Bill Text: FL S1398 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Florida Crop Diversification Commission

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Fiscal Policy [S1398 Detail]

Download: Florida-2024-S1398-Introduced.html
       Florida Senate - 2024                                    SB 1398
       
       
        
       By Senator Collins
       
       
       
       
       
       14-00593-24                                           20241398__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Crop Diversification
    3         Commission; creating s. 570.233, F.S.; creating the
    4         commission adjunct to the Department of Agriculture
    5         and Consumer Services; providing the membership and
    6         duties of the commission; requiring the commission to
    7         submit an annual report to the Governor and the
    8         Legislature by a specified date; providing
    9         requirements for the report; providing an
   10         appropriation; providing an effective date.
   11  
   12         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that agricultural producers
   13  in this state are confronted by a continuous stream of deadly
   14  diseases and adverse weather conditions, including drought,
   15  wind, flooding, and hurricanes, which threaten their crops and
   16  their livelihoods, and
   17         WHEREAS, these damaging diseases and weather conditions
   18  severely reduce agricultural production and cause a loss of jobs
   19  and severe economic losses to communities, families, and
   20  individual producers, and
   21         WHEREAS, maintaining agricultural production is vital to
   22  this state’s rural communities and overall economy, and
   23         WHEREAS, preserving agricultural lands that produce crops,
   24  rather than developing them, has many ecological benefits,
   25  including maintaining wildlife habitats, absorbing carbon
   26  dioxide, recharging the aquifer, reducing greenhouse gases, and
   27  reducing erosion, and
   28         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the loss of
   29  agricultural infrastructure, jobs, economic opportunity, and
   30  wildlife habitat caused by deadly diseases and adverse weather
   31  conditions is not sustainable and has a negative impact on the
   32  quality of life for all of the residents of this state, NOW,
   33  THEREFORE,
   34  
   35  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   36  
   37         Section 1. Section 570.233, Florida Statutes, is created to
   38  read:
   39         570.233 Florida Crop Diversification Commission; powers and
   40  duties.—
   41         (1)The Florida Crop Diversification Commission, a
   42  commission as defined in s. 20.03(4), is created adjunct to the
   43  department. The commission shall be composed of the following
   44  nine members:
   45         (a)The commissioner or his or her designee.
   46         (b)The dean for research of the Institute of Food and
   47  Agricultural Sciences of the University of Florida or his or her
   48  designee.
   49         (c)The following members, appointed by the commissioner
   50  based upon their knowledge and experience in agricultural
   51  production, processing, or manufacturing:
   52         1.Four members who are currently involved in agricultural
   53  production or who have been involved in agricultural production
   54  within the last 3 years.
   55         2.One member who has experience in agricultural processing
   56  or manufacturing.
   57         3.One member who has experience in the packing or
   58  processing of fresh agricultural products.
   59         4.One member who has experience in agricultural marketing
   60  analysis and the viability of agricultural products.
   61         (2)The commission shall do all of the following:
   62         (a)Evaluate alternative agricultural crops and determine
   63  whether there exists one or more viable crops or products that
   64  would provide an economic benefit to growers using current
   65  agricultural infrastructure on land that has been taken out of
   66  production by diseases or adverse weather conditions.
   67         (b)Contract for the design and implementation of the
   68  Florida Crop Diversification Initiative. The initiative must
   69  provide direct cash payments to nurseries and agricultural
   70  producers in this state in order to rapidly stimulate the
   71  adoption of alternative crops, moderate the required economic
   72  outlay, and speed the economic recovery of producers, packers,
   73  nurseries, processors, and communities. The entity with which
   74  the commission contracts for the Florida Crop Diversification
   75  Initiative must be a nonprofit organization that has a history
   76  of focusing on alternative crops and has the organizational
   77  capacity to manage a statewide initiative and carry out the
   78  requirements of this paragraph.
   79         (c)Develop best management practices for crops or products
   80  recommended by the commission.
   81         (d)Assist local economic development councils in
   82  encouraging the development of manufacturing and processing
   83  facilities for new crops or products recommended by the
   84  commission.
   85         (e)Publish the findings of the commission on an annual
   86  basis after review and approval by the commissioner.
   87         (3)By July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter, the
   88  commission shall submit a report to the Governor, the President
   89  of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
   90  which includes, at a minimum:
   91         (a)Information about each crop or product recommended,
   92  detailing the environmental impact of each.
   93         (b)An assessment of each recommended crop’s suitability to
   94  this state’s climate, and the expected economic benefit to
   95  growers and communities in this state.
   96         (c)Recommendations for best practices to sustain and
   97  improve the agricultural industry in this state.
   98         Section 2. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of
   99  $500,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General
  100  Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
  101  Services for the purpose of implementing s. 570.233, Florida
  102  Statutes, as created by this act.
  103         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

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