Governor DeSantis kicked off this January committee week with a call for a Special Session, much to the chagrin of the Florida Legislature. The call is expansive and not only includes hurricane relief and condo reform but also immigration reform. The not-so-pleased Speaker of the House and Senate President promptly responded with a joint memo declaring no need for the Special Session as these issues, and all others, will be addressed in less than 50 days with the beginning of Session.

So, does the legislature come up on its week off to gavel in, gavel out? Only time will tell.

To no one’s surprise, most legislative committees were informational this week. They covered committee jurisdictions and state agencies gave updates on their base budgets and passed legislation updates from the 2024 Session. They were in and out in just two long days, with the health and human services committees focused on child welfare and maternal health while the justice committees focused on behind-the-gate performance measures.

We expect more action next week with presentations on Medication-Assisted Treatment and a presentation on the Baker/Marchman Acts the following week.

Remind Me

A few legislative reminders:

• The Governor will release his 2025-26 Proposed Legislative Budget the week of February 2, 2025.
• The FBHA Membership/Board Meeting and Annual Legislative BBQ is scheduled for February 11, 2025, in Tallahassee.
• Behavioral Health Day 2025 at the Capitol is scheduled for February 12, 2025. 
• Don’t forget to sign up for the virtual walk! You can pledge your walk by using this link here.
• Special projects forms are due in the House no later than February 14, 2025.

On Deck

Both chambers will be back Wednesday and Thursday next week. Many legislators plan on attending the national inauguration of President Trump in Washington D.C. on Monday, January 19.



On Wednesday, January 22, the Senate Children, Families, and Elders Affairs Committee will hear a presentation from the Florida Department of Children and Families about informational technology systems modernization. On Thursday, January 23, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice will hear a presentation on Medication-Assisted Treatment. 

If you have any questions, you can reach out to Shane Messer at Shane@Floridabha.org.

ICYMI - Behavioral Health Day Social Media Tool Kit

The Florida Behavioral Health Association is proud to host Behavioral Health Day at the Florida Capitol on February 12, 2025. Together, mental health and substance use disorder advocates from around the state will gather at the Florida Capitol to hear from state leaders about the future of behavioral health in Florida.

The mental well-being and health of all Floridians have always been our priorities. FBHA is excited to share the stories of success and resiliency on February 12, 2025.

New for this year is a virtual walk! Please sign up below to pledge how far you want to walk to support your mental and physical wellness.

In addition, FBHA has created a social media tool kit for our members to use and share. Thank you for joining Florida's behavioral health community for this year's Behavioral Health Day!

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