Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson is highlighting the Florida Farm Bill and its proposal to protect Florida’s farmers and ranchers from environmental, social, and governance (ESG) lending discrimination from financial institutions. The proposal will prohibit financial institutions from using ESG scoring to restrict services and capital to farmers. Traditional lending determination options, such as the evaluation of creditworthiness via credit scores and debt-to-income ratio, would still be available to financial institutions when determining whether to provide capital to farmers.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson is highlighting the Florida Farm Bill and its proposal to protect Florida’s farmers and ranchers from environmental, social, and governance (ESG) lending discrimination from financial institutions. The proposal will prohibit financial institutions from using ESG scoring to restrict services and capital to farmers. Traditional lending determination options, such as the evaluation of creditworthiness via credit scores and debt-to-income ratio, would still be available to financial institutions when determining whether to provide capital to farmers.

Commissioner Wilton Simpson said, “ESG lending discrimination is an existential threat to American agriculture. If left unchecked, these woke financial institutions will strongarm America’s farmers and ranchers — through the threat of withholding capital and financing — into adopting ‘green’ infrastructure, technology, and equipment. We will not allow woke institutions to intentionally cripple American agriculture and threaten our food security and national security.”

Senator Keith Truenow said, “Florida’s farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our economy and our way of life. Thanks to Commissioner Wilton Simpson’s leadership and the hard work we’ve put into this legislation, we are standing strong against woke financial institutions that want to force their radical agenda on our agricultural industry. This bill ensures that Florida’s farmers will not be bullied or cut off from the capital they need to keep feeding America.”

Representative Kaylee Tuck said, “Under Commissioner Wilton Simpson’s leadership and with the support of my colleagues in the Legislature, we are putting our farmers and ranchers first and pushing back against ESG overreach. Senator Truenow and I are proud to sponsor this critical legislation to protect our state’s agricultural producers. We refuse to let global elites and radical environmentalists dictate how Florida agriculture operates.”

Representative Danny Alvarez said, “Commissioner Wilton Simpson has always been a champion for Florida’s farmers, and this bill – led by Senator Truenow and Representative Tuck – is proof of our commitment to protecting them from unjust discrimination. ESG lending is nothing more than an attempt to control and weaken American agriculture. With this legislation, we are making it clear: in Florida, we stand with our farmers, not with woke corporations.”

Senator Danny Burgess said, “Agriculture is a cornerstone of our state, and under Commissioner Wilton Simpson’s strong conservative leadership, along with the efforts of Senator Truenow and Representative Tuck, we are fighting back against financial institutions that want to use ESG policies to strangle our farmers. This bill protects our food supply, our economy, and our national security. Florida will always stand with our farmers, ranchers, and growers.”

In addition, the Florida Farm Bill, sponsored by Senator Keith Truenow and Representative Kaylee Tuck, will support Florida agriculture and Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and growers; prohibit ESG lending practices targeting agricultural producers; increase emergency preparedness; support FFA and 4-H programs; expand consumer protections and transparency across a number of regulated industries, and more.

Preserving Florida’s Working Agricultural Lands

• Returning the decision for solar farms on agricultural land to local government. Clarifying tax structure to incentivize dual use of solar farms with working agriculture.
• Prohibiting the use of drones on or near agricultural lands.

Protecting the Future of Florida’s Agricultural Industry

• Prohibiting financial institutions from discriminating against agricultural producers based on environmental policies or set emission targets.

Reducing the Burden on Florida Farmers

• Providing the opportunity for Floridians to vote on a total exemption of tangible personal property taxes on property classified as agricultural.
• Exempting agricultural materials used in the process of enrolling in, implementing, and maintaining best management practices from taxes imposed in Florida Statutes.

Reloading Florida’s Commitment to the Second Amendment

• Updating Florida’s concealed weapon license application process to eliminate red tape and delays for gun owners.
• Prohibiting the use of drones on state hunting lands or private shooting ranges with the intent to harass.

Increasing Florida’s Emergency Preparedness

• Supporting a reliable and available fuel supply during emergencies through a retail fuel registration program.
• Establishing a grant program for fiscally constrained counties and areas along evacuation routes to purchase generator power switches for fuel stations.

Supporting Florida Consumers

• Creating an "Honest Services Registry," which will feature charitable organizations that do not solicit or include funds from foreign countries of concern.
• Prohibiting charities from registering with the department to solicit charitable contributions if they engage in political activities and have failed to register with the Florida Department of State.
• Prohibiting the mislabeling of plant-based products as “milk” or “meat.”
• Requiring businesses to clearly mark prices on all items and eliminating an outdated law that allowed for pricing to be optional.
• Eliminating the loophole for the sale of psychedelic mushrooms.
• Creating a state felony for stealing checks out of mailboxes from Florida homes and businesses.
• Prohibiting the addition of non-water quality additives to public water systems.

Educating Florida’s Future

• Protecting 4-H and FFA programs in local schools from local governments’ zoning laws by ensuring local programs can have agriculture facilities on school property.

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

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