By News Service of Florida
A Senate committee Wednesday unanimously approved a wide-ranging proposal dubbed the “rural renaissance” bill, setting it up to go to the full Senate during the first week of the 2026 legislative session.
The bill (SB 250), sponsored by Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, is a priority of Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula.
It is aimed at boosting such things as health care, education, transportation and economic development in rural areas. The Senate approved a rural renaissance bill during the 2025 legislative session, but the proposal got broken apart in the House and did not pass.
Simon, who represents a sprawling, largely rural North Florida district, said Wednesday that while the 2025 bill did not pass, “challenges of rural Floridians did not go away.”
He said the bill seeks to diversify economic development and improve issues such as education and health care so that “families can stay and thrive in communities they love.”
As examples, the bill would create an Office of Rural Prosperity at the Florida Department of Commerce, take steps to try to draw physicians and other medical providers to rural areas and provide money to help rural communities resurface and rebuild roads. The 2026 session will start Jan. 13.