SB 1164- Relating to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

On Monday, March 13, SB 1164 by Senator Jay Collins (R-Tampa) was heard by the Senate Agriculture Committee and was reported favorably with 8 yeas and 0 nays. AIF stood in support of this legislation.

SB 1164 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. SB 1164 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, SB 1164 also revises and eliminates several advisory councils under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

SB 1164 will now go to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government.

AIF supports sales tax exemptions for Florida’s agricultural producers and efforts to make these exemptions easier to access.

SB 814 – Relating to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Soft Drinks.

On Monday. March 13, SB 814 by Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) was heard by the Senate Agriculture Committee and was reported favorably with 8 yeas and 0 nays. AIF stood in support of this legislation.

In its original form, SB 814 would have requested that Congress prohibit recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients from using such benefits to purchase carbonated beverages sweetened with natural or artificial sweeteners, also known as “soft drinks.” AIF stood in support of an amendment that would now urge Congress to perform an updated study on the foods typically purchased by users of SNAP. The last study was done in 2011. 

AIF supports gathering updated data before suggesting significant changes to the implementation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assurance Program.