Florida 2024 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1265 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	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
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to the Florida Crop Diversification 2
16	16	Commission; creating s. 570.233, F.S.; creating the 3
17	17	commission adjunct to the Department of Agriculture 4
18	18	and Consumer Services; providing the membership and 5
19	19	duties of the commission; requiring the commission to 6
20	20	submit an annual report to the Governor and the 7
21	21	Legislature by a specified date; providing 8
22	22	requirements for the report; providing an 9
23	23	appropriation; provid ing an effective date. 10
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25	25	WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that agricultural producers 12
26	26	in this state are confronted by a continuous stream of deadly 13
27	27	diseases and adverse weather conditions, including drought, 14
28	28	wind, flooding, and hurricanes, which threaten their crops and 15
29	29	their livelihoods, and 16
30	30	WHEREAS, these damaging diseases and weather conditions 17
31	31	severely reduce agricultural production and cause a loss of jobs 18
32	32	and severe economic losses to communities, families, and 19
33	33	individual producers, and 20
34	34	WHEREAS, maintaining agricultural production is vital to 21
35	35	this state's rural communities and overall economy, and 22
36	36	WHEREAS, preserving agricultural lands that produce crops, 23
37	37	rather than developing them, has many ecological benefits, 24
38	38	including maintaining wildlife hab itats, absorbing carbon 25
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47	47	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
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51	51	dioxide, recharging the aquifer, reducing greenhouse gases, and 26
52	52	reducing erosion, and 27
53	53	WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the loss of 28
54	54	agricultural infrastructure, jobs, economic opportunity, and 29
55	55	wildlife habitat caused by deadly di seases and adverse weather 30
56	56	conditions is not sustainable and has a negative impact on the 31
57	57	quality of life for all of the residents of this state, NOW, 32
58	58	THEREFORE, 33
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60	60	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 35
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62	62	Section 1. Section 570.233, Florida Statutes, is created 37
63	63	to read: 38
64	64	570.233 Florida Crop Diversification Commission; powers 39
65	65	and duties.— 40
66	66	(1) The Florida Crop Diversification Commission, a 41
67	67	commission as defined in s. 20.03(4), is created adjunct to the 42
68	68	department. The commission sha ll be composed of the following 43
69	69	nine members: 44
70	70	(a) The commissioner or his or her designee. 45
71	71	(b) The dean for research of the Institute of Food and 46
72	72	Agricultural Sciences of the University of Florida or his or her 47
73	73	designee. 48
74	74	(c) The following members, ap pointed by the commissioner 49
75	75	based upon their knowledge and experience in agricultural 50
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84	84	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
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88	88	production, processing, or manufacturing: 51
89	89	1. Four members who are currently involved in agricultural 52
90	90	production or who have been involved in agricultural production 53
91	91	within the last 3 years. 54
92	92	2. One member who has experience in agricultural 55
93	93	processing or manufacturing. 56
94	94	3. One member who has experience in the packing or 57
95	95	processing of fresh agricultural products. 58
96	96	4. One member who has experience in agricultural mark eting 59
97	97	analysis and the viability of agricultural products. 60
98	98	(2) The commission shall do all of the following: 61
99	99	(a) Evaluate alternative agricultural crops and determine 62
100	100	whether there exists one or more viable crops or products that 63
101	101	would provide an econo mic benefit to growers using current 64
102	102	agricultural infrastructure on land that has been taken out of 65
103	103	production by diseases or adverse weather conditions. 66
104	104	(b) Contract for the design and implementation of the 67
105	105	Florida Crop Diversification Initiative. The i nitiative must 68
106	106	provide direct cash payments to nurseries and agricultural 69
107	107	producers in this state in order to rapidly stimulate the 70
108	108	adoption of alternative crops, moderate the required economic 71
109	109	outlay, and speed the economic recovery of producers, packers, 72
110	110	nurseries, processors, and communities. The entity with which 73
111	111	the commission contracts for the Florida Crop Diversification 74
112	112	Initiative must be a nonprofit organization that has a history 75
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121	121	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
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125	125	of focusing on alternative crops and has the organizational 76
126	126	capacity to manage a statewide initiative and carry out the 77
127	127	requirements of this paragraph. 78
128	128	(c) Develop best management practices for crops or 79
129	129	products recommended by the commission. 80
130	130	(d) Assist local economic development councils in 81
131	131	encouraging the development of manufacturing and processing 82
132	132	facilities for new crops or products recommended by the 83
133	133	commission. 84
134	134	(e) Publish the findings of the commission on an annual 85
135	135	basis after review and approval by the commissioner. 86
136	136	(3) By July 1, 2026, and each July 1 there after, the 87
137	137	commission shall submit a report to the Governor, the President 88
138	138	of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives 89
139	139	which includes, at a minimum: 90
140	140	(a) Information about each crop or product recommended, 91
141	141	detailing the environmental im pact of each. 92
142	142	(b) An assessment of each recommended crop's suitability 93
143	143	to this state's climate, and the expected economic benefit to 94
144	144	growers and communities in this state. 95
145	145	(c) Recommendations for best practices to sustain and 96
146	146	improve the agricultural i ndustry in this state. 97
147	147	Section 2. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of 98
148	148	$500,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General 99
149	149	Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer 100
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158	158	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
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162	162	Services for the purpose of implementing s. 570.233, Florida 101
163	163	Statutes, as created by this act. 102
164	164	Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 103