Florida Senate - 2022                                     SB 922
       
       
        
       By Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       
       8-00892A-22                                            2022922__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Young Farmer and
    3         Rancher Matching Grant Program; creating s. 288.06572,
    4         F.S.; creating the program within the Department of
    5         Agriculture and Consumer Services; specifying the
    6         purpose of grants administered through the program;
    7         requiring the department to select grant recipients
    8         based on specified criteria; requiring the department
    9         to adopt rules; requiring that applicants meet
   10         specified eligibility requirements; specifying a range
   11         for grant amounts; providing that a recipient may not
   12         receive more than one award per year under the
   13         program; specifying that grant funding is contingent
   14         upon specific annual appropriation by the Legislature;
   15         providing an appropriation; providing an effective
   16         date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 288.06572, Florida Statutes, is created
   21  to read:
   22         288.06572 Florida Young Farmer and Rancher Matching Grant
   23  Program.—
   24         (1) The Florida Young Farmer and Rancher Matching Grant
   25  Program is created within the Department of Agriculture and
   26  Consumer Services to support the start-up functions associated
   27  with new farming and ranching operations.
   28         (a) Grants administered by the Department of Agriculture
   29  and Consumer Services through the program must be for the
   30  purpose of fostering the creation and expansion of agricultural
   31  businesses by young farmers and ranchers in this state.
   32         (b) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
   33  shall select grant recipients based on selection criteria
   34  adopted pursuant to subsection (2).
   35         (2)(a) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
   36  shall adopt rules governing the operation of the program,
   37  including an application process and selection criteria for
   38  grant recipients.
   39         (b) At a minimum, in order to be eligible to receive a
   40  grant, an individual must meet all of the following
   41  requirements:
   42         1. Be an agricultural producer, be an employee of a farm or
   43  ranch, or be an agricultural producer who is a veteran as
   44  defined in s. 1.01(14).
   45         2. Be at least 18 years of age but not older than 35 years
   46  of age.
   47         3. Have operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10
   48  years.
   49         4. Demonstrate, at minimum, a dollar-for-dollar matching
   50  investment for the grant amount requested.
   51         5. Submit, on a form prescribed by the Department of
   52  Agriculture and Consumer Services, a grant application during
   53  the application period established by the Department of
   54  Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Department of Agriculture
   55  and Consumer Services may designate only one period each year
   56  for accepting applications.
   57         (3) Each grant award under the program must be at least
   58  $5,000 but not more than $20,000, and a grant recipient may not
   59  receive more than one award per grant period.
   60         (4) Annual grant funding for this program is contingent
   61  upon specific annual appropriation by the Legislature.
   62         Section 2. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the sum of
   63  $500,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General
   64  Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
   65  Services for the purpose of implementing this act.
   66         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.