Jim's Blog

Florida Legislature 2026 Session Update

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 20:05:23 GMT

Budget and Key Bills Take Shape

Wednesday, February 11, marked the halfway point of the 2026 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature—assuming adjournment occurs on schedule, which remains uncertain. Tensions between the House and Senate persist, with significant disagreements on major initiatives and even routine procedural matters such as budget timing. Although initial budget proposals typically appear in weeks three or four, both chambers released theirs at the end of week five.

Despite the noise, the legislative process is moving forward. A clearer picture is emerging of which bills are likely to pass and where each chamber is prioritizing funding.

Budget Highlights

iBudget Waiver

Both chambers allocate $22 million (with federal matching funds) to the iBudget waiver but differ in approach:

House: Directs funds to reduce the waiting list.

Senate: Applies funds to an across the board provider rate increase.

Each chamber also makes use of the $1 billion+ surplus accumulated in the iBudget waiver and reappropriated to APD:

Senate:

$45.3 million for workforce recruitment and retention
$27.5 million to address salary deficits at two state institutions caused by declining federal revenue

House:

Sweeps $300 million back into General Revenue through immediate reversion

iConnect System Replacement

Both chambers support replacing the iConnect system but propose different oversight and procurement strategies:

House:

$33.5 million with detailed proviso language
Requires a third party entity to assist with system specifications and procurement
Mandates project monitoring by a Department of Management Services professional

Senate:

$2.4 million for procurement support through iLab
Requires legislative approval in a future General Appropriations Act before issuing procurement

Both chambers retain language allowing providers to maintain required data in their own systems and electronically transfer it to iConnect, and both prohibit compliance monitoring or recoupments tied to iConnect.

Budget Conforming Bills Affecting APD

Conforming bills make permanent statutory changes needed to implement budget priorities.

Senate:

Requires the Social Services Estimating Conference to forecast enrollment, utilization, and expenditures for the managed care pilot program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
AHCA must collect and report necessary data to support the conference.

House:

Directs DCF to establish a program helping individuals with disabilities obtain Medicaid, implemented through a qualified nonprofit
Authorizes funding transfers between iBudget and the Managed Care Pilot Program when individuals move between programs

Other Bills to Watch

Several nonbudget bills appear well positioned for passage:

HB 915 / SB 1016: Codifies income and asset limits for individuals with I/DD (House bill cleared; Senate bill in final committee)
HB 453 / SB 556: Allows Special Olympics participation to satisfy high school PE requirements (House passed; Senate nearing final action)
HB 565 / SB 794: Addresses APD operations, including core competencies for support coordinators (active in both chambers)
SB 418 / HB 365: Establishes a voluntary “Blue Envelope” program for individuals on the Autism spectrum and mandates law enforcement training (Senate passed; House progressing)
HB 859 / SB 1170: Requires video cameras in self contained exceptional education classrooms (House passed; Senate advancing)

This is not a comprehensive list, and bills unlikely to pass are intentionally excluded. For the status of additional legislation, visit our tracking page or contact us directly .

Looking Ahead to Florida's 2026 Legislative Session

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 16:24:55 GMT

“No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.”
― Gideon J. Tucker

As this piece is being finalized, the 128th regular session of the Florida Legislature is kicking off with the Governor’s State of the State address. As he speaks for the final time as Governor, the political intrigue is as thick as the winter fog on Apalachee Bay. It does not appear to be lifting any time soon as intense political rivalries have developed within the Republican party. Agreements that would normally be discreetly hashed out among party leaders behind closed doors are erupting into high-profile controversies. These include major disagreements over how to handle issues such as mid-decade Congressional redistricting and property tax reform. Likewise, there will be competitive Republican primaries in several statewide races, most notably for Governor.

It is perhaps fortunate that, unlike the past couple of sessions, it appears that it will be a relatively quiet session as it relates to issues that affect individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). While we are tracking many bills of interest to the I/DD community which you can follow here , they are generally narrowly focused rather than systemic reforms. But a word of caution is in order: things can and do frequently turn on a dime during the 60-day session. It is important that advocates follow the process in real time to make sure they are not blind-sided.

