Senate passes Rural Renaissance bill with bipartisan support

With unanimous bipartisan support, the Senate passed SB 250 that would make sweeping investments to support rural communities from roads to economic development, education and health care as part of a $152 million state investment.

The Rural Renaissance bill is one of Senate President Ben Albritton’s top priorities.

Sen. Corey Simon, the sponsor, called the 138-page bill “a game changer” and said it surpassed his expectations when he began working with Albritton on the legislation.

“My hope is that we continue to push this agenda forward. This won’t be the last time that I’m asking for rural Florida. I represent 12 fiscally constrained counties out of the 13,” said Simon, whose district covers parts of the Panhandle and Big Bend, as he spoke on the Senate floor during the second day of the 2026 Legislative Session. “As a matter of fact, I’ve got a part of my district that’s called the ‘Forgotten Coast’ because they don’t think people see them. This piece of legislation is showing them that we see them and we’re here to try and help them as best as possible.”

In addition to state investments, Florida was awarded about $210 million annually over five years by the federal government for a rural health transformation grant. The state cited many provisions from SB 205 in its application for the federal grant, Simon said.

Joining Republicans in support of the investment to help some of Florida’s poorest rural areas were Senate Democrats.

“As Senate Democratic leader, I want to be clear. Rural prosperity is not a partisan issue,” said Sen. Lori Berman during debate. “It’s a statewide responsibility. When any Floridian is left behind, we are all weakened.”

SB 205 will create the Office of Rural Prosperity within the Department of Commerce to help local governments connect with state and federal resources and to provide statewide planning assistance.

The bill establishes a $1 million block grant for each of the counties of Gadsden, Hardee, Hamilton, Taylor, Jackson, Calhoun, and Liberty to help grow their populations. 

The bill appropriates $1 million to support small-business growth.

It also raises the minimum allocation for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program from $350,000 to $1 million per county to expand rural housing options.

The bill also increases the recurring appropriation for the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) from $5 million to $10 million to support infrastructure projects in rural communities. Corey’s bill also increases the fund’s balance by an additional $40 million. 

Other components of the bill include investments to support rural public transit and rural hospitals, and to build farms-to-market roads to help farmers deliver their produce to distribution centers.

“As we celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary, there is no better time to celebrate and renew our focus on heritage farming communities across our state and nation,” Albritton said in a statement after the vote. “The hard work and patriotism of small family farm communities not only helped win our independence but also created and maintained a robust agricultural supply chain vital to our national security. It’s a time-honored way of life worth preserving.”