Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson is highlighting the Florida Farm Bill and its proposal to increase transparency for charitable organizations by requiring an attestation of compliance from charitable organizations when registering with the department regarding potential political activity. The proposal also prohibits charitable organizations from collecting or soliciting donations from “Foreign Countries of Concern.”
Commissioner Wilton Simpson said, “Florida should not allow bad actors and foreign adversaries to use our charitable organizations as a clandestine tool for influence or political activity. This proposal brings much-needed transparency to charitable organizations and ensures that donations are not being funneled from hostile nations to undermine our values.”
Senator Keith Truenow said, “Florida’s charitable organizations do incredible work across our communities, and we must ensure their efforts are not exploited by foreign adversaries or bad actors pursuing a political agenda. This proposal strengthens transparency and accountability, ensuring that donations to Florida charities support legitimate causes not hidden agendas.”
Representative Kaylee Tuck said, “This common-sense proposal is all about reinforcing trust and transparency in our charities. If a charitable organization is engaged in political activity, it should have no issue attesting that they fully comply with all applicable laws. Floridians deserve clear, honest reporting from the groups they support with their hard-earned money.”
Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka said, “Florida is taking the lead in making sure that charities aren’t being used as political slush funds. We will not allow foreign adversaries to use our charitable institutions to meddle in our affairs, and I appreciate the opportunity to work on this important issue with Commissioner Wilton Simpson and my legislative colleagues.”
Senator Danny Burgess said, “Protecting charitable giving and charitable organizations from bad actors and foreign adversaries is just good policy. Floridians deserve to know that their generosity isn’t being used as a backdoor for foreign influence.”
In addition, the Florida Farm Bill, sponsored by Senator Keith Truenow and Representative Kaylee Tuck, will support Florida agriculture and Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and growers; prohibit ESG lending practices targeting agricultural producers; increase emergency preparedness; support FFA and 4-H programs; expand consumer protections and transparency across a number of regulated industries, and more.
The legislation will introduce a number of proposals across the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ variety of duties and responsibilities, including but not limited to:
Preserving Florida’s Working Agricultural Lands
- Returning the decision for solar farms on agricultural land to local government. Clarifying tax structure to incentivize dual use of solar farms with working agriculture.
- Prohibiting the use of drones on or near agricultural lands.
Protecting the Future of Florida’s Agricultural Industry
- Prohibiting financial institutions from discriminating against agricultural producers based on environmental policies or set emission targets.
Reducing the Burden on Florida Farmers
- Providing the opportunity for Floridians to vote on a total exemption of tangible personal property taxes on property classified as agricultural.
- Exempting agricultural materials used in the process of enrolling in, implementing, and maintaining best management practices from taxes imposed in Florida Statutes.
Reloading Florida’s Commitment to the Second Amendment
- Updating Florida’s concealed weapon license application process to eliminate red tape and delays for gun owners.
- Prohibiting the use of drones on state hunting lands or private shooting ranges with the intent to harass.
Increasing Florida’s Emergency Preparedness
- Supporting a reliable and available fuel supply during emergencies through a retail fuel registration program.
- Establishing a grant program for fiscally constrained counties and areas along evacuation routes to purchase generator power switches for fuel stations.
Supporting Florida Consumers
- Creating an "Honest Services Registry," which will feature charitable organizations that do not solicit or include funds from foreign countries of concern.
- Prohibiting charities from registering with the department to solicit charitable contributions if they engage in political activities and have failed to register with the Florida Department of State.
- Prohibiting the mislabeling of plant-based products as “milk” or “meat.”
- Requiring businesses to clearly mark prices on all items and eliminating an outdated law that allowed for pricing to be optional.
- Eliminating the loophole for the sale of psychedelic mushrooms.
- Creating a state felony for stealing checks out of mailboxes from Florida homes and businesses.
- Prohibiting the addition of non-water quality additives to public water systems.
Educating Florida’s Future
- Protecting 4-H and FFA programs in local schools from local governments’ zoning laws by ensuring local programs can have agriculture facilities on school property.
Source : fdacs.gov