Even in a quiet year, there are important decisions that will be made during the session. Here are the main issues that we are tracking:

State Budget

Both the agency request and Governor’s recommended budget are essentially continuation budgets. Click here for a more detailed description. The biggest ticket item is a recommendation from the Governor to provide approximately $47 million to serve approximately 1,200 individuals in pre-enrollment (waiting list) categories 1 and 2 (crisis and foster care). The Governor also recommends providing full-year funding for the managed care pilot program in the Agency for Healthcare Administration which was partially funded in the current year. However, he does not recommend further expansion of the program. He recommends several agency requests for administrative infrastructure at APD and for repairs and maintenance at the two remaining institutions in Marianna and Gainesville. He also proposes continued development of a new forensic facility that would be built on the grounds of Mariana Sunland. The Governor also recommends increased budget authority to spend additional Federal funding expected to be available for Vocational Rehabilitation.

Provider Rates

Provider rates are a perennial issue and will once again be top priorities for provider associations such as the Arc of Florida, FARF and the waiver support coordinators. APD providers were among the beneficiaries of two different initiatives by former Senate presidents Wilton Simpson and Kathleen Passidomo to increase salaries paid to direct care staff and improve access to health care services. They resulted in significant rate increases to APD providers. However, provider rates were not adjusted last session despite inflationary pressure, and many providers continue to report difficulties maintaining sufficient staffing and covering increased costs of doing business such as insurance. Utilization data as well as anecdotal reports from families suggest that accessing authorized services is increasingly difficult due to lack of provider capacity.

There will also be a concerted effort during the upcoming session to increase and standardize rates paid for transportation provided through the waiver. APD rates for transportation, unlike most other APD services, are individually negotiated with each provider. The result is a highly fragmented and arguably inequitable rate structure that bears little relationship to the actual cost of providing service. Rates established by the local Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinators are based on actual costs of providing service and are being offered as an appropriate benchmark for APD to use in establishing a uniform rate structure.

Neither the agency request nor the Governor’s recommended budget contain funding for provider rate increases.

iConnect

iConnect is the IT system developed by APD over the course of the last 10 years for client and case management and other agency functions. Since its inception, the system has been plagued by substantial implementation delays, obsolete technology, and serious concerns with usability and reliability among system users. The many issues associated with iConnect came to a head last session with the Legislature mandating a plan to replace the system.

iLab was the IT consultant hired by APD to develop a Legislatively mandated report to establish high-level business requirements for an iConnect replacement and identify capable vendors. The report identifies a “short list” of three vendors that it recommends be considered to provide a replacement system. These finalists are: Therap Services, a well-known niche company that specializes in supporting I/DD organizations; HHA Exchange, a company primarily known for its Electronic Visit Verification system that has recently acquired a couple of case management vendors; and Redmane, a vendor that is not well known in the I/DD world but has recently engaged with the Department of Children and Family Services for child welfare support and with APD for an incident management system.

Waiting List

As mentioned above, $47 million (inclusive of Federal matching funds) are requested/recommended to address the waiting list. The Governor’s recommended budget, however, only recommends funding for pre-enrollment categories 1 and 2 which include individuals in crisis and children from the foster care system who are transitioning out. APD by its own initiative recently sent out roughly 5,000 offer letters to individuals on the waiting list. The response so far has been surprisingly anemic. The last we heard, there were 1,000 individuals enrolled, but the great majority of letters have gone unanswered. This is a clear indication that there are issues with waiting list management and/or communicating with individuals and families on the waiting list.

Managed Care Pilot Program Implementation

The managed care pilot program recently expanded to all individuals in the state on the waiting list. In October 2026, eligibility will again expand to allow people who are currently enrolled in iBudget or the Long-term Managed Care program to voluntarily enroll. Since the latest expansion, enrollment has grown from just over 300 to almost 1,000 individuals. Funding provided by the Legislature is sufficient to support just over 2,000 enrollees.

