Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1608
       
       
        
       By Senator Grimsley
       
       
       
       
       
       26-00608B-18                                          20181608__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to agritourism signage; creating s.
    3         604.71, F.S.; requiring the Department of
    4         Transportation to create and administer a program to
    5         install directional signs to assist visitors in
    6         locating certain agritourism facilities; specifying
    7         requirements for the placement of signs; specifying
    8         qualifications for the program; requiring the
    9         department to adopt rules and coordinate with the
   10         Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in
   11         administering the program; providing an effective
   12         date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 604.71, Florida Statutes, is created to
   17  read:
   18         604.71 Florida agritourism signage program.—The department
   19  shall create and administer a program to provide and install
   20  directional signs on major public highways at, or in reasonable
   21  proximity to, the nearest interchange or within 1 mile of roads
   22  leading to commercial agricultural facilities that promote
   23  tourism by providing tours and onsite sales or samples of
   24  Florida agricultural products to tourists.
   25         (1) Directional signage must be placed at intervals in a
   26  manner that provides visitors with sufficient information to
   27  locate the agricultural facility.
   28         (2) To qualify for participation in the program, an
   29  agricultural facility must:
   30         (a) Be open for business at least 4 days a week, 10 months
   31  of the year;
   32         (b) Have a working growing or ranching area of at least 2
   33  acres that can be toured from the facility location specified in
   34  the signage;
   35         (c) Offer tours of the growing or ranching area; and
   36         (d) Apply to and be approved by the department under this
   37  section. Upon application by a facility, the department shall
   38  assess the facility as to its suitability for the program and
   39  the reasonable costs of creating and installing directional
   40  signs.
   41         (3) The department shall adopt rules to administer this
   42  section, including, but not limited to, an application and
   43  approval process for applicants.
   44         (4) The department shall coordinate with the Department of
   45  Agriculture and Consumer Services in administering this section.
   46         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.