circuit television inspection equipment, along
   33  with an optional camera with a fisheye lens for video inspection
   34  purposes.
   35         (3) The standards for installation and inspection in
   36  subsections (1) and (2) supersede all existing and local
   37  standards in counties.
   38         Section 2. Section 166.04815, Florida Statutes, is created
   39  to read:
   40         166.04815 Standards for stormwater systems.—
   41         (1) All stormwater systems owned by municipalities in this
   42  state, when installing new storm pipe and storm structures, must
   43  follow the annual Department of Transportation’s Standard
   44  Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction contained in the
   45  sections “Pipe Culverts” and “Pipe Liner,” except for any
   46  requirement that the Department of Transportation review or
   47  approve installation plans, inspection videos, or inspection
   48  reports.
   49         (2) Final inspections for all storm pipe and storm
   50  structures owned by municipalities in this state must be
   51  performed by a NASSCO’s Pipeline Assessment Certification
   52  Program (PACP) certified technician who is employed by a third
   53  party licensed engineering firm or any general contractor that
   54  does not have a controlling interest in the company that
   55  installed the storm system being inspected. The inspection and
   56  video process may use standard closed-circuit television
   57  inspection equipment, along with an optional camera with a
   58  fisheye lens for video inspection purposes.
   59         (3) The standards for installation and inspection in
   60  subsections (1) and (2) supersede all existing and local
   61  standards in municipalities.
   62         Section 3. Pursuant to s. 18, Article VII of the State
   63  Constitution, the Legislature hereby determines and declares
   64  that this act fulfills an important state interest.
   65         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.