Capitol Connection

2026 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: WEEK 4

Senator Alexis Calatayud (R-Miami) and Representative Fiona McFarland (R-Sarasota)


During the fourth week of Florida’s 2026 Legislative Session, committee activity continued to move policy proposals forward across education, early learning, healthcare, child welfare, and juvenile justice, with many measures advancing out of initial committee stops and beginning to take clearer shape ahead of budget and policy negotiations later in session. Education and early learning discussions focused largely on workforce pipeline issues, program flexibility, and access, while health and human services committees continued work on system oversight and service delivery reforms affecting children and families.


In education and early learning, committees advanced proposals aimed at expanding childcare availability and reducing regulatory barriers for providers. HB 765, a major early learning package, moved through committee and would allow certain VPK and ESE programs operating in elementary schools to offer before- and after-care without additional licensure requirements. The bill also establishes a professional recognition center and a tuition support fund to strengthen the early childhood workforce and increase affordability for families. Supporters framed the legislation as reducing administrative burdens and expanding options for working families, while some members raised concerns about removing existing informational requirements tied to safety and health messaging.


Education policy discussions more broadly continued to include measures addressing workforce preparation, academic programming, and higher education enrollment policies, reflecting ongoing legislative emphasis on aligning education investments with in-state workforce priorities.


Healthcare and child welfare committees focused on system accountability and continuity of care for vulnerable youth. Ongoing discussions included proposals revising requirements surrounding psychotropic medication oversight for children in state custody and expanding eligibility for postsecondary education services and aftercare supports for youth transitioning out of foster care. These changes were presented as efforts to improve outcomes tracking and ensure continuity of services as youth age out of care, while also clarifying documentation requirements for medical providers and pharmacies. Broader healthcare related policy conversations this week also continued around parental rights and access to care for minors, highlighting ongoing policy divisions that are likely to remain central throughout the remainder of session.


In the child welfare and juvenile justice space, committees continued advancing measures tied to public safety, victim services, and system operations, with multiple bills moving forward with broad bipartisan support at the committee level. Legislative activity reflected an ongoing focus on operational improvements within corrections and justice systems, as well as recognition and support initiatives connected to juvenile justice programs and victim protections.


Across committees, week four marked a transition from introductory hearings toward more substantive policy debate, with lawmakers refining bill language and positioning key proposals for appropriations review and future floor consideration as the session progresses.


Look for next week to begin budget discussions in each appropriations committee in order to begin building the state’s 2026-2027 budget.

  

Until next time!

 

Sincerely,

 

The Florida Alliance of Children’s Councils & Trusts


Voted Favorably By Committee

Did Not Pass Committee Vote

Temporarily Postponed in Committee

Referred to Committee but Not Yet Heard

Bill has not yet been referred to committees

Healthy Development

HB 233 - Child Restraint Requirements

Rep. Cobb

❶❷

SB 1384 - Child Restraint Requirements

Sen. Rodriguez

❶❷❸

These similar bills strengthen child restraint requirements by requiring children up to age 8 to use a booster seat, adding exceptions for height and certain circumstances, and preserving penalties for violations.

SB 368 - Presumptive Medicaid Eligibility for Pregnant Women

Sen. Davis

❶❷❸

HB 1351 - Presumptive Medicaid Eligibility for Pregnant Women

Rep. Daniels, F.

❶❷❸

These identical bills expands qualified providers authorized to conduct presumptive Medicaid eligibility determinations for pregnant women and ensure extended, uninterrupted coverage of medically necessary services during this period.

HB 515 - Doula Support for Healthy Births Pilot Program

Rep. Campbell

❶❷❸

SB 514 - Doula Support for Healthy Births Pilot Program

Sen. Osgood

❷❸

These identical bills expands qualified providers authorized to conduct presumptive Medicaid eligibility determinations for pregnant women and ensure extended, uninterrupted coverage of medically necessary services during this period.

HB 693 - Health & Human Services

Rep. Redondo

These comparable bills transform health care regulation by improving Medicaid program oversight, repealing certificate-of-need requirements, establishing interstate licensure compacts, and revising licensure, eligibility, and scope of practice provisions across multiple health professions.

HB 363 - Dental Therapy

Rep. Chaney

❶❷

SB 1758 - Public Assistance

Sen. Gaetz


SB 732 - Education of Abusive Head Trauma

Sen. Osgood

❶❷❸

This bill expands evidence-based education on abusive head trauma through new distribution requirements and a statewide public awareness campaign.

HB 1029 - Maternal Health and Early Learning

Rep. Hinson

❶❷❸

SB 1508 - Maternal Health and Early Learning

Sen. Davis

❶❷❸

These similar bills expand access to maternal health services, remove restrictions on birthing centers, authorize doula and midwife services in hospitals, and revise early learning and school attendance requirements.

