Bill > H1517

This bill, titled the "Data Center Transparency Act," requires that any application for a new data center facility must include detailed disclosures about its energy management plan, including energy sources, impact on the power grid, renewable energy use, energy efficiency, carbon footprint, and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as any agreements for cost-sharing with other consumers. It also mandates disclosures regarding water management plans, waste management for electronic waste, the presence of hydrofluorocarbons (used as refrigerants), any agreements for zoning or economic incentives, an environmental impact study, and a worker safety plan that complies with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes. Additionally, data centers must outline measures to mitigate harmful noise emissions for nearby residents and businesses. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) must post this information on its website, and applications for new data centers cannot be approved until this information has been publicly available for at least 30 days. Local governments must also post this information on their websites, and written notice must be provided to landowners and renters within a 5-mile radius of the proposed site. Existing data centers must submit similar disclosures to the DEP by August 1, 2026. The bill also requires data centers to state their adherence to various industry security and privacy standards, such as ISO 27001, SSAE 16, ISAE 3402, FISMA, GDPR, PCI DSS, and HIPAA, depending on the type of data they handle. Failure to comply with these reporting requirements can result in fines of up to $10,000 per violation, and high resource-use facilities that fail to submit reports will not receive tax incentives. Importantly, the disclosed information cannot be withheld due to trade secrets or confidentiality agreements, emphasizing public transparency. The DEP is tasked with adopting rules to implement these provisions, and the act takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Business and Industry

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1517