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Senate President Ben Albritton (L) and House Speaker Danny Perez (R). (Photos via the Legislature; Capitol photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)
On January 13, 2026 during the opening of the 2026 Legislative Session, Governor Ron DeSantis used his final State of the State address to highlight what he characterized as the administration’s major accomplishments, including economic growth, fiscal reserves, tax relief, expanded school choice, public safety investments, and environmental restoration, while urging lawmakers to pursue additional property tax relief and maintain Florida’s low-tax, limited-government model. The speech was largely retrospective, framing Florida as a national leader and setting broad themes rather than outlining an extensive new policy agenda.
Senate President Ben Albritton responded in his opening-day remarks with a cooperative and measured tone, aligning himself with the governor on affordability and tax relief while emphasizing the Senate’s independent role, a focus on rural and agricultural priorities, and the need for deliberative policymaking. House Speaker Daniel Perez, by contrast, struck a more institutionally assertive note, underscoring the House’s autonomy and signaling that legislative priorities would be shaped by members rather than driven solely by the executive branch. Together, the remarks set the stage for a session defined by shared policy goals on affordability and taxes, but with clear signals that negotiations between the governor and legislative leaders would be closely watched.
Additionally, a flurry of committee activity and early floor action marked an intensive start to the 60-day lawmaking period. Throughout the first week, lawmakers in both chambers began advancing priority bills and setting agendas in the key policy areas of education, healthcare, child welfare, and juvenile justice—setting the tone for debates that will unfold over the next two months.
Education Policy Takes Early Shape
Education committees across the House and Senate were active during week one, hearing an array of proposals affecting Florida’s K-12 and postsecondary systems. Key actions included committee referrals and early discussions around bills addressing structural and instructional policy issues. Among these:
- Several education-related bills were placed on committee agendas, including measures concerning teacher salaries, school counselor resources, and school safety policy, indicating early attention to workforce and student support priorities. Committees such as Senate Pre-K-12 and House Careers & Workforce began vetting these proposals.
- In the House, votes on education measures continued alongside other legislative business. A notable bill advancing through committee early in the week was HB 121, which aims to tighten oversight of nursing education programs—requiring regulatory accountability for poor performance and addressing Florida’s nursing workforce challenges; it was reported favorably out of Health & Human Services Committee before moving toward the full House.
- Floor action by the House included passage of a slate of bills with education components, such as enhanced standards for emergency pediatric care in hospital emergency departments and strengthened oversight of nursing education—reflected in bipartisan support and cross-committee movement.
Healthcare Debate Begins in Committee and on the Floor
- Healthcare remained a central focus in week one, with committees taking up initial filings and testimony on proposals affecting coverage, professional practice, and patient protections:
- The House passed several healthcare-adjacent bills early in the session. Among them was legislation aimed at improving oversight of nursing education programs—a response to workforce shortages and low national licensing exam pass rates.
- Backdrop reporting highlighted the broader healthcare policy context prompting committee consideration, including potential debates over medical malpractice law reform, maternal and infant health initiatives such as doula workforce development, and continued discussions around Medicaid policy. These topics are expected to be deliberated in Health & Human Services Committee hearings in coming weeks.
- Committees also received early bill referrals on healthcare access and managed care issues, including measures proposing changes in Medicaid provider network requirements and reimbursement negotiations—indicating ongoing attention to both rural and statewide access challenges.
Child Welfare
Child welfare emerged as a notable early policy area, with several bills advancing through introduction and initial committee action:
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SB 42, addressing how specific medical diagnoses are handled in child protective investigations, received unanimous committee approval from the Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee. The measure would amend investigative procedures to better account for legitimate medical conditions before law enforcement involvement.
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SB 7018 was reported favorably out of the Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee. This legislation would restructure a workforce education and internship pilot for former foster youth and incorporate trauma-informed mentor training.
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In the House, HB 475 on medical placement protocols for high-acuity children advanced to subcommittee referral, reflecting ongoing consideration of child health and protective services intersections.
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Additional child welfare proposals, such as HB 765 (Child Care & Early Learning Services) and other welfare-related filings, were referred to subcommittees and are positioned for policy development in Human Services and related panels.
Juvenile Justice
As lawmakers began advancing legislation affecting Florida’s youth, several juvenile justice proposals were referred to relevant committees:
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Bills such as SB 1734 and the companion HB 1153 were introduced early in the session and referred to committee. These include provisions to recognize juvenile justice and probation personnel for service and clarify placement criteria for youth in shelter care—topics that juvenile justice committees will explore further.
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Juvenile justice was also represented in interdisciplinary committee work, with child protective investigation reforms being considered by Children, Families & Elder Affairs and Health & Human Services committees—highlighting cross-policy implications for child welfare and legal proceedings.
Looking Ahead
Week one set a substantive foundation for session priorities, with significant committee referrals and early bill actions in education, healthcare, child welfare, and juvenile justice. With debates already taking shape on workforce issues, student support systems, healthcare access, and child welfare frameworks, the next several weeks of committee hearings and floor votes will determine which proposals gain traction before the regular session’s mid-March adjournment.
Tracking
The Florida Alliance of Children’s Councils and Trust (FACCT) has populated the bill tracker with bills that have been filed for the 2026 legislative session. Each week FACCT will continue to update the bill tracker in order to show which bills are gaining traction as the legislative session continues.
As always, we look forward to bringing you weekly information on legislation that effects Florida’s communities, children, and families throughout the 60-day Regular Legislative Session.
Until next time!
Sincerely,
The Florida Alliance of Children’s Councils & Trusts
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