Senate passes hurricane relief bill, sends to governor’s desk
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Senate passed a Hurricane Idalia relief bill for the Big Bend area on Wednesday, which will go to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature.
The bill, HB 1C, was sponsored by Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Blounstown, in the House and Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, in the Senate. It passed unanimously in both the House and Senate, 110-0 and 39-0, respectively.
“Looking at what we have, this work product, I’m overjoyed,” Simon said. “Today is a day to be encouraged.”
“From all of my folks that I’ve talked to and all of the miles that we’ve driven over the course of the last few months, this, this brings the help that they were so desperately asking for,” he said.
Simon added that it’s good to see that “folks are seeing rural Florida” and the agricultural producers in the region.
“I’m glad that this body sees them and the value that they provide for our great state,” he said.
“I am so encouraged that we will finally get the help that these folks need,” he said. “The Big Bend is smiling today. What an amazing opportunity.”
“The silver lining that I tried to see every single day as I saw the destruction and despair in my community, this is it,” Simon said said.
Shoaf helped push through the legislation in the House Tuesday, emphasizing the financial resources and relief it will provide for the community.
“The storm had a significant impact on agricultural production in the region,” Shoaf said. “More than 3.3 million acres of Florida agriculture land were affected, including damage to agriculture related infrastructure that will need to be repaired or replaced, post-storm cleanup expenses and production losses that may carry over to 2024 and beyond.”
Shoaf explained that the bill provides a “number of tax relief provisions” for agriculture producers.
He added that there will be a sales tax expedition for certain fencing and building material used to repair non-residential farm buildings, as well as fuel tax refund for agriculture shipments and debris removal from properties.
“The bill also appropriates funds to assist those communities most impacted by this disaster in our state,” Shoaf said. “It specifies that the legislature intends to provide the entire match requirement for FEMA public assistance to local government in our state, within counties designated in the FEMA disaster area.”
The legislation also provides $176 million in funding for the My Safe Florida Home Program. The program provides money for free home inspections. It matches funding for home hardening projects with the goal to reduce insurance premiums.