The evaluation of the pilot, which the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) now calls the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Comprehensive Managed Care (ICMC) program, is due in 2029. The program combines medical care and an expanded array of home and community-based services into a single capitated plan administered by Florida Community Care and overseen by AHCA.

It is a Legislative initiative championed by the House Speaker and is being closely monitored by both the Legislature and stakeholders. Many self-advocates and family members are monitoring developments with the pilot program and are urging policy makers to maintain its current policy that allows the individual to choose between iBudget and managed care.

DD Day at the Capitol

Mark your calendars for February 10, which is DD Day at the Capitol for 2026. This event, sponsored by the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, will bring self-advocates, family members, professionals, and advocates together at the Capitol to advocate for issues important to the stakeholder community. The Council, in particular, is focused on providing a venue for self-advocates and family members to communicate the importance of the services they receive in allowing them to lead productive lives in their communities. For more information, visit this page on the Council’s website.

Other Issues

Among the bills of particular interest to this writer are HB 915 (Tant) / SB 1016 (Bradley). These bills which are essentially identical would codify the ‘Working People with Disabilities’ program which allows individuals with I/DD who hold competitive employment to earn higher wages and maintain higher personal assets than would otherwise be allowed for Medicaid beneficiaries. Former Rep. Kathleen Peters, now a Pinellas County Commissioner, championed this program and successfully pushed for language in the state budget that started the program. However, this language technically expired several years ago. Although the agency still offers the program, it is important that clear statutory authority and direction exist to ensure that it continues as an option.

There are also many other bills that we are tracking that would affect people with I/DD. They span the gamut from autism safety initiatives to individual education plan enhancements to APD administrative measures. I will be monitoring these bills with particular attention to the ones that appear to stand a legitimate chance of passage on this site so be sure to check back often.

There are also other excellent resources available to you if you wish to follow the process. The Family Café hosts a weekly ‘Let’s Talk’ series where Legislative experts share news and lead discussions on emerging issues each Friday during session. For more information visit the Café’s website . The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council will also be maintaining bill tracking information on this page on its website. And finally, you can go straight to the source – the websites of the House and Senate . Also, a good starting point is the Legislature's Online Sunshine website.

Budget Week in the Florida Legislature

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:41:38 GMT

Last week marked the beginning of the budget process in the Florida Legislature during the fourth week of the annual nine-week session. Chair recommendations from various budget subcommittees were released over several days and served as the basis for the House and Senate budgets, which were printed on Friday.

In the area of intellectual and developmental disabilities, there are notable differences between the House and Senate budgets. The House allocates $61.4 million for the waiting list, split between the traditional iBudget and the new managed care pilot, while the Senate does not provide any waiting list funding. The Senate allocates $50 million for Direct Support Professional recruitment and retention, an issue the House does not address. Additionally, the Senate budget proposes replacing the iConnect system, a client data management system, whereas the House budget requires a plan to fix the system. A high-level overview of each chamber's proposals is below for those interested.

Each chamber will take up their budget bills in committee on Wednesday, where amendments can be considered. Typically, the House sees very few amendments proposed and none adopted, while the Senate is likely to consider and adopt dozens of amendments.

Once the budgets pass out of committee, they will be considered by the full chambers, presenting another opportunity for amendments. Historically, the Senate adopts multiple amendments, while the House adopts none. After each chamber passes a budget, leadership will appoint a conference committee to reconcile the differences between the two bills.

The conference process concludes with a conference report, which is considered by each chamber and is not subject to amendment. Once passed by both chambers, the bill is presented to the Governor, who has line-item veto authority. This unique power allows the Governor to veto specific spending items while approving the overall budget.

After the budget is signed and vetoes are identified, the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget begins establishing each agency’s operating budget. Any modifications to operating budgets are subject to Legislative review and, in some cases, approval by a joint Legislative committee composed of members from both chambers.

