[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6093059,"mediaKeyId","2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6","parentId",2850059,"title","Committee advances broad water-management bill with Everglades funding and local referendum protections","audioSeconds",334,"startMs",10704000,"endMs",11038000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6&start=10704&end=11038","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6/thumbnail_10704000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6093059/Florida/Committee-advances-broad-water-management-bill-with-Everglades-funding-and-local-referendum-protections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093059-565fbdf73f18ebf21a831bd8d96ce675/orig.mp4?Expires=1770397704&Signature=cbyrcOdZs2CuRUzF8lmBWvEcOsdkxWwPsbifsVPmHW9~jtJCoOkztXStRYYUCS1If~J~xDGzrjK9N1wFcegwlprG2yQgurWNBHP6Lnb~jZtANvHG5PujtCAHZc27CsJ-IRwsD7OP~i2btawKmBK-UMTsQtzsJtXhkKLZNBeyBu60IhKwUjuVapby0dBK4q3sqEPaXryo6v3-rE-4ecGpjU4Uy~3skuMkiSF9Vki0j78eq46IeLoNdjG6JA4kpls3vQHblk5M1lu8lVgY0SG7p249cZ2BwCAxqmjBDhX6GxIeA93g8L5NyL4i46oCXkR25~QiLmJ66fzHgSw8KQEhPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Florida Legislature","date","2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","article","The Appropriations Committee reported CS for SB 7002 after the sponsor offered a strike-all amendment that, supporters said, consolidates multiple legislative priorities for Florida's water-management districts and Everglades restoration.

Sponsor Senator Broder described the measure as a comprehensive package that increases transparency for water-management districts, improves long-term planning for large resiliency projects, funds Everglades restoration at increased levels, and adjusts district authorities. Key changes in the strike-all include: removing the statutory barrier that limited St. Johns Water Management District basin creation (aligning its authority with other districts); authorizing South Florida Water Management District to acquire land, if necessary, for a reservoir north of Lake Okeechobee; requiring construction-phase reporting against schedule and budget and requiring operation-phase reporting against performance indicators; clarifying that water-quality projects may be funded with ad valorem taxes; and instructing the preliminary budget to flag locally-referendum-funded projects and preventing the Legislative Budget Commission from rejecting referendum-funded projects.

The strike-all also extended resiliency grant eligibility to the Northwest Florida and Suwannee River water management districts and updated Everglades restoration appropriation language. The sponsor filed an amendment to the amendment to clarify that district repayments on a new revolving-loan authority must come from non-state revenue sources.

Committee action: The strike-all and the technical follow-up amendment were adopted; the committee then reported CS for SB 7002 favorably.

Why it matters: The bill affects the management and funding of water projects across multiple districts and explicitly protects voter-approved, local millage-funded measures from Legislative Budget Commission rejection. It also sets higher reporting and performance standards for large reconstruction and resiliency projects and increases state support for Everglades work.

Quotable: \"This comprehensive legislation makes historic investments in Everglade restoration and increases transparency in the planning, funding, budgeting, reporting, and business practices of Florida's water management districts,\" Senator Broder said.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Appropriations 4/2/2025","oneSentenceSummary","CS for SB 7002 passed the Appropriations Committee after a strike-all amendment that sponsors said increases Everglades funding and strengthens planning and transparency for water-management districts.","taxTitle","Appropriations, Standing Committees, Senate, Legislative, Florida","taxId",26936,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6093079,"Senate Appropriations Committee adopts $117.4 billion general appropriations bill, advances implementing measures",2629,1169000,3798000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6&start=1169&end=3798","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6/thumbnail_1169000.jpg","/articles/6093079/Florida/Senate-Appropriations-Committee-adopts-1174-billion-general-appropriations-bill-advances-implementing-measures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093079-c3b33acce32dcc5ce813e0f8b472e4b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770397704&Signature=CKYdlJDa56uLcUCl6h1ivIOTlFx8qVQ5rajqsSiBSPRsdfG38G5p6pQckVtJtgEhlRlHSjzH5YKHCmYTTmMsp7C8Vg3dPJJAksO8N6OM0-n0s2BDuK~EGV9~Zv-Y~GUr~ApjVtiZXI4Efj9AMX~CZWju86znaoSOwOj9GwQ6zTTlBxcApsbrQBAjY-QDBL3c8X6pLjNpUHCau4aZjoyDR2dLs3dX2pVMRZ2M39W0k1lclgTiEONdl8v3mqjNm4Lmjx0181Nm84oOnglWqgoEuzmENL9JKjVmKatvV5deGMjn6qWkgM28Z8iKfP582XY9hWGoXJdQ8ERql-8JOxVoEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Budget Day adopted SPB 2,500, the Senate's proposed general appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025'26, totaling $117,400,000,000.

Committee Chair Hooper opened the session and, after budget presentations by committee chairs, put the bill on a committee vote. \"The Senate budget totals $117,400,000,000. It's a fiscally responsible budget that reduces overall spending compared to our last year's budget,\" Chair Hooper said during opening remarks.

