Senate Bill 922 (2022) — Florida Young Farmer and Rancher Matching Grant Program
SB 922
Florida Bills
Florida Senate - 2022 SB By Senator Perry 8-00892A-22 2022922__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled
An act relating to the Florida Young Farmer and Rancher Matching Grant Program; creating s. 288.06572, 3 F.S.; creating the program within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; specifying the purpose of grants administered through the program; 6 requiring the department to select grant recipients based on specified criteria; requiring the department to adopt rules; requiring that applicants meet specified eligibility requirements; specifying a range for grant amounts; providing that a recipient may not receive more than one award per year under the program; specifying that grant funding is contingent upon specific annual appropriation by the Legislature; 14 providing an appropriation; providing an effective date. 16
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18
Section
Section 288.06572, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 21 288.06572 Florida Young Farmer and Rancher Matching Grant Program.— 23
(1) The Florida Young Farmer and Rancher Matching Grant Program is created within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to support the start-up functions associated with new farming and ranching operations. 27
(
b) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall select grant recipients based on selection criteria adopted pursuant to subsection (2). 34 (2)(
a) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall adopt rules governing the operation of the program, 36 including an application process and selection criteria for grant recipients. 38
(
b) At a minimum, in order to be eligible to receive a grant, an individual must meet all of the following requirements: 41 1. Be an agricultural producer, be an employee of a farm or ranch, or be an agricultural producer who is a veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14). 44 2. Be at least years of age but not older than years of age. 46 3. Have operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 years. 48 4. Demonstrate, at minimum, a dollar-for-dollar matching investment for the grant amount requested. 50 5.
Submit, on a form prescribed by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, a grant application during the application period established by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may designate only one period each year for accepting applications. 56
(3) Each grant award under the program must be at least 57 $5,000 but not more than $20,000, and a grant recipient may not Florida Senate - 2022 SB 922 8-00892A-22 2022922__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. receive more than one award per grant period. 59
(4) Annual grant funding for this program is contingent upon specific annual appropriation by the Legislature. 61
Section 2. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the sum of 62 $500,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for the purpose of implementing this act. 65