House and Senate budget proposals overview

Waiting list

The House provides $62.4 million equally provided between the iBudget waiver and the I/DD managed care pilot funded in the Agency for Health Care Administration. The additional funding for the pilot project which is estimated to serve 547 additional individuals, is contingent on passage of HB 1103 or similar legislation that expands the pilot to a statewide program.
The Senate does not provide funding for the waiting list but authorizes the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to enroll individuals in crisis into the iBudget Waiver from existing funding.

Provider rate increases

Both chambers provide $9.1 million for rate increases for Vocational Rehabilitation providers.
The Senate provides $50 million from prior year unspent funds in the iBudget Waiver for recruitment and retention incentives for Direct Support Professionals.
The Senate provides $1.3 million to increase rates paid for state funded services through the Individual and Family Supports category.

iBudget

The Senate provides $2 million to engage iLab (an IT consulting company which recently conducted the iConnect evaluation) to develop business, functional and technical requirements for a system to replace iConnect. The language also requires APD to develop procurement documents for the replacement system.
The House provides $1.5 million of non-recurring funds and requires the agency to develop a plan by September 1, 2025 to make systems improvements to include enhanced interface capability with external provider systems.

Dental services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Both chambers make significant reductions to funding for dental services previously provided through a contract with the Arc of Florida due to the funds mostly remaining unspent for the last several years.
The House reduces funding by $6 million which leaves $5.5 million available for services. The Senate reduces funding by $7.9 million which leaves $3.6 million.

Institutions

The Senate provides $17.9 million for fixed capital outlay projects in the state-operated institutions. This includes funding for planning for a new forensic facility.
The House provides $9.6 million for fixed capital outlay projects in the state-operated institutions. This includes $8.4 million for the new forensic facility which would be located in Marianna on the Sunland campus.
The Senate provides $13 million in state funds to replace a shortfall in Federal earnings in the state institutions. In addition, $6.6 million is provided in the current fiscal year budget. The House does not address.

Other issues

Both chambers fund continuation of the dually diagnosed pilot program in Leon, Broward, Orange, and Hillsborough Counties but from different sources. The House provides $6.5 million from non-recurring funds which is the current funding level for the project while the Senate reappropriates funding that is expected to remain unspent during the current fiscal year.
The House reduces the waiver budget by roughly $1.3 billion by eliminating what is called “double budgeting” of Federal funds earned by the Agency for Health Care Administration. While this results in a dramatic decrease for both the waiver and in APD’s total budget, this will not result in reduced services or provider payments.
The House eliminates 355.5 positions and $21 million from the APD budget which are associated with positions that have been vacant for more than 90 days.
The House provides $8.9 million for various local appropriations projects while the Senate provides $8.5 million.
Both chambers reappropriate funding to competitively procure an automated incident management system.
Both chambers provide for reappropriation of any unspent funding for the iBudget waiver.

Week 3 in the Florida Legislature

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 16:10:10 GMT

Week 3 of the Florida Legislature was marked by significant developments, particularly in the areas of disability services and agency rulemaking.

PCS for HB 1103

One of the major developments this week was consideration of a proposed committee substitute (PCS) for HB 1103 by the House Human Services Subcommittee. The bill was originally filed on behalf of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) by Representative Jennifer Kincart Jonsson. However, the bill as originally filed was not considered. Instead, the House Human Services Subcommittee filed and considered the PCS which differs significantly from the original bill. The PCS passed.

Among the key differences in the PCS:

**Division Transfers**: APD had requested the transfer of the Divisions of Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services to its oversight. The PCS, however, does not include these transfers.

**Adult Pathways Waiver**: Another request from APD was to codify a new “Adult Pathways” waiver, aimed at providing a limited array of services for adults with disabilities. It is reminiscent of the old Family and Supported Living Waiver, aka Tier 4, which was eliminated when iBudget was adopted in Florida. This waiver is absent in the PCS.

It is clear that the House is using the PCS to address several of its priorities:

**Transparency Requirements**: The PCS imposes strict transparency requirements on APD. This includes the online publication of quarterly reports and detailed information regarding the waiting list for services.

**Managed Care Pilot Program**: The PCS expands the managed care pilot program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to a statewide initiative. It encompasses all individuals over the age of 18 on the waiting list and allows transitions from iBudget to the pilot program. It's important to highlight that managed care enrollment remains voluntary under this bill.