HB 1133 - Pediatric Behavioral and Mental Health Screenings

Rep. Tendrich

❶❷❸

SB 1302 - Pediatric Behavioral and Mental Health Screenings

Sen. Rouson

❶❷❸

These similar bills establish new statewide standards and protocols for pediatric behavioral and mental health screenings under the Medicaid program.

Early Learning

HB 345 - Funding for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program

Rep. Edmonds

❶❷❸

SB 512 - Funding for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program

Sen. Osgood

❶❷❸

These identical bills revise funding for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program by recalculating and adjusting the base student allocation annually while allowing for additional legislative support.

HB 715 - School and Child Care Facility Emergency Alerts

Rep. Young

❶❷❸

SB 814 - Emergency Alerts

Sen. Jones

❶❷❸

These identical bills create a new emergency alert system requiring law enforcement to notify schools, child care facilities, and the public when an imminent threat exists.

HB 765 - Child Care and Early Learning Services

Rep. McFarland

❶❷

SB 1690 - Early Childhood Education

Sen. Calatayud

❷❸

These similar bills expand and revise child care definitions, licensing requirements, insurance requirements, coverage exemptions, and create a dedicated early learning endowment fund.

HB 845 - Employee Child Care Assistance Program Study

Rep. Nixon

❶❷❸

SB 946 - Study on Childcare Assistance Programs

Sen. Arrington

❶❷❸

These similar bills require OPPAGA to study public and private employee child care assistance programs to evaluate their costs, affordability, and effects on school readiness.

K-12 Education

HB 173 - Parental Rights

Rep. Kendall

❷❸

SB 166 - Parental Rights

Sen. Grall

❶❷❸

These identical bills strengthen parental consent requirements for minors seeking certain health, mental health, and educational services.

HB 963 - Administrative Efficiency in Public Schools

Rep. Smith

❶❷❸

SB 320 - Administrative Efficiency in Public Schools

Sen. Simon

❶❷

These identical bills streamline administrative processes for district school boards, revises requirements for teacher contracts and certification, expands flexibility in instructional material purchasing and school construction, and simplifies procedures for distributing and using certain district and charter school funds. SB 320 in House Messages.

HB 579 - Family Empowerment Scholarship Program

Rep. Bartleman

❶❷

SB 690 - Family Empowerment Scholarship Program

Sen. Jones

❶❷❸

These identical bills require participating private schools to provide parents with written information about their offerings, including specialized services and therapies, prior to enrolling a student for the first time and clarify which accommodations will be honored from any existing education plans.

HB 857 - Student Support Services for K-12 Schools Services for K-12

Rep. Lopez

❶❷❸

SB 1008 - Student Support Services for K-12

Sen. Truenow

❶❷❸

These identical bills authorize district school boards to refer students to qualified organizations for mentoring, counseling, tutoring, and extracurricular student support services while ensuring nondiscriminatory participation and Level 2 background screenings for all personnel involved.

HB 1071 - Education

Rep. Trabulsy

❶❷

SB 1090 - Education

Sen. Grall

❶❷❸

SB 7036 - Education

Education Pre K-12 Committee

❷❸

These similar bills prohibit discriminatory educational expenditures, strengthen parent opt-out rights, require FDA-approved epinephrine devices, shorten provider ineligibility periods, mandate mathematics instruction plans, remove certain door lock provisions, and revise district and educator accountability requirements.

HB 1181 - Enforcement of School Attendance

Rep. Hart-Lowman

❶❷❸

SB 1190 - Enforcement of School Attendance

Sen. Rouson

❶❷❸

These identical bills require district school boards to implement a mandatory electronic alert system to notify school officials and parents when a student reaches the truancy threshold.

HB 1501 - K-12 School Lunches and Breakfasts

Rep. Joseph

❶❷❸

SB 1674 - K-12 School Lunches and Breakfasts

Sen. Rouson

❶❷❸

SB 1098 - Universal Free School Breakfast and Lunch Program

Sen. Jones

❶❷❸



These comparable bills require each public school to offer lunch and breakfast to students under federal programs, with free breakfasts, restricted payment collection practices, and state reimbursement for qualifying meals.

HB 1279 - Education

Rep. Kincart Jonsson

❷❸

SB 1052 - Education

Sen. Grall

❶❷❸

These similar bills expands tuition waivers, restrict admissions, tighten service provider requirements, and revise funding and financial aid rules in Florida’s public postsecondary education system.

