FDDC’s 2026 Legislative Briefing: 1-30-26

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The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council met on January 22, 2026, to prioritize the bills we will start focusing on this session. Please stay tuned, as other priorities may emerge or priorities and outcomes change throughout session. We appreciate your interest in the Council’s work and look forward to our weekly communication with all those interested in legislation impacting Floridians with I/DD and their families.

To track bills of interest, visit:

Senate Bills https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bills/2026
House Bills https://www.flhouse.gov/sections/bills/bills.aspx

Please refer to the following icons:

Week 3

Thursday, 1/29, marked the last day of official Legislative business for Week 3 of the 2026 Legislative session. We are gaining a much clearer picture of which bills remain viable and have a realistic path to final passage.

Outlook for Week 4: We are anticipating the release of initial budget proposals by both the House and Senate in the coming week. We will monitor and report on key details.

See The FDDC 2026 Legislative Priorities

HB 0915- Medical Assistance Eligibility for Working Persons with Disabilities (Tant)

SB 1016- Medical Assistance Eligibility for Working Persons with Disabilities (Bradley)

Creates a new program allowing certain working individuals with disabilities to maintain Medicaid eligibility while earning additional income.

HB 915 (Tant) and SB 1016 (Bradley). Legislation that would make the Working People with Disabilities program a permanent part of Florida law took important steps forward. Both versions advanced through committee this week after hearing testimony from our Public Policy Chair Sarah Goldman and others. Each bill now has one last committee stop before advancing to their full chamber for final passage.

The Senate version of the bill was amended to remove language that requires automatic enrollment in Medicaid for anyone who meets the program eligibility requirements. As a result, the two versions of the bill are no longer identical, and House and Senate leadership will have to reach agreement on which version of the language they agree upon before it can be sent to the Governor. Regardless, the progress in both chambers is a good sign that some version of the legislation has a strong chance of passage.

HB 0453- Requirements for Standard High School Diploma (Gossett-Seidman)

SB 0556- Requirements for Standard High Diploma (Berman)

Expand the ways students can satisfy physical education and performing arts requirements for a standard high school diploma. Allow completion of 2 years of marching band to fulfill both the physical education and performing arts requirements instead of just one or the other. Permits students with disabilities to participate in the Special Olympics as a substitute for the physical education requirement.

HB 453 (Gossett-Seidman) and SB 556 (Berman) which allow participation in Special Olympics to satisfy the physical education credit required for high school graduation are the only other bills that have shown any movement so far this session. The House bill has cleared all committees and is ready for consideration by the full House. The Senate cleared its first committee early in the session but has been stuck in its second committee of reference since January 14. Due to an amendment in the House, these bills are no longer identical. Given the lack of movement in the Senate, the prospects for this bill are uncertain.

HHB 0109- Corporal Punishment- (Lopez)

SB 0662- Corporal Punishment (Bernard)

Prohibits school district employees from using corporal punishment on public school students.

SB 0152- Medicaid Provider Networks (Harrell)

HB 0517- Medicaid Provider Networks (Tramont)

Requires Medicaid managed care plans to negotiate and pay dentists at or above agency rates while strengthening provider network requirements for dental services.

HB 0411- Terminology Associated with Autism (Maggard)

SB 1652- Terminology Associated with Autism (Burgess)

Updates the definition of autism to align with the most recent edition of the DSM and rename it to include autism spectrum disorder.

None of the other bills the Council is actively supporting have made progress through their respective chambers. This suggests an increasingly difficult path for them to remain viable this session. We will continue to closely monitor their status.

SB 0072- Individual Educational Plans (Harrell)

HB 0615- Individual Educational Plans (Tendrich)

Requires timely evaluations, IEP meetings, and enhanced parent engagement for students receiving exceptional student education services.

Enhanced parent engagement for students receiving exceptional student education services.

HB 0487- Repair of Mobility Devices (Eskamani)

SB 0586- Repair of Mobility Devices (Smith)

Requires original equipment manufacturers to provide owners and independent repair providers with the necessary documentation, software, parts, and tools to repair mobility devices.

HB 487 by Eskamani (SB 806 by Truenow) related to Repair of Mobility Devices cleared its final House committee and is now available to be taken up by the full House. The Senate companion is in the Rules Committee which is its final committee stop.

HB 0859- Exceptional Students and Video Cameras in Public Schools (Chambliss)

SB 1170- Education (Calatayud)

Expand the use of video cameras and audio in self-contained classrooms upon a parent’s request to

ensure greater transparency and monitoring of special education services.

HB 859 by Chambliss (SB 1179 by Calatayud) related to Exceptional Students and Video Cameras in Public Schools is on the agenda for its first committee of reference at 3:00 PM Thursday January 29. Assuming committee approval, it will be headed to the Education Administration Subcommittee. The Senate companion has not been heard in any committee.

SB 1088- Guardianship (Jones)

HB 1099- Guardianship (Aristide)

Prohibit guardians from restricting adult wards‘ contact except under certain circumstances and require notices regarding changes in residential settings and persons entitled to receive information and visits.

HB 1405- Statewide Project for Missing Persons with Special Needs (Duggan)

SB 1570- Statewide Project for Missing Persons with Special Needs (Gaetz)

Revives, readopts, and amends the missing persons with special needs statewide project to expand the distribution of personal devices for search-and-rescue efforts through multiple centers for autism and related disabilities.

SB 1570 by Gaetz (HB1405 by Duggan) related to Statewide Project for Missing Persons with Special Needs cleared the Education Post Secondary Committee and is now in Appropriations Committee for Higher Education. The House companion has not been heard in committee.

HB 1507- Medicaid Dental Pilot Program (Harris)

SB 1640- Medicaid Dental Pilot Program for Persons with Disabilities (Smith)

Establishes a 3-year Medicaid dental pilot program for persons with disabilities in Region B.

HB 6003- Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death (Trabulsy)

SB 1700- Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death (Grall)

Removes the statutory bar preventing adult children and parents of an adult child from recovering damages in medical negligence wrongful death cases.

HB 6003 by Trabulsky (SB 1700 by Grall) related to Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence has passed the House and is now in the Senate where it has been referred to the Rules Committee.

SB 206- Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Harrell)

(no House companion) Bill cleared Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education this week and is now on its way to Appropriations which is its final committee stop.

This is your chance to tell your story!

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) invites you to share your positive experience with legislators by completing the "My Story" form online. These personal stories will be hand-delivered to the Capitol on DD Day, and the FDDC will continue sharing them with legislators even after the day ends.

Take a moment to submit your story through the online "My Story" form - click the button below.

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