**Role Adjustment**: The bill removes APD's role in assisting the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) in managing the pilot program.

**Statewide Family Care Council**: The bill establishes a statewide Family Care Council, enhancing the responsibilities and authority of both local and statewide councils, ensuring a more cohesive and empowered advisory and advocacy framework.

Agency Rulemaking Bills

In addition to the PCS for HB 1103, we are closely following bills designed to refine agency rulemaking processes and strengthen safeguards against agencies imposing regulatory costs on private sector businesses through rulemaking. HB 433 by Representative Toby Overdorf, has successfully cleared its first committee and is now set to be reviewed by the House budget committee. Its Senate counterpart, CS/SB 108 by Senator Burgess, has advanced through committees and is ready for the Senate floor.

Why it matters:

**Legislative Ratification of rules imposing costs on businesses**: Both AHCA and APD have previously overlooked state laws requiring legislative ratification of agency rules that impose regulatory costs on private sector businesses. The proposed bills reinforce existing safeguards and ensure that agencies adhere to legislative oversight. iConnect is a good example of the problems caused when agency rules impose costs on small businesses that the Legislature did not intend.

**Systematic Review**: The bills mandate a systematic review of all agency rules according to a specified schedule. This should serve as a vehicle to identify and eliminate or modify rules that no longer serve their intended purpose, exceed agency authority, and rules that unnecessarily burden small businesses and affect private sector competition.

Insulin administration by family members and direct support professionals

HB 1567 by Rep. Kaylee Tuck and SB 1736 by Sen. Erin Grall both advanced through their first committee stops this week. These bills would allow a family member or a direct support professional to assist in administering insulin through an epi pen or similar device. This has been a longstanding issue in Florida and we are hopeful that this common sense Legislation will continue to move through the process and become law.

Up next

In week 4, we anticipate the focus to turn to the state budget. We are hearing that both chambers plan to release their initial budget proposals next week. We will be following the usual priorities of provider rates and funding for the APD waiting list. We are also hopeful that we will see continued progress and discussion on APD transportation and iConnect remediation as the session nears its halfway point.

The pace of decision making will exponentially increase in the following weeks. It is crucial for stakeholders, including disability advocates, business leaders, and policy makers, to stay informed and engaged. The legislative process is dynamic, and continuous dialogue and feedback will play a vital role in shaping the final outcomes.

iConnect: What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:18:11 GMT

Last week, the Florida House Information Technology Budget and Policy Subcommittee convened to evaluate the results of the iLab assessment of the iConnect system, the client data management platform developed by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD). The meeting highlighted the extensive and challenging history of the system’s development, marked by stakeholder discontent. The twelve-year ordeal that the agency and its stakeholders have endured can be aptly summarized by the iconic line from The Grateful Dead that I used in the title.

The initial funding for the system was allocated in 2013, yet it took two years before the agency completed procurement and signed a contract. This delay foreshadowed future challenges.

Originally, the implementation and transition to the maintenance phase were expected to occur by June 30, 2018. The project had an anticipated cost of $7.4 million and a cap of $9.6 million.

The reality: implementation continued until June 2024 when APD deemed all contracted items completed despite critical functionality from the original contract remaining undelivered. Public records indicate payments to the vendor exceeded $12 million during the 9-year implementation phase with additional payments of nearly $3 million since. Agency staff recently testified that total project costs were more than $19 million.

Private sector end users, forced to use the system pursuant to agency rule, have reported significant issues with system performance and efficiency since they started using it. Many report the necessity to hire additional staff to manage the workload imposed by iConnect input. This contradicted the agency's assurances to legislators that the system would reduce costs for private providers. Compounding these issues, several providers faced recoupment of Medicaid payments due to documentation failures caused by iConnect malfunctions. Support is provided by APD staff who frequently lack familiarity with the vendor’s software and are often unable to resolve user issues effectively.

