Secretary; powers and duties; review of specified rules.

(1) The secretary shall have the powers and duties of heads of departments set forth in chapter 20, including the authority to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this chapter and chapters 253, 373, and 376. The secretary shall have responsibility for final agency action regarding total maximum daily load calculations and allocations developed pursuant to s. 403.067(6). The secretary shall employ legal counsel to represent the department in matters affecting the department. Except for appeals on permits specifically assigned by this act to the Governor and Cabinet, and unless otherwise prohibited by law, the secretary may delegate the authority assigned to the department by this act to the assistant secretary, division directors, and district and branch office managers and to the water management districts.

(2) No person who is responsible for final agency action to approve any portion of a permit issued pursuant to s. 403.0885 shall receive or shall have received after appointment or during the 2 years prior to appointment directly or indirectly from such permitholders or applicants 10 percent or more of his or her gross personal income for a calendar year or 50 percent of his or her gross personal income for a calendar year if the recipient is over 60 years of age and is receiving such portion pursuant to a retirement pension or similar arrangement. “Permitholders” or “applicants for a permit” as used in this section shall not include any department or agency of state government. The term “income” shall include, but not be limited to, retirement benefits, consultant fees, and stock dividends. Income shall not be deemed received “directly or indirectly from permitholders or applicants for a permit” where it is derived from mutual fund payments, or from other diversified investments, for which the recipient does not know the identity of the primary source of income.

(3) After adoption of proposed rule 62-302.531(9), Florida Administrative Code, a nonseverability and effective date provision approved by the commission on December 8, 2011, notice of which was published by the department on December 22, 2011, in the Florida Administrative Register, Vol. 37, No. 51, page 4446, any subsequent rule or amendment altering the effect of such rule must be submitted to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives no later than 30 days before the next regular legislative session, and such amendment may not take effect until it is ratified by the Legislature.