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Listed below are the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops' public policy priorities for 2026. It is expected that many of these priority issues will be considered by lawmakers during the Regular Session of the Florida Legislature, January 13 - March 13, 2026.
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Life
The true moral test of society is how the weakest and most vulnerable members are treated. If the inalienable right to life of the unborn is not protected, the human family will make little progress with other issues of life and dignity, including the death penalty, poverty, and immigration.
- Opposing abortion and limiting its harm to the greatest extent possible
- Strengthening the social structures that support pregnant women and families, including the Florida Pregnancy Care Network
- Highlighting moral and practical problems with Florida’s death penalty to end its use
- Opposing any efforts to overturn Florida’s bans on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, while supporting palliative and hospice care that respects the dignity of the person
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Education
The Church supports the rights of parents to select the schools they deem best suited for their children. There is a special emphasis on ensuring that poor and disabled students receive federal and state services necessary to achieve academically and socially.- Protecting parental rights in education and promoting opportunities for human flourishing rooted in the truth, goodness, and beauty of the person and the family
- Increasing security resources in all schools, including Catholic schools
- Expanding all of Florida’s school choice scholarship programs to include pre-kindergarten
- Streamlining cooperation between public and nonpublic schools for the implementation of federal programs, especially for special needs students
- Improving teacher access to certification pathways and increasing teacher recruitment and retention for all schools
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Health Care
As a basic human right necessary for a healthy and just society, the Church supports ensuring accessible, quality health care for all. Health delivery systems must be rooted in values that respect life, acknowledge human dignity, and respond to the needs of the poor and vulnerable.
- Ensuring access to health care, including mental health services, for all residents of Florida, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized
- Promoting ethical care across the spectrum of life, no matter the stage or condition
- Strengthening the safety net for seniors and other vulnerable Floridians in need of nursing home care
- Preserving health care conscience protections for providers and payors
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Human Dignity
As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the world. Every person has a fundamental right to life and to that which is required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities to one another, our families, and society.
- Improving access to and supply of affordable housing
- Calling on Congress to pass federal multifaceted immigration reform
- Ensuring humane treatment of all persons detained through Florida immigration enforcement operations
- Improving prison conditions to ensure adequate staffing, health care, and air conditioning
- Protecting the poor and vulnerable from traps of debt and offering alternatives to license suspension for those who demonstrate an inability to pay traffic citation fees
- Defeating human trafficking by combating sexual exploitation and the demand for forced labor
- Promoting policies that enhance the stewardship and care of Florida’s natural environment
- Supporting reasonable gun control measures
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