The system also lacks common features such as native print capability, a mobile application, and support for all commonly used browsers and operating systems. Additionally, there have been concerns regarding HIPAA compliance, with reports of providers seeing protected health information of individuals they do not serve. The extensive list of problems cannot be fully covered in this blog post. For those interested in learning more, I recommend watching the committee meeting here and reading the iLab report available from the Committee in its meeting packet here .

Analyzing the Issues

Several factors contributed to the system's difficulties:

Lack of understanding of end-user needs and capabilities;
Insufficient engagement with external end users and other stakeholders during planning and implementation;
Unclear system requirements;
Ineffective oversight of the contracted vendor;
Limited transparency with policymakers and the public.

Future Steps

The Legislature has finally taken an active role in overseeing the iConnect system. In the last session, they delayed the requirement for providers to use the system to record documentation and commissioned the independent iLab assessment presented to the Committee. This session, both the Legislature and the Executive branch must decide on the path forward based on the findings. Options under consideration must include:

Repealing the mandate requiring providers to use the system for federally mandated record-keeping that is the responsibility of providers to maintain;
Rebidding the iConnect system after establishing clear requirements with associated acceptance criteria;
Effectively engaging all stakeholders, particularly end users, throughout all project phases;
Establishing effective interoperability between internal state systems and systems used by external entities;
Ensuring robust oversight to monitor vendor performance relative to contracted requirements;
Developing processes to incorporate technological advancements and improvements during the project's lifecycle.

With a renewed focus on effective project management and oversight, iConnect could still fulfill its potential to significantly benefit those served by APD. The responsibility now lies with the Legislature and the Executive branch. I will continue to track developments and report as decisions are made throughout the session.

Outlook for Florida's 2025 Legislative Session

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:19:13 GMT

Reasserting Legislative Power

The Florida Legislature appears ready to reassert its role as a co-equal branch of government after several years of aligning closely with Governor DeSantis' agenda. This change is expected to bring a renewed emphasis on legislative priorities and a more balanced interaction between the executive and legislative branches. Over the past six years, the Governor's office has had significant influence over the state's legislative agenda. However, there are signs of a shift as the Legislature aims to reclaim its authority and shape policy more assertively.

Tightening Budget Outlook

As the 2025 legislative session approaches, Florida's budget outlook is tightening. The Long-Range Financial Outlook, recently adopted by the Legislature, signals potential deficits by fiscal year 2026-27 if spending reductions or revenue enhancements are not implemented. With revenue enhancements unlikely, lawmakers will likely focus on reducing recurring expenditures. This fiscal constraint will require careful consideration of budget allocations and may impact various state-funded programs and services.

Focus on Developmental Disabilities

One key area expected to receive significant attention is services for individuals with developmental disabilities (I/DD). Speaker Danny Perez, who has a family member with I/DD, has expressed a strong interest in improving and expanding access to services for this population. His personal connection to the issue is likely to drive legislative efforts to address the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities more comprehensively.

Expansion of Managed Care Pilot Project

The expansion of the managed care pilot project, currently ongoing in the Miami-Dade/Monroe region and in Hillsborough and surrounding counties, is also poised for consideration. This project aims to enhance the delivery of care and services to individuals with developmental disabilities through a managed care approach.

iConnect System

Another important issue is the iConnect system, a data management platform for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. The system faced significant delays during implementation and has caused widespread dissatisfaction among service providers required to use it. Last session, the Legislature suspended mandatory use of the system until July 1, 2025, and required an independent evaluation, which was delivered earlier this week. Options being considered include rebidding the system, repealing mandatory use by external entities (service providers), and developing an interface to allow providers to submit data from their own systems without manual dual data entry into iConnect.

Serving Individuals on the Waiting List

Funding for the waiting list of individuals seeking services for developmental disabilities is also expected to be a critical topic. With over 21,000 individuals currently waiting for access to essential services, legislators will likely prioritize finding solutions to reduce the backlog and ensure timely support for those in need. Use of the managed care pilot program mentioned above will likely be seriously considered to serve these individuals.

