FDDC’s 2026 Legislative Briefing

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The following is a list of bills that the Council recommended to the 2026 Legislature during its regular session which ended on March 13. These bills will eventually be presented to the Governor. For each bill, he will have the option to sign the bill into law, veto the bill, or allow the bill to become law without his signature by not taking action on the bill within the 15-day time limit established by the Constitution.

For bills that did not pass, we have provided a brief summary of how far the bill progressed in the process. This will give the reader an idea of bills that generated some momentum vs those that had no chance of passage. In a few instances, the substance of a bill that did not pass was added as an amendment to another bill that did pass. We have indicated where this occurred.

HB 915 by Tant (SB 1016 by Bradley) codifies the Working People with Disabilities program which was established by proviso language in the 2019-20 General Appropriations Act. The program allows people with a developmental disability to earn up to 550% of the Supplemental Security Income Federal Benefit Rate ($994 per month for 2026) and maintain cash assets of $13,000 and still retain eligibility for Medicaid.

HB 453 by Gossett-Seidman (SB 556 by Berman) allows participation in Special Olympics to substitute for the physical education credit required for graduation. The bill also allows participation in marching band for 2 years to substitute for both the physical education and performing arts requirements for graduation.

SB 418 by Jones (HB 365 by Valez) creates the Blue Envelope Program for individuals with autism that provides a blue envelope and/or blue card that alerts law enforcement that the individual has autism and includes communication guidelines. The bill also requires that training on interacting with individuals with autism be included in the curriculum required for law enforcement officers to obtain certification.

HB 1405 by Duggan (SB 1570 by Gaetz) Revives the Project Leo program administered by the CARD centers which expired in 2019. The program provides tracking devices to individuals who are at risk of elopement. The bill provides non-recurring appropriations of $250,000 each to the CARD Centers at the University of Florida, Florida Atlantic University, the University of South Florida, and at the Florida State University.

HB 851 by Long (SB 206 by Harrell) relates to professional training for instructional personnel who teach students with autism spectrum disorders. The Legislature passed a significantly toned-down version of the bill that requires at least one training opportunity for instructional personnel and administrators on supporting students with autism.

HB 109 by Lopez/SB 662 by Bernard which would have prohibited the use of corporal punishment on public school students by school district staff. Neither bill was heard in a committee.

FHB 517 by Tramont/SB 152 by Harrell would have required that managed care plans pay at least agency rates for dental care and established minimum standards for certain types of specialty care such as sedation and anesthesia. The House passed its version to the Senate where it died in the Senate Rules Committee. The Senate version did not receive a hearing.

HB 411 by Maggard/SB 1652 by Burgess would have updated the definition of Autism to match the current definition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. The House bill was amended in its first committee to remove the language related to the definition of Autism but it died in its second committee. The Senate version was not heard in a committee.

SB 72 by Harrell/HB 615 by Tendrich would have established deadlines for Individual Education Plan (IEP) development, would have required parental notification if IEP services were missed, would have required that parents were allowed to review service logs and other information in the IEP within 15 days of the request, and required IEP orientation. The House passed its version of the bill. The Senate version was not heard in a committee. The parental notification requirements and parental access to IEP provisions were included in the final version of HB 1279 by Kincart-Jonsson which passed the Legislature.

HB 487 by Eskamani/SB 586 by Smith would have required original equipment manufacturers to provide owners and independent repair providers with the necessary documentation, software, parts, and tools to repair mobility devices. The House version passed all committees but was never considered by the full House. The Senate version was not heard in a committee.

HB 859 by Chambliss and Tramont/SB 1170 by Calatayud would have required video cameras in self-contained exceptional education classrooms. The House passed its version of the bill and it died in the Senate. The Senate version was passed out of a single committee but was not heard in any of its subsequent committees.

SB 1088 by Jones/HB 1099 by Aristide would have restricted a guardian’s ability to limit a ward’s contact and required identification of people entitled to notification in certain situations. Neither version of the bill was heard in a committee.

HB 1507 by Harris/SB 1640 by Smith would have established a Medicaid dental care pilot program for individuals with disabilities in Region B. Neither version of the bill was heard in a committee.

HB 6003 by Trabulsky/SB 1700 by Grall would have removed the civil law barrier that prevents adult children and certain parents from recovering damages or medical negligence resulting in death. The House passed its version of the bill which died in the Senate. The Senate version was not heard in a committee.

HB 423 by Eskamani and Tramont/SB 494 by Arrington would have required school districts to establish SAFE Teams that respond to instances of elopement and required plans to deal with student elopements. The House passed its version of the bill which died in the Senate. The Senate version was not heard in a committee.

HB 531 by Barnaby and Basabe/SB 568 by Harrell would have prohibited Medicaid managed care plans from reexamining certain prior authorization claims for medical necessity and ensured coverage for durable medical equipment and complex rehabilitation technology from providers of the enrollee’s choosing within the network. Neither version was heard in a committee.

HB 533 by Woodson/SB 562 by Garcia would have ensured that individuals with disabilities would be able to communicate in their preferred manner. Neither version was heard in a committee.

SB 468 by Bradley/HB 1261 by Oliver would have created a definition of pediatric continuing care integrated communities in Medicaid and would have established minimum requirements for managed care plans to reimburse private duty nursing. Neither version was heard in a committee.

HB 935 by Skidmore/SB 1026 by Rodriguez would have authorized Medicaid coverage for community health workers. Neither version was heard in a committee.

HB 969 by Tant/SB 1046 by Calatayud would have required the development and distribution of informational materials for detecting developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders in young students. Neither version was heard in a committee.

HB 1091 by Skidmore/SB 1136 by Calatayud would have authorized school districts to establish non-invasive dental screening services after notifying parents and providing the ability for parents to opt out. Both House and Senate versions were heard in their first committees but stalled thereafter.

SB 1110 by Truenow/HB 1301 by F. Robinson would have expanded coverage for orthotic and prosthetic services for certain Medicaid and other insured recipients. The Senate passed its version of the bill which died in the House. The House version was not heard in a committee.

HB 1133 by Tendrich/SB 1302 by Rouson would have established new standards for pediatric behavioral and mental health screening. Neither version was heard in a committee.

SB 1330 by Rodriguez/no House companion would have established a Disability Awareness and Inclusion Education Program in K-12 schools. The bill was not heard in committee.

SB 1408 by Smith/HB 1433 by Harris would have established a Medicaid buy-in program for individuals with disabilities that are employed that would allow them to exceed minimum income thresholds and maintain Medicaid coverage. Neither version of the bill was heard in a committee. HB 915 which allows individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who work to earn up to 550% of the Medicaid income limit passed and will be presented to the Governor.

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