| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to agricultural disaster assistance; |
| 3 | amending s. 570.249, F.S.; expanding the conditions under |
| 4 | which loan funds to certain agricultural producers may be |
| 5 | granted; increasing the maximum amount of a loan; |
| 6 | providing definitions; providing an appropriation; |
| 7 | providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 570.249, Florida |
| 12 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 13 | 570.249 Agricultural Economic Development Program disaster |
| 14 | loans and grants and aid.-- |
| 15 | (1) USE OF LOAN FUNDS.-- |
| 16 | (a) Loan funds to agricultural producers who have |
| 17 | experienced crop losses from a natural disaster or a |
| 18 | socioeconomic condition or event may be used to: |
| 19 | 1. Restore, or replace, or remove debris from essential |
| 20 | physical property, such as animals, fences, equipment, |
| 21 | structural production facilities, and orchard trees;. |
| 22 | 2. Pay all or part of production costs associated with the |
| 23 | disaster year.; |
| 24 | 3. Pay essential family living expenses.; and |
| 25 | 4. Restructure farm debts. |
| 26 | (b) Funds may be issued as direct loans, or as loan |
| 27 | guarantees for up to 90 percent of the total loan, in amounts |
| 28 | not less than $30,000 nor more than $300,000 $250,000. |
| 29 | Applicants must provide at least 10 percent equity. |
| 30 | (c) For purposes of this subsection, the term: |
| 31 | 1. "Losses" means crop loss or damage to an agricultural |
| 32 | facility or infrastructure or farmworker housing owned by an |
| 33 | agricultural producer. |
| 34 | 2. "Essential physical property" means animals, fences, |
| 35 | equipment, structural production facilities, other agricultural |
| 36 | facility or infrastructure or farmworker housing owned by an |
| 37 | agricultural producer, and orchard trees. |
| 38 | Section 2. The sum of $50 million is appropriated from the |
| 39 | General Revenue Fund to the General Inspection Trust Fund within |
| 40 | the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for fiscal |
| 41 | year 2006-2007 for the purpose of providing loan funds under s. |
| 42 | 570.249, Florida Statutes, to agricultural producers who |
| 43 | experienced losses during the 2005 calendar year. |
| 44 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |