Legislation aimed at expanding economic development, infrastructure, healthcare, and housing in Florida’s rural communities is set for a vote on the Senate floor after passing its final committee stop Thursday.

The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 110, sponsored by Sen. Corey Simon and known as the “Rural Renaissance Bill,” which would establish the Office of Rural Prosperity within the Department of Commerce. The office would serve as the state’s central entity for rural development, overseeing grant programs, providing technical assistance to local governments, and coordinating access to state and federal resources. It would also administer new and existing rural grant programs, including the Renaissance Grant Program, which allocates $1 million block grants to counties that have experienced population decline over the past decade.

The bill requires the Office of Rural Prosperity to create a statewide Rural Resource Directory, an online database to help rural governments identify funding opportunities. It also mandates the establishment of seven regional liaison centers staffed by state personnel to provide in-person support, facilitate grant applications, and assist local governments in securing regulatory waivers for state and federal programs.

“These are critical enhancements and investments to support 31 of our 67 counties and hundreds of rural communities across Florida,” a memo issued by Senate President Ben Albritton said last month. “We have seen tremendous economic growth in urban areas of Florida, it’s rural Florida’s turn.”

The measure expands rural healthcare services by creating the Stroke, Cardiac, and Obstetric Response and Education (SCORE) Grant Program within the Department of Health. The program would provide funding for training, equipment, telehealth capabilities, and quality improvement initiatives to improve emergency and specialized care. It also creates the Rural Access to Primary and Preventative Care Grant Program, offering financial incentives for physicians and autonomous advanced practice registered nurses to establish practices in underserved rural areas.

Additionally, the bill expands the Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant Program to allow funds to be used for mobile care units providing primary care, behavioral health, and obstetric services, as well as telehealth kiosks for urgent care in designated health professional shortage areas.

Infrastructure investments under the bill include the creation of the Florida Arterial Road Modernization (FARM) Program, which would provide funding to improve rural arterial roads, enhancing safety, reliability, and resilience. The Small County Road Assistance Program (SCRAP) would receive an additional $35 million annually, while the Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) would see eligibility criteria revised to expand access for local governments.

The bill also increases funding for affordable housing in rural areas. It raises the minimum allocation for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program from $350,000 to $1 million per county and provides $30 million for the preservation of multifamily housing developments financed through U.S. Department of Agriculture loans.

To address fiscal challenges in rural counties, the legislation revises the funding structure for fiscally constrained counties. It replaces the revenue source for distributions to these counties, shifting from the direct-to-home satellite service tax to state sales tax. The bill guarantees a minimum annual distribution of $50 million to fiscally constrained counties and revises the formula used to allocate funds among eligible counties based on revenue capacity and personal income levels.

SB 110 now moves to the Senate floor for consideration. If enacted and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the bill would take effect July 1.