HB 1279 – Relating to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
On Monday, April 17, HB 1279 by Representative Danny Alvarez (R-Fishhawk) was heard by the House Infrastructure Strategies Committee and was reported favorably. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
HB 1279 primarily creates a program for sales tax exemptions for production materials used by agricultural producers. The program will allow farmers to apply for and use a Farm Tax Exempt Agricultural Materials (TEAM) card to receive the exemptions. This program works similarly in Georgia and is beneficial to the agriculture community there as well. HB 1279 requires state agencies, universities, and colleges to give preference to food commodities grown or produced in Florida under certain purchasing agreements. Among other mostly technical changes, HB 1279 also revises and eliminates several advisory councils under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
HB 1279 will now go to the House Floor for consideration. The Senate counterpart, SB 1164, will be heard next by the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee.
AIF supports sales tax exemptions for Florida’s agricultural producers and efforts to make these exemptions easier to access. “If you eat, you’re involved in agriculture.” Lowering costs for agricultural producers trickles down to lower prices for the consumer.
HB 1343 - Relating to Agricultural Lands
On Monday, April 17, HB 1343 by Representative Kaylee Tuck (R-Lake Placid) was heard by the House Infrastructure Strategies Committee and was reported favorably. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
HB 1343 addresses several land issues facing Florida’s agriculture industry and the lands they use to operate on. On current statute, counties are permitted to administer a fire protection service assessment on agricultural land buildings with a minimum value of $10,000. As initially drafted, this legislation would have raised the minimum value of issuing these assessments from $10,000 to $350,000 but was amended in both chambers to bar all special assessments on agricultural land. This bill also removes the authority of a local municipality from deleting agricultural classifications on property used for farmworker housing. Additionally, this bill would issue a credit on sales tax paid on the rental or purchase of housing for migrant farmworkers.
HB 1343 will now go to the House Floor for consideration. The Senate counterpart, SB 1184, will now go to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.
AIF supports legislation which increases the just value of nonresidential farm buildings which are exempt from local fire assessments and also creates guidance which more fairly and equitably assesses agricultural land and nonresidential farm buildings for the purposes of Fire Tax Assessments.
