HB 597 2022
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hb0597-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Florida Young Farmer and 2
Rancher Matching Grant Program; creating s. 288.06572, 3
F.S.; creating the program within the Department of 4
Agriculture and Consumer Services; specifying the 5
purpose of grants administered through the program; 6
requiring the department to select grant recipients 7
based on specified criteria; requiring the department 8
to adopt rules; requiring that applicants meet 9
specified eligibility requirements; specifying a range 10
for grant amounts; providing that a recipient may not 11
receive more than one award per year under the 12
program; specifying that grant funding is contingent 13
upon specific annual appropriation by the Legisl ature; 14
providing an appropriation; providing an effective 15
date. 16
17
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18
19
Section 1. Section 288.06572, Florida Statutes, is created 20
to read: 21
288.06572 Florida Young Farmer and Rancher Matching Gr ant 22
Program.— 23
(1) The Florida Young Farmer and Rancher Matching Grant 24
Program is created within the Department of Agriculture and 25
HB 597 2022
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hb0597-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Consumer Services to support the start -up functions associated 26
with new farming and ranching operations. 27
(a) Grants administered by the Department of Agriculture 28
and Consumer Services through the program must be for the 29
purpose of fostering the creation and expansion of agricultural 30
businesses by young farmers and ranchers in this state. 31
(b) The Department of Agriculture an d Consumer Services 32
shall select grant recipients based on selection criteria 33
adopted pursuant to subsection (2). 34
(2)(a) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 35
shall adopt rules governing the operation of the program, 36
including an applicatio n process and selection criteria for 37
grant recipients. 38
(b) At a minimum, in order to be eligible to receive a 39
grant, an individual must meet all of the following 40
requirements: 41
1. Be an agricultural producer, be an employee of a farm 42
or ranch, or be an agricultural producer who is a veteran as 43
defined in s. 1.01(14). 44
2. Be at least 18 years of age but not older than 35 years 45
of age. 46
3. Have operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 47
years. 48
4. Demonstrate, at minimum, a dollar -for-dollar matching 49
investment for the grant amount requested. 50
HB 597 2022
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hb0597-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
5. Submit, on a form prescribed by the Department of 51
Agriculture and Consumer Services, a grant application during 52
the application period established by the Department of 53
Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Department of Agriculture 54
and Consumer Services may designate only one period each year 55
for accepting applications. 56
(3) Each grant award under the program must be at least 57
$5,000 but not more than $20,000, and a grant recipient may not 58
receive more than one award per grant period. 59
(4) Annual grant funding for this program is contingent 60
upon specific annual appropriation by the Legislature. 61
Section 2. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the sum of 62
$500,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the Ge neral 63
Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer 64
Services for the purpose of implementing this act. 65
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 66