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5. 15.1 WASTE MANAGEMENT (SB 1192 & HB 1387) Background.• Under s. 403.70605, F.S., local governments that provide specific solid waste collection services in, direct competition with private entities must comply with the provisions of local environ- mental, health, and safety standards that are also applicable to a private company providing such collec- tion services in competition with the local government. Legislation: The legislation would have amended provisions regulating local government competition with solid waste collection companies to include disposal and recycling. Specifically, the legislation re- quired a 1 f al government to give a 3 year notice to a private waste company if it chose to displace the private company from providing collection, disposal, or recycling services. If this legislation were suc- cessful, it could have interfered with Indian River County's ability to meet the statutory requirement to recycle 75 "of its solid waste by the year 2020. If the County finds itself in a position where it is not meeting the statutory requirements, it may be forced to choose between (1) an enforcement action by the State of Florida or (2) complying with the statute but displacing a private company for one or more of the referenced services and getting sued by the private entity. I Update: This legislation died on the calendar. The County anticipates that this legislation will return next year. 15.2 MEDICAL ExAMINERS ($B 620 & HB 315) I Background.• Current law requires a state medical examiner to carry out an examination or autopsy on any person who died under traumatic, suspicious, or otherwise unusual circumstances; who at time of death was unattended by a physician; or whose body is to be cremated, buried at sea, or dissected, in or- der to properly ascertain the cause of death. Although the governor appoints the state's medical examin- ers, the counties in whose jurisdictions their districts overlap are responsible for compensating them, either through a direct fee agreement or through the county's budget allocations. The fees charged by the countie's vary by location. ="nd"laulto aon: The legislation would have prohibited medical examiners from charging a fee for examina- psy servicesthat a medical examiner is required to perform by law for cremation services. If this legislation were successful, the medical examiner for the 19th district would need additional fund- ing from Iridian River County as well as Martin County, St. Lucie County and Okeechobee County. Update: This legislation originally died in committee. The House sponsor placed the language into a Departmenit of Health bill but it was successfully taken out. During the last week of session, the House sponsor resurrected this legislation but it eventually died in messages. 7 19