Senate passes ‘rural renaissance’

Sen. Corey Simon [simonforflorida.com]

The Florida Senate on Jan. 14 unanimously approved a “rural renaissance” plan that is a priority of Senate President Ben Albritton, a Hardee County citrus grower, but its fate remains unclear in the House.

The bill (SB 250), sponsored by Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, and passed by the Senate on the second day of the annual legislative session, is aimed at boosting such things as health care, education, transportation and economic development in rural areas.

“There are things that are needed in these communities, roads that are torn down, water systems that are failing, and so they do have that need, but it’s almost pulling and tugging at them to make that request,” Simon, who represents a sprawling, mostly rural North Florida district, said.

As an example, the bill seeks to help attract and retain educators in rural areas by establishing a student loan repayment program that would provide up to $15,000 to teachers and administrators who live in the areas. Other examples include increasing money to help rural counties resurface and rebuild roads and creating an Office of Rural Prosperity at the Florida Department of Commerce.

The Senate approved a rural renaissance plan during the 2025 legislative session. But the package got broken up in the House and did not pass.

Asked about this year’s proposal, House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said a similar measure (HB 723) has been filed by Rep. Shane Abbott, R-DeFuniak Springs. But Perez said it will be up to the members of the House to decide if the issue is taken up.

“As of right now, that’s a process that will take place over the next 60 days,” Perez told reporters.

Examples of funding in the plan include $50.3 million for rural “fiscally constrained” counties, $50 million to improve “farm-to-market” roads, $48.8 million to further help small county roads and $18.8 million that would go to the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP, program

Simon said programs would be offered “a la carte” so local governments could select what best meets their needs.

Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton, backed the bill and said, “rural prosperity is not a partisan issue.”

“This bill is about making sure that Florida’s rural communities are no longer an afterthought but a priority,” Berman said.

Before the vote, Simon removed nearly $50 million in health care measures from the package. The Senate said Florida is set to receive $209.9 million a year for five years for rural health care as part of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act approved last summer.