Last week was the last scheduled week of the 2026 legislative session. House and Senate leaders announced on March 12 that they would adjourn the next day and will return in mid-April to negotiate and pass the final budget. As it stands, there is a $1.4 billion gap between the $113.6 billion House spending plan and the Senate\u2019s budget proposal of $115 billion. Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2019 current proposed budget is $117.4 billion.<\/p>\n
The plan is for legislative leaders to negotiate the details of the joint budget allocations (budget targets for issues like education, public safety and health care) in the coming weeks for the Budget Special Session. The full Legislature is expected to reconvene in mid-April to quickly vote on the final budget. The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) will continue to advocate for funding for Everglades restoration and conservation land acquisition as the budget continues into April.<\/p>\n
Florida law mandates a 60-day legislative session to set the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Passing a budget is the only constitutionally mandated requirement of the Florida Legislature yet, for a second year in a row, it has not passed a budget on time. According to several news outlets, the cost of a special session is $30,000-$50,000 per day, driven by lodging, food and travel reimbursements to legislators and their staff.<\/p>\n
Legislators appear to have a busy summer ahead with the budget special session, an April 20-24 redistricting special Session called by DeSantis, and a potential property tax reform special session.<\/p>\n
BILL UPDATES<\/p>\n
Technically, if a bill had not passed by the end of March 13 it would be considered finished for the year. As long as the budget remains open though, many policy issues can be approved through the budget process if there is a funding consideration tied to the issue.<\/p>\n
To date, the Legislature has passed almost half the number of bills it passed this time last year. A total of 1,895 bills were filed in 2026 and only 183 had passed as of March 13. Bill actions can be tracked at https:\/\/www.leg.state.fl.us\/data\/BIR\/GovernorAction\/2026\/govact.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n Below is the legislative outcome on some of the bills that the SCCF has been following:<\/p>\n \u2013 FAILED: Blue Ribbon Projects \u2014 SB 354\/HB 299: Allowed for administrative approval of development projects over 15,000 acres.<\/p>\n \u2013 PASSED: FL Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Florida Farm bill) \u2014 SB 290\/HB 433: After its amendment to remove the controversial disparagement (a.k.a. muzzle) clause in both the House and Senate versions, the Senate finalized the vote (94-10) to send the bill to the governor. The bill still contains some concerning elements, such as the requirement to review state conservation lands (with some exemptions) to be surplussed and sold for agricultural purposes and a provision that would prohibit local governments from outlawing gas-powered leaf blowers and other landscaping equipment.<\/p>\n \u2013 FAILED: Land Use Regulations for Local Governments Affected by Natural Disasters \u2014 SB 840\/HB 1465: The bill was introduced by Sen. Nick DiCeglie to fix 2025\u2019s problematic HB 180 \u2014 Emergencies.<\/p>\n \u2013 PASSED: Net-zero Policies by Government Entities \u2014 SB 1628\/HB 1217: The local government preemption bill will prohibit all local government entities from expending funds to implement, support or advance net-zero policies. The Senate took up the House bill on March 11. During debate, there was conflicting information presented by the bill sponsor, Sen. Bryan Avila, about whether local governments would be absolutely prohibited from pursuing any policies and purchases that would result in lower carbon emissions. In the end, it was communicated that purchase cost and future savings should also be considered. Policies that only support carbon-neutral outcomes, without cost analysis, will be prohibited. Senators that opposed the policy said that it was a partisan waste of time and would result in a chilling effect on future Florida innovation and jobs. The bill passed with a Senate vote of 24-12 and will be sent to the governor.<\/p>\n Check out our 2026 Legislative Tracker at https:\/\/sccf.org\/what-we-do\/2026-legislative-session\/<\/a> to see a table of the bills that the SCCF is following, updated daily during session.<\/p>\n Holly Schwartz is policy associate for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). Founded in 1967, the SCCF\u2019s mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida\u2019s coastal ecosystems. For more information, visit sccf.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n