The bill as introduced included a 4% across-the-board pay raise for state employees and targeted increases for state law enforcement and firefighters; the budget also preserves employee contributions for health care at current levels. Senators responsible for each \"silo\" summarized their funding recommendations: Senator Burgess reported a preK–12 allocation that raises the FEFP and creates a separate categorical for family empowerment scholarships; Senator Harrell outlined higher education workforce investments and a $250 million allocation to the Board of Governors; Senator Trumbull described an $1.8 billion increase in the health and human services budget with Medicaid, mental health and workforce elements; Senator Garcia discussed corrections, juvenile justice, and court operations funding; and Senator Bridal summarized $1.2 billion for water quality and extensive environment and agriculture investments.

Committee members adopted a consent calendar of 68 timely-filed amendments, then approved three late-file amendments that redirected $350,000 each to new or shifted purposes (virtual college tours, an FSU genetics program, and a customs facility at Port of Fernandina). After amendment votes, Chair Hooper called the roll and the committee adopted SPB 2,500 as amended.

Committee members also advanced a set of implementing and conforming measures that the Senate said are necessary to execute the General Appropriations Act. Those included SPB 2,502 (implementing bill), SPB 2,504 (state employees placeholder), SPB 2,506 (natural resources distribution changes), SPB 2,508 (certification of new judgeships), and silo-specific conforming bills for preK–12 (SPB 2,510), higher education (SPB 2,512), and health and human services (SPB 2,514), each of which the committee reported favorably during the same session.

Why it matters: Committee leaders said the Senate position emphasizes reserve strengthening and targeted investments in workforce programs, education infrastructure and water quality while separating scholarship funding into stand-alone accounting to improve transparency.

Votes at a glance: The committee voted to adopt/report favorably on the following measures (committee action shown): SPB 2,500 (General Appropriations Act) ' adopted as amended; SPB 2,502 (implementing statutory changes) ' reported favorably; SPB 2,504 (state employees placeholder) ' reported favorably; SPB 2,506 (natural resources/gaming compact distributions) ' reported favorably; SPB 2,508 (new judgeships certification) ' reported favorably; SPB 2,510 (preK'12 conforming) ' reported favorably; SPB 2,512 (higher education conforming) ' reported favorably; SPB 2,514 (health and human services conforming) ' reported favorably. Several other related budget and statutory conformity bills were also reported favorably during the session.

The committee chair instructed staff to make technical/conforming corrections before the measures proceed to subsequent floor action. The committee adjourned after completing the budget-related portion of the agenda.

Lesser details: The committee heard brief procedural explanation of how the consent agenda would be handled, the barcodes of individual amendments were read into the record, and some members reserved the right to press differences in conference with the House over the treatment of vacant FTE positions. Several senators asked questions during the chairmen's presentations about program details, including how scholarship money would be distributed and whether AP/dual-enrollment funding changes would reduce district flexibility. Those topics were later taken up in the committee's education conforming bill and in a separate bill that the committee considered (CS for SB 7,030).","The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Budget Day adopted SPB 2,500, the Senate's proposed general appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025'26, totaling $117,400,000,000.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6093063,"Senate committee forwards nursing home quality bill that would expand oversight, surveys and reporting",297,9729000,10026000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6&start=9729&end=10026","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6/thumbnail_9729000.jpg","/articles/6093063/Florida/Senate-committee-forwards-nursing-home-quality-bill-that-would-expand-oversight-surveys-and-reporting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093063-190673c0a3ad93a6f97227adcd7551c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770397704&Signature=BY3xatTbEGDQTKvmWdkskx-snJA-39GmpYgnXrT~OlKVbjZDFqhD9C0e9zgP0zk~J6scX8WaCUpfxOBtWKQeH1S9~TqrQzeVSVrB~MvX~5crkNCy~hqwCrkxiKBr-2Vo25oK6c0eLrBxFDcaNHjdouGifKDCPfxK-MByFfeeI-~ECpTgZyzGMrOWdESV1l-0x8c1IajWqVTKkeWXwrtYcGXq8kPSrJam5M3Z-XJt2WmRV5n3061c1SbOflbIeUES4XD~dAgN9nGIWL0gY59cPkchMeYnUtkJAUsG1fiaPvahnt2~9-mTFy3FmlmJorGl-cqwJsAQ-j8gdQKDeZulUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appropriations Committee reported CS for CS for SB 170, a comprehensive bill aimed at strengthening nursing home oversight, quality measurement and regulatory reporting.

Sponsor Senator Burton said the bill complements related budget provisions and implements policy changes intended to improve resident outcomes. \"This bill amends several sections related to the regulation of nursing homes, requires AHCA to develop user-friendly consumer satisfaction surveys to capture resident and family member satisfaction... and incorporate the results of these surveys into the quality incentive portion for Medicaid reimbursement,\" Burton told the committee.

Key provisions in the bill include: requiring user-friendly resident and family satisfaction surveys and incