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The Florida Senate

CS/CS/HB 59 — Agritourism

by State Affairs Committee; Local Government Affairs Subcommittee; Reps. Combee, Raburn, and others (CS/CS/SB 304 by Fiscal Policy Committee; Community Affairs Committee; and Senator Stargel)

This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.

Prepared by: Agriculture Committee (AG)

This bill amends the legislative intent in s 570.85, F.S., to express the Legislature’s intent to promote agritourism. The bill prohibits a local government from enforcing any local ordinance, regulation, rule, or policy that prohibits, restricts, regulates, or otherwise limits an agritourism activity on land classified as agricultural land under s. 193.461, F.S. However, the bill specifies that a local government is not limited by the prohibitions when adopting or enforcing local regulations that address substantial off-site impacts of agritourism activities.

The bill adds “civic,” “ceremonial,” and “training and exhibition” activities to the enumerated list of agritourism activities defined in s. 570.86, F.S. It also adds “livestock operation” to the list of places where an agritourism activity can occur.

The bill amends s. 570.87, F.S., to provide that lands classified as agricultural under 193.461, F.S., cannot be divested of that classification as long as the land remains used primarily for bona fide agricultural purposes.

These provisions were approved by the Governor and take effect July 1, 2016.

Vote: Senate 35-0; House 113-0