Children with Unique Abilities

HB 615 - Individual Education Plans

Rep. Tendrich

❶❷

SB 72- Individual Education Plans

Sen. Harrell

❶❷❸

These identical bills require timely evaluations, IEP meetings, and enhanced parent engagement for students receiving exceptional student education services.

SB 206 - Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sen. Harrell

❶❷

This bill requires completion of an autism micro-credential and provides expanded incentives for teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder.

HB 717 - Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rep. Maggard

❶❷❸

HB 851- Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rep. Long

❶❷

These similar bills revise the definition of autism to align with the most recent DSM and mandate new teacher endorsement requirements for certain K-12 classrooms.

HB 969 - Detection of Developmental Delays & Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rep. Tant

❶❷❸

SB 1046 - Detection of Developmental Delays & Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rep. Calatayud

❶❷❸

These identical bills require the development and distribution of informational materials for detecting developmental delays and autism spectrum disorder in young students.

Child Protection

HB 47 - Specific Medical Diagnoses in Child Protective Investigations

Rep. Bartleman

❶❷

SB 42 - Specific Medical Diagnoses in Child Protective Investigations

Sen. Sharief

❷❸

These identical bills provide additional requirements and options in child protective investigations by expanding exemptions for immediate law enforcement referral, clarifying parental duties to report preexisting diagnoses, mandating consultation with medical professionals, and allowing certain medical examinations at the request of a parent or legal custodian.

HB 279 - Luggage for Children Placed in Out-of-home Care

Rep. Bartleman

❶❷❸

SB 306 - Luggage for Children Placed in Out-of-home Care

Sen. Berman

❶❷❸

These similar bills require the Department of Children and Families to provide children placed in out-of-home care with suitable luggage in lieu of trash bags for their personal belongings to promote dignity and stability.

HB 395 - Dependent Children

Rep. Rizo

❶❷❸

SB 996 - Dependent Children

Sen. Rodriguez

❷❸

These similar bills improve coordination with organizations that empower children and require a weekly cash allowance for dependent children in foster care.

HB 475 - Medical Placement for High-acuity Children

Rep. Salzman

❶❷❸

SB 1560 - Medical Placement for High-acuity Children

Sen. Simon

❶❷❸

These similar bills create a specialized framework for high-acuity children in the child welfare system requiring immediate, medically appropriate placements and services.

HB 949 - Temporary Custody of Minor Children

Rep. Salzman

❶❷❸

SB 1002- Temporary Custody of Minor Children

Sen. Gaetz

❷❸

These similar bills expand the rights of relatives, including grandparents, to petition for temporary or concurrent custody of minors when parental substance abuse or unfitness poses a threat of harm to the child.

HB 1331- Child Welfare

Rep. Yarkosky

❶❷❸

SB 1600 - Child Welfare

Sen. Yarborough

❶❷❸

These identical bills require child-serving organizations to implement standardized child abuse training, receive accreditation for child safety, and benefit from insurance discounts while strengthening departmental oversight and data collection.

Economic Self-Sufficiency

HB 337 - Food Insecure Areas

Rep. Rayner

❶❷❸

SB 852 - Food Insecure Areas

Sen. Jones

❶❷❸

These identical bills expand local governments’ authority to allow small-footprint grocery stores in food insecure areas, increasing access to nutrient-dense foods.

Juvenile Justice

HB 779 - Juvenile Justice

Rep. Young

❶❷❸

SB 918 - Juvenile Justice

Sen. Bracy Davis

❶❷❸

These similar bills strengthen juvenile justice requirements by mandating a defined commitment period for certain minors and reducing the minimum age for maximum-risk residential placement.

HB 1153 - Juvenile Justice

Rep. Cobb

❶❷

SB 1734 - Juvenile Justice

Sen. Martin

❶❷

These identical bills expand recognition and protections for juvenile detention and probation officers by including them alongside law enforcement, clarifying statutory definitions, and adjusting provisions for families and children in need of services.

Local Government

HB 203 - Phased Out Elimination of Non-School Property Tax for Homesteads

Rep. Miller

❶❷❸

This bill increases the homestead tax exemption for non-school property taxes incrementally over ten years and fully exempts homesteads thereafter, while prohibiting local governments from reducing first responder funding below a specified baseline.

HB 209 - Property Insurance Relief Homestead Exemption Non-school Property Tax

Rep. Busatta

❶❷❸

This bill increases the homestead exemption from non-school ad valorem taxes by $200,000 for insured homestead properties and prohibit reductions in local first responder funding below set levels.

HB 213 - Modification of Limitations on Property Assessment Increases

Rep. Griffitts

❶❷❸

This bill modifies limitations on property tax assessment increases for both homestead and non-homestead property, and prohibit local governments from reducing first responder funding below specified levels.

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