Several bills that may impact agriculture are being considered in Florida’s legislative session. The Florida Farm Bill, House Bill 651 sponsored By Representative Tuck and its companion Senate Bill 700 sponsored by Senator Truenow, features many components including increasing penalties for harassment of drones on agricultural and private properties, enhancing ag disaster loan programs and the timber recovery program, as well as addressing an honesty in labeling component for plant-based food products.
In a news release, Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson was quoted as saying, “Words matter, and when shoppers pick up a product labeled as ‘milk’ or ‘meat,’ or ‘poultry,’ they shouldn’t have to read the fine print to find out it’s actually made from soy, almonds, or chemicals. This legislation is a commonsense step to eliminate misleading labels and support informed purchases, and I look forward to working with Senator Truenow, Representative Tuck, and legislative leaders on this important legislation.”
Other bills that may be important to agriculture are
House Bill 585 sponsored by Rep Albert and it’s companion Senate Bill 832 sponsored by Senator Burgess regarding former phosphate mining lands, Senate Bill 110 sponsored by Senator Simon aimed at improving rural communities and House Bill 129 sponsored by Rep Grow and it’s companion Senate Bill 992 sponsored by Senator Collins, dealing with product liability under Florida pesticide laws, expanding liability protections under certain conditions and provide legal clarity regarding labeling.