PERMIT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOLAR FARMS (Section 67.5350)

Under the act, prior to obtaining a certificate of public convenience or necessity from the Public Service Commission, any person constructing a solar farm shall first submit an application to the county commission in each county where the solar farm is to be located.

The county commission of any county shall adopt an order or an ordinance requiring a permit to construct a solar farm within specified boundaries in an unincorporated area within the county. The permit shall be constructed within specific distances from certain properties described in the act. The permit shall require noise levels not to exceed 45 decibels from any property line.

Within 90 days of receiving an application for a permit, the county commission shall hold a public meeting before the issuance of a permit. Notice shall be provided at least 14 days prior to the public meeting. The applicant shall provide certain information at the public meeting as described in the act.

No later than 90 days after the public meeting, the county commission shall do the following:

- Issue a permit;

- Issue a permit limiting the boundaries of the proposed solar farm; or

- Deny the permit.

Any applicant intending to make a material amendment to the permit once it is issued shall submit a new application for the permit to the county commission. The county commission shall require any applicant who is issued a permit to obtain liability insurance in an amount sufficient to cover any damages which may arise from the construction of the solar farm.

The Public Service Commission shall not issue a certificate of public convenience or necessity to any applicant who did not receive a permit from a county commission in each county where the solar farm is to be located.

The county commission of any county where a solar farm is proposed to be constructed shall require a decommissioning plan of the solar farm, as described in the act.

This provision has an emergency clause.

These provisions are similar to provisions in SB 213 (2025) and SB 892 (2024).

TAXATION OF SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS (Section 137.100, 137.124, 153.030, & 153.034)

Current law exempts solar energy systems not held for resale from property taxes. This act repeals such provision and provides that solar energy systems constructed for exclusive use of a single property may be exempted from property tax at the discretion of the county assessor.

Beginning January 1, 2027, for purposes of assessing all real property, excluding land, or tangible personal property associated with a project that uses solar energy directly to generate electricity and that was built or constructed to sell power, the tax liability actually owed shall be equal to $6,000 per megawatt of nameplate capacity and shall be adjusted for inflation annually.

Nothing in this provision shall be construed to prohibit a project from engaging in enhanced enterprise zone agreements or similar tax abatement agreements or to affect any existing enhanced enterprise zone agreements.

Beginning January 1, 2027, for purposes of assessing land that is associated with a solar energy project, the land shall be assessed as commercial property.

Beginning January 1, 2027, for any public utility that has a solar energy project, such solar energy project shall be assessed using certain methodology for real and personal property as described in the act.

The real and tangible personal property associated with a project which uses solar energy shall include certain solar equipment as described in the act.

These provisions are identical to SB 892 (2024), HB 2651 (2024), SB 549 (2023), SB 1014 (2022) and HB 1997 (2022), and similar to provisions in SB 213 (2025), a provision in HCS#2/HBs 440 & 1160 (2025).

COMMISSION'S RULEMAKING AUTHORITY RELATING TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINES ON AGRICULTURAL LAND (Section 393.172)

By March 31, 2027, the Public Service Commission shall promulgate rules applicable to electrical corporations requiring construction of electric transmission lines for which permission is sought from the Commission to adhere to specific standards relating to construction activities occurring on privately owned agricultural land. Such standards are described in the act.

This provision is identical to a provision in SB 213 (2025), SB 892 (2024), and similar to a provision in HB 221 (2025), a provision in SB 139 (2025), a provision in SB 805 (2024).

SOLAR PROJECTS NOT TO EXCEED MORE THAN 2% OF ALL CROPLAND (Section 393.1120)

The total amount of real property associated with all solar energy projects in any county shall not be more than 2% of all cropland in the county.

The county commission or other authorized governing body may increase the percentage of cropland by order, ordinance, regulation, or vote of the residents of the county.

Any resident of the county shall have standing to bring suit to enforce these provisions against a solar energy project developer.

For all solar energy projects built on or after January 1, 2027, such project shall be subject to setback distances, as described in the act. This provision shall not apply to solar projects built and operating at capacity on or before December 31, 2026.

A solar energy company shall secure all property rights or easements necessary for transmission and interconnection for the solar energy project to connect to the electrical grid prior to beginning construction of the solar energy project.

This provision is similar to a provision in HB 440 (2025).

CONDEMNATION OF PROPERTY (Section 523.010)

Under the act, the authority of any electrical corporation to condemn property shall not extend to the construction of any structure or facility that uses wind or solar energy to generate or manufacture electricity.

The authority of any electrical corporation to condemn property shall extend to acquisition of rights needed to construct, operate, and maintain certain electrical infrastructure, described in the act, needed to collect and deliver solar or wind energy to the distribution or transmission grid.

This provision is identical to SB 199 (2025), a provision in SB 214 (2025), SB 1262 (2024), to a provision in SB 805 (2024), a provision in HB 1449 (2024), a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1746 (2024), provisions in HB 1052 (2023) and substantially similar to a provision in HB 221 (2025), a provision in HCS#2/HBs 440 & 1160 (2025), HB 475 (2025), a provision in SB 139 (2025), HB 1750 (2024), and SB 577 (2023).

JULIA SHEVELEVA

The act repeals a provision stating that a state standard for the location, size of sewage tanks and length of lateral lines is based on the percolation or permeability rate of the soil. Under the act, the state standard is based on soil properties.

The act repeals a provision stating that soil tests are to be performed by persons who are qualified to perform the percolation tests and creates a new provision authorizing on-site soil evaluators registered by the Department of Health and Senior Services to conduct soils morphology evaluations.

This act repeals a provision stating that contractors may be taught and allowed to perform percolation tests.

The act repeals a provision relating to the Department of Health and Senior Services periodically reviewing any county and city regulation and enforcement record to ensure that the state standard for sewage regulation is being enforced.

The act creates a mandatory registration program requiring continuing education before January 1, 2027, for on-site wastewater treatment system professionals qualified to perform percolation tests in accordance with the state standard as described in the act. Before January 1, 2027, the administrative authority may accept a percolation test at its own discretion if a soil morphology evaluation cannot be reasonably obtained. This provision shall be void and of no effect after December 31, 2026.

Under the act, any person who intends to construct or make major modifications or repairs to an on-site sewage disposal system must submit an application fee and obtain a construction permit.

The act repeals certain provisions relating to fees for repair of on-site sewage disposal systems.

Under the act, the Department shall promulgate regulations establishing the conditions and requirements for the construction permit application, including the collection of reasonable fees set at a level to produce revenue not exceeding the cost and expense of administering the provisions under the act.

The act is substantially similar to SB 601 (2025), a provision in the perfected HB 200 (2025), a provision in HCS/SS/SB 61 (2025), HB 2083 (2024), HB 814 (2023), and substantially similar to SB 1283 (2024), and SB 523 (2023).

JULIA SHEVELEVA

SCS/SB 1586 - The act modifies certain provisions relating to solid waste management.

Under the act, no person may transfer title to any property containing a solid waste disposal site or demolition landfill without disclosing the sale, conveyance, or transfer to the Department of Natural Resources. The seller shall inform the buyer with a written notice signed and dated by the seller about the existence and location of the disposal or landfill site. If the seller fails to send the written notice to the buyer, the buyer may cancel the sale and the seller shall return to the buyer any earnest money paid by the buyer to the seller.

The act provides that any person or entity that applies for a grant shall not be disqualified from receiving such grant on the basis that there is a familial relationship between the applicant and any member of the Department, instead of the solid management district executive board as currently provided.

After October 1, 2027, an annual adjustment of fees collected for solid waste accepted shall be based on the percentage increase measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the preceding year.

The Department shall have the authority to assess, investigate, test, remediate, and manage abandoned solid waste disposal areas.

The Department shall allocate a percentage of revenue dedicated to grants previously managed by solid waste management districts. This percentage shall serve as a minimum percentage of revenue to fund such grants and shall be calculated as follows: the total grant amount previously administered by solid waste management districts for the previous three fiscal years divided by the total amount of solid waste tonnage fees from the previous three fiscal years. Such percentage of revenue shall be divided as follows: 40% shall be allocated based on the population within the geographical area of each regional office of the Department in the latest decennial census, and 60% shall be allocated based on the amount of revenue generated within each geographical area of each regional office of the Department. Revenue generated within each geographical area of each regional office of the Department shall be determined from the previous year's data. Moneys shall be awarded based upon grant applications.

The act repeals certain provisions relating to the distribution of the revenues.

Grants for proposals that will promote and maximize the sharing of district resources shall no longer be part of the criteria to establish the order of grant authority.

Any allocated moneys remaining in any fiscal year due to insufficient or inadequate grant applications shall be reallocated for grant applications in subsequent years or for Department operations, instead of solid waste management projects as provided in current law.

All remaining revenues not included in the calculation relating to the maintenance of essential grants, instead of 39% of the revenues as currently provided, shall be dedicated, upon appropriation, to the elimination of illegal solid waste disposal.

The act repeals certain provisions relating to any allocated district moneys remaining after five years. The act repeals a provision relating to sample audits of grants. The act repeals a provision relating to the criteria for allocation of grant moneys.

The act provides that the Department shall promulgate criteria for evaluating grants by rule and regulation.

The act further repeals certain provisions relating to funds awarded to solid waste management districts and grants approved by the solid waste management districts.

The act provides that the state solid waste management districts shall be dissolved effective August 28, 2026. By December 31, 2026, each solid waste management district shall: submit a final financial audit, remit any leftover moneys to the Solid Waste Management Fund, provide a list of open grants, and provide a complete itemized list of all grants awarded for the previous three fiscal years.

Effective August 28, 2026, the Department shall take over the oversight of open district grants.

The act repeals certain provisions relating to solid waste management regions, a Solid Waste Management Council, executive boards of solid waste management districts, and the Solid Waste Advisory Board.

JULIA SHEVELEVA