Key Legislative Bills

Several notable bills have already been filed for the upcoming session, signaling a proactive approach to addressing various issues related to individuals with disabilties.

APD Expansion

Among them, SB 1050/HB 1103 stands out as a comprehensive measure aimed at dramatically expanding the scope of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD). This bill proposes designating the APD as the single state agency for persons with disabilities in Florida, consolidating all state programs that serve individuals with disabilities under the agency's jurisdiction.

Redesignation of Chapter 393

The bill also seeks to redesignate chapter 393 as a generic disability chapter, moving away from its current focus on intellectual and developmental disabilities. This change would dilute the focus on individuals with I/DD by encompassing a much broader, diverse population.

Adult Pathways Waiver

Additionally, the bill aims to codify the Adult Pathways Waiver, which would specifically address the needs of young adults it I/DD transitioning from the school system. This waiver would have a per-person spending limit, ensuring targeted support during this critical transition period.

Statewide Family Care Council

The creation of a Statewide Family Care Council is another key component of the bill. This codifies and effectively reinstates the statewide council which was dismantled under previous agency leadership.

Considerations

While the proposed redesignation of chapter 393 to a generic disability chapter aims to consolidate all services to individuals with disabilities under a single roof, it would remove the current focus of the agency on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This will dilute the attention currently focused on their issues. We are hearing serious concerns about this dilution from stakeholders and predict that there will be significant opposition to this portion of the bill. Stakeholders argue that the unique needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities require specialized attention and resources, which might be compromised under the broader mandate. This potential shift in focus could impact the quality and specificity of services provided to this vulnerable population.

Other Legislative Initiatives

Beyond the comprehensive measures in SB 1050/HB 1103, other bills aim to enhance services for children with autism and improve housing options for people with disabilities. These initiatives reflect a broader commitment to addressing the diverse needs of individuals with disabilities across the state.

Defining Direct Support Professional in Law

SB 1736/HB 1567 would allow direct support professionals and relatives to administer insulin provided that certain training and other protocols have been established and followed. Perhaps more importantly, it adds a definition of direct support professional to Chapter 393. Having a formal definition of the term is important as advocates work to establish caregiving as a recognized profession and develop strategies to improve the size and quality of the workforce.

Improving Autism Services

Bills focused on improving services for children with autism may include provisions for early intervention, education, and support programs. These measures aim to provide comprehensive care and resources to help children with autism reach their full potential.

Housing Improvements

Housing for people with disabilities is another critical area of focus. Legislative efforts may seek to increase the availability of accessible housing options, ensure compliance with disability standards, and provide support for independent living.

Tracking Legislative Developments

As the 2025 legislative session unfolds, stakeholders and advocates will closely monitor the progress of these bills and other related initiatives. The outcomes of these legislative efforts will have a significant impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families, shaping the future of support and services in Florida.

Conclusion

The outlook for Florida's 2025 legislative session suggests a period of renewed legislative activity and focus on critical issues. With a tightening budget and a growing emphasis on support for individuals with developmental disabilities, lawmakers face the challenge of balancing fiscal responsibility with the need to provide essential services. The upcoming session promises to be a pivotal time for shaping policies that will affect the state's most vulnerable populations and ensure a more inclusive and supportive environment for all Floridians.

Stay Informed

Please see the bill tracking list . We will be tracking these bills with emphasis on bills that appear to be moving and have a chance at passage. For interested self-advocates, family members and other stakeholders, I suggest you consider listening in on the "Let’s Talk" series presented by Family Café each Friday at 4 p.m. EDT during session. During these sessions, various experts will bring listeners up to speed on what is happening in the Legislature and explain how the laws being considered will affect you or your loved one.

Jim's Blog

Florida Legislature 2026 Session Update

Budget and Key Bills Take Shape

Looking Ahead to Florida's 2026 Legislative Session

“No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” ― Gideon J. Tucker

Budget Week in the Florida Legislature

Week 3 in the Florida Legislature

iConnect: What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been

Outlook for Florida's 2025 Legislative Session

Reasserting Legislative Power

“No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.”
― Gideon J. Tucker