Bill > S1630

This bill makes numerous changes to Florida Statutes related to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and its various regulatory functions. Key provisions include allowing property appraisers to grant agricultural classifications after the deadline under extenuating circumstances, adding a representative from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to a task force on state agency law enforcement communications, and requiring individuals renewing an Apalachicola Bay oyster harvesting license to retake an educational seminar. The bill also revises requirements for pesticide fact sheets and safety data sheets, modifies exemptions for minor food outlets, and renumbers and reorganizes various sections of chapter 570, Florida Statutes, which deals with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, creating new parts for General Provisions, Program Services, Agricultural Development, Agricultural Water Policy, and Penalties, and establishing a new penalty structure with defined "Class" categories for fines. Additionally, it updates provisions related to food permits, agricultural land assessment, energy efficiency, dairy industry technical council, animal industry technical council, soil and water conservation, honeybee technical council, viticulture advisory council, and various other agricultural and consumer services regulations, including those concerning pest control, fertilizers, seeds, animal feed, aquaculture, and citrus fruit dealers, and introduces new sections for the Office of Energy and agricultural water policy.