A Miami Senator has filed a bill banning weather modification in Florida, prompted by fears of excess chemicals and amid claims that the government purposely manipulated Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Filed by Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia on Nov. 20, she says Senate Bill 56 will help open up discussions on alleged weather conspiracy theories by targeting cloud seeding—when silver iodide is pumped into clouds to increase precipitation in drought-ridden areas—and removing all artificial weather modification activities from state law.
Essentially, she wants to ban altered weather.
“This bill aims to update licensing regulations and establish stricter oversight for weather modification activities, specifically addressing cloud seeding,” Sen. Garcia told The Floridian. “It is crucial that we clarify this issue and openly address concerns surrounding it—not only in terms of atmospheric changes but also regarding the potential impact on our crops and the air we breathe.”
Garcia's bill would ban the “injection, release, or dispersion” of any substance to modify the temperature, sunlight, or weather—including cloud seeding—by repealing 13 sections of Florida statute. It removes Floridians’ ability to apply for a weather modification license from the Department of Environmental Protection and excludes weather modification authorities from advising the Governor on emergency mitigation matters.
Violators could face a hefty $10,000 fine.
Although Florida doesn't currently use cloud seeding, the weather technique is used in 11 U.S. states and 49 countries worldwide to boost precipitation. Despite this, the Tampa Bay Young Republicans in May urged the state legislature to outlaw these "harmful" projects. In September, online influencers and a Georgia Congresswoman claimed that the government used cloud seeding and other methods to intentionally create and steer Hurricanes Helene and Milton toward Florida.
Though scientists and Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted that notion as false, the fear of weather control has remained a fixture in certain conspiracy circles. One of the most popular weather theories claims that the government is spraying chemicals from airplanes, leaving behind a "chemtrail." Though this has been widely discredited, Garcia pointed out that Floridians having these doubts means safeguards are necessary.
“I hope this legislation can help dispel fears about alleged chemtrails. It is essential to put doubts to rest by implementing safeguards that ensure weather modification is never weaponized due to governmental negligence or a lack of public engagement,” she said. “We should welcome open dialogue and investigation rather than dismissing these discussions as conspiracy theories.”
Garcia’s bill emerges months after two back-to-back major hurricanes rocked Florida’s Gulf coast. Helene and Milton resulted in over $5.2 billion in payouts and nearly 500,000 insurance claims.
The session begins on Mar. 4.
