A final agreement on a state budget by Florida lawmakers shows how education and healthcare will be affected, following extended negotiations which left Floridians wondering how key areas of their lives might be changed by the political process.
The talks required legislators to reconvene for a second consecutive year, and a deal was finalized by House and Senate leaders late on May 24, with approval now expected before the end of the week.
The budget delivers significant protections for Florida schools against funding cuts linked to declining enrollment, while also maintaining support for school choice programs.
In healthcare, lawmakers approved additional funding for cancer research initiatives and HIV treatment programs, aiming to preserve access to critical care services across the state.
The spending plan for the fiscal year, as reported by The Palm Beach Post, beginning July 1 is set at nearly $115 billion. It sits below the Senate’s preferred level but above the $113.6 billion proposal backed by the House. The agreement ends months of disagreement between the two chambers over overall spending, fiscal restraint and program priorities, after the regular session ended on March 13 without a budget deal.
Education
Lawmakers resolved a major dispute over Florida’s voucher and scholarship system by keeping the $4.5 billion program for homeschooling and private school tuition within the main K-12 funding formula. The decision followed tensions after an audit raised concerns about mismanagement and prompted the Senate to push for tighter oversight, which the House resisted.
They also agreed to protections aimed at preventing steep cuts to school districts facing falling enrollment, after financial strain in Union and Glades counties placed local systems under emergency administration.
A $7 million allocation for capital improvements at private schools in financially disadvantaged areas was amended so that funding is restricted to rural counties with fewer than 10,000 residents, with disbursement required by December 1.
Florida State University will be allowed to use existing funds to acquire Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare under an agreement involving long-term payments and major investment commitments. Lawmakers also approved the transfer of the University of South Florida’s Manatee-Sarasota campus to New College of Florida following late-stage negotiations.
Healthcare
In healthcare, lawmakers reached a compromise on the Cancer Innovation Fund, originally supported by First Lady Casey DeSantis. The program will receive $20 million, between the House proposal to eliminate funding and the Senate’s $30 million request.
The AIDS Drug Assistance Program will receive $75 million after earlier emergency funding was set to expire at the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Lawmakers acknowledged that earlier reductions had pushed some patients toward private insurance to maintain access to medication.
A $50 million fund created under a 2024 law championed by former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo was removed from the budget, though existing Health Innovation Council resources will continue to support medical technology initiatives.
Security funding for Governor Ron DeSantis after he leaves office was not included in the final agreement, with the House rejecting a Senate proposal to provide post-office protection. Lawmakers also failed to agree on extending security provisions to major party gubernatorial nominees after the August primary.