Top News: Budget Proposals Are Approved in the Capitol
In the fourth week of the 2020 Legislative Session, both the Florida House and Senate approved their budget proposals on Wednesday in Appropriations. The Senate is seeking $92.8 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1, while the House is proposing a $91.4 billion spending plan, a $1.4 billion difference. The current state budget is just under $91 billion. The Senate approved 69 amendments in the Appropriations Committees. Next the budgets will be negotiated during the respective House and Senate Sessions, followed by allocations and budget conference. Both chambers will work to complete the budget by March 10th to meet the mandatory three day "cooling off" period before session is due to end on March 13th.
Budget Highlights:
Education:
The Senate proposes $500 million to raise teacher salaries and the House proposes $650 million.
The Senate and House are close on Base Student allocation spending at $2,437 and $2,486, respectively.
Healthcare and Social Services:
The Senate and House are close in their proposals at $39.3 billion and $38.7 billion, respectively. This is an increase from the current year's budget at $37.6 billion.
The State Opioid Response grant was funded at $57 million in the Senate and was not funded in the House.
Affordable Housing*:
The Senate proposes to fully fund affordable housing $387 million, while the House proposed to fund affordable housing at $147 million.
* See the blog link below for more information.
Priority United Way Bills Heard this Week
Week of February 3-7, 2020
CS/HB 945: Children's Mental Health (Silvers; D-Palm Beach) - Requires DCF & AHCA to identify children & adolescents who use crisis stabilization services & to meet behavioral health needs of such children & adolescents; requires managing entities & other relevant entities to develop plans promoting coordinated system of care for certain services; requires testing of provider network databases maintained by Medicaid managed care plans; requires DCF & AHCA to assess quality of care provided in crisis stabilization units. Passed by the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee on February 4.
CS/HB 163: Homelessness (Altman; R-Brevard) - Provides requirements for continuum of care catchment areas & lead agencies; requires continuums of care to create continuum of care plans; revises requirements for certain grants; establishes grant-in-aid program to help continuums of care prevent & end homelessness. Passed by the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee on February 4.
CS/HB 306: State Funds (Mayfield; R-Brevard, Indian River) - Exempting the State Housing Trust Fund and the Local Government Housing Trust Fund from a provision authorizing the Legislature, in the General Appropriations Act, to transfer unappropriated cash balances from specified trust funds to the Budget Stabilization Fund and the General Revenue Fund. Passed by the Infrastructure and Security Subcommittee on February 3.
Click for Updates on all Florida United Way Priority Bills.