Florida Legislators Pass Final Budget

After delays in negotiating the budget that extended the nine-week session into its sixteenth week, the Florida House and Senate adjourned the 2025 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature shortly before 11:30 p.m. on Monday, June 16. Passage of an annual state budget is the only constitutionally required duty of the legislature.

Status of FCCB Budget Priorities

The legislature passed a $115.1 billion budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year starting July 1. The budget represents a reduction from the current year's $117.4 billion spending plan, largely due to over $1.3 billion in tax cuts and an expected drop in Medicaid and other federal funding. The budget will be sent to Governor Ron DeSantis, who has line-item veto authority, for his approval.

Prison Funding
 The legislature has appropriated $3.8 billion to the Department of Corrections (over 4% increase from last year’s budget), representing 3.30% of the total state budget.

$3.73 billion of this amount comes out of General Revenue, while $73.1 million will come from trust funds.

$102.9 million is budgeted for fixed capital outlay, with the rest going to pay for operating costs.

These budget numbers are the product of extensive negotiation between the two chambers. We are pleased that on several important line items related to capital improvements, the legislature settled on the higher offer. The FCCB commends efforts to improve the conditions of the incarcerated and staff. See our Catholic Days backgrounder on this subject.

Pregnancy Support Services
 The Florida Pregnancy Care Network (FPCN) maintains its annual funding of $29.5 million. FPCN pregnancy care centers provide services such as counseling, referrals, material support, training, and pregnancy and childbirth education to pregnant mothers as they prepare to parent or place their babies for adoption. FCCB has been supportive of the program since its inception in 2005. 

Affordable Housing Trust Fund
 The Sadowski Trust Fund is funded by documentary stamps from real estate transactions. $163.8 million is budgeted to the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program (SHIP) and $71.2 million to the State Apartment Incentive Loan program (SAIL). The FCCB has long supported full funding of the affordable housing trust fund, which funds housing construction and rehabilitation, down-payment assistance, and rental development to assist the disabled, elderly, veterans, and others in need of housing assistance.

Education
 The budget includes a $945 million increase in total Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) funding. This includes a $41.62 (0.78%) increase to the base student allocation, increasing support for Florida’s per-student education funding. 

$18.05 million is allocated to the dual enrollment scholarship program to support public postsecondary institutions and independent colleges and universities in providing dual enrollment to private and homeschool students. 

The total allocation for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK) had a small reduction, and the VPK base student allocation did not increase. Funding supports Florida’s free half-day PreK-4 instruction available to all Florida children.The School Security Assessment Grant Program went unfunded, as did the Florida Non-Profit Security Grant Program. New Worlds Scholarship Accounts will be winding down with no new allocation. Parents can use the money already in their account.