TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s 2026 Farm Bill — a sweeping legislative package backed by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and sponsored by Sen. Keith Truenow (R-Tavares) and Rep. Danny Alvarez (R-Riverview) is being billed as one of the most comprehensive agriculture measures in years. Supporters say it will “protect freedom, family, and farmers.” Critics warn it may give too much ground to big agriculture and erode environmental safeguards.
The 60-page proposal, SB 290, reworks major parts of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ authority. It bans local governments from restricting gas-powered farm and lawn equipment, criminalizes signal-jamming devices, toughens penalties for cheating on commercial driver license exams, and prohibits door-to-door sales at homes that post “No Solicitation” signs. It also creates new protections for small businesses and adds a loan-repayment program for veterinarians treating food animals.
“The 2026 Florida Farm Bill is about protecting freedom, family, and Florida’s farmers,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson in a statement. “With the leadership of Senator Keith Truenow and Representative Danny Alvarez, this bill defends the people who feed our state and our nation while also protecting the public from dangerous and disruptive technologies, organized fraud, and government overreach. Together, we’re strengthening the backbone of Florida’s economy and ensuring our state remains a place where freedom, family, and farmers can thrive.”
WATCH: Florida’s 2026 Farm Bill would expand ag programs, ban signal jammers, and limit local rules
Truenow, who also chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the goal is to keep Florida’s farms viable amid rising costs, foreign competition, and workforce shortages.
“We want to make agriculture great again and keep it great in the state of Florida,” Truenow told Scripps News. “We have a lot of pressures from outside countries sending product into the state of Florida, which then we have to compete with, and we compete with labor issues here. The minimum wage has just gone up to $14 — I mean, we’re paying more than that now — but we have to compete with foreign countries and other entities to be viable, and that’s a concern.”
In an interview with Florida Capitol Reporter Forrest Saunders, Truenow warned Florida’s food security could quickly unravel if supply lines were disrupted.
“We’re only about seven days away from having a food crisis in the state of Florida,” he said. “If you cut off all those sources, you’d be hungry in about seven days. So we need to make sure that we’re ready for that and keep food security at top of mind.”
The bill also makes it illegal to possess or use signal-jamming devices, a provision Truenow said was added to protect both the public and the agricultural sector.
“We don’t need these people on any level, really, whether it’s over infrastructure, you know, our electrical grid or water supply or something like that, where people can come in and jam these machines,” he said. “At the same time, we’re doing things with drones on ag farmland that we don’t need to be interfered with.”
Simpson’s office said the measure is designed to touch nearly every part of the department’s work — from workforce programs and public safety to consumer protection and fair business practices.
Among its highlights:
- Freedom to Use Gasoline-Powered Equipment: Prohibits local bans on gas or diesel-powered farm and landscape tools.
- Signal Jammer Ban: Makes it a crime to possess or sell jamming technology that can disrupt 911 calls and law-enforcement communications.
- Roadway Safety: Makes it illegal to cheat — or help others cheat — on the CDL English-proficiency exam.
- No-Knock Homestead Act: Outlaws commercial solicitation at homes that display “No Solicitation” signs.
- Fair Contracting and Accountability: Creates a “suspended vendor” list for contractors who fail to pay subcontractors.
- Food-Animal Veterinary Loan Program: Offers up to $25,000 a year in student-loan repayment for veterinarians who commit to serving Florida’s livestock industry.
Rep. Danny Alvarez, who’s carrying the bill in the House, praised the package as a continuation of a pro-agriculture trend.
“When you focus on Florida, freedom, and our farmers, you’re on the right path and that’s exactly what this Farm Bill delivers,” Alvarez said in a statement. “For the fourth year in a row, I’m proud to partner with Commissioner Wilton Simpson on this year’s Farm Bill, because we both know that protecting those three pillars is what keeps Florida strong, secure, and truly special.”
Still, the proposal is drawing skepticism from environmental groups and some Democratic lawmakers. They argue that allowing agricultural use on certain conservation lands could weaken environmental protections and favor large farming interests over smaller, family-owned operations. Others question whether the relief programs go far enough to offset rising costs and labor shortages that continue to squeeze growers statewide.
Truenow acknowledged the challenges but said lawmakers must focus on practical ways to keep farms competitive.
“It’s all concerning, right? It’s like a big bowl of soup. There’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of ingredients that make that happen,” he said. “I think we’re still struggling… but we’ll continue to look for things that ease that pain or ease that burden so they can get the job done more efficiently.”
As the 2026 legislative session approaches, the Farm Bill is expected to be one of the biggest priorities in Tallahassee, potentially pitting the state’s agricultural ambitions against growing concerns over development, environmental balance, and how best to sustain one of Florida’s oldest and most essential industries.
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