Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson applauded the Florida Legislature for their work during the 2024 Legislative Session to provide significant victories for Florida agriculture, its related industries, and consumers.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson applauded the Florida Legislature for their work during the 2024 Legislative Session to provide significant victories for Florida agriculture, its related industries, and consumers.

“When you look at agriculture’s $180 billion impact to the state of Florida, it’s clear that we rely upon agriculture as a major economic driver. Equally as important, agriculture is foundational to our personal, state, and national security and freedom,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “This session we made protecting agriculture and serving Florida consumers our top priority, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the diligent efforts of the Florida Legislature, under the leadership of Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner. Our department’s legislative package this year was robust, and I am grateful for Senator Jay Collins and Representative Danny Alvarez for taking on such bold proposals that not only support and promote our critical agricultural producers, but also protect Floridians and promote consumer confidence.”

Commissioner Wilton Simpson championed the following achievements from the 2024 Legislative Session that protect agriculture and serve Florida consumers:

Serving Florida Consumers

• First-in-the-nation legislation that protects Florida consumers from untested, synthetic “meat” products by making it unlawful for any person to manufacture for sale, sell or deliver, hold, or offer for sale “cultivated meat” for human consumption in Florida. (SB 1084)
• Legislation that provides additional safety for Floridians who consume hemp products and protects children by expanding the definition of “attractive to children” to prevent products targeting minors. (SB 1698)
• Legislation that provides county tax collectors with additional tools to further streamline the process of applying for and renewing license applications offered by the department. This legislation provides consumers with additional conveniences by expanding the types of licenses offered to include all options provided in Ch. 493 and expands Concealed Weapons Licenses to allow fingerprinting and photographing services for any online or mail-in applications, and the authority to process license replacements. (SB 1084)
• Legislation that requires addresses provided for regulated persons and entities to be a physical address, rather than a P.O. box or virtual office, which will aid the department in protecting Florida consumers by streamlining the department’s investigative process and any other necessary interactions with regulated entities. (SB 1084)
• Legislation addressing an ongoing issue with dishonest moving companies taking a customer’s money, then failing to pay storage fees resulting in the loss of household items. This legislation ensures the storage companies cannot sell a customer’s property when a moving company fails to do their job. (SB 1084)
• Legislation requiring pest control companies to provide a customer with written documentation for all wood-destroying organism inspections and treatments of their structure. (SB 1084)
• Secured $80 million to construct a new facility at the Connor Complex in Tallahassee to consolidate owned and leased space in Tallahassee. The building, the first secured by FDACS since 1978, will provide important cost savings to taxpayers and much-needed operational efficiencies to help the department fulfill its critical mission. (GAA, Line 1484A)
• Secured $3 million to address recruitment and retention efforts throughout the department. (GAA, Section 8(2)(b))
• Secured $13.4 million for information technology critical needs including security enhancements, cloud migration and phone services, technology transformation, and Florida PALM system remediation. (GAA)
• Secured $346 million for the administration of home energy rebate programs. (GAA, Section 160)

Protecting Agricultural Producers and Florida’s Food Supply

• Legislation that requires Florida school districts to approve 4-H and FFA related activities as an excused absence from school, which will foster the continued growth of the next generation of Florida’s farmers. (SB 1084)
• Legislation that cracks down on theft and trespassing related to saw palmetto berries. The legislation provides tools for law enforcement to enable the state to safeguard against the illegal harvesting of this commercially exploited plant. (SB 1084)
• Legislation protecting Florida's food and fiber production by providing enhanced criminal penalties for trespassing on commercial agricultural property with the intent to commit a crime. (SB 1084)
• Secured $40 million to support Florida’s citrus industry through infrastructure, research, and expansion of propagation and replanting efforts. (GAA)

Managing and Preserving Natural Resources

• Secured $100 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. This program focuses on maintaining the agricultural land base in Florida through the acquisition of permanent agricultural land conservation easements. (GAA, Line 1516)
• Secured $100 million each fiscal year, appropriated in SB 1638, to support the Florida Wildlife Corridor, including the acquisition of conservation easements under the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
• Secured $32 million, appropriated in SB 1638, for land management within in the Florida Forest Service.
• Secured $13.3 million for repairs and maintenance and roads and bridges maintenance on state forest lands, for facility replacements, and for reforestation efforts on public and private lands. (GAA)
• Secured $15.6 million for equipment and operational increases for the Florida Forest Service, ensuring that our firefighters have the equipment needed to complete their jobs safely and efficiently. (GAA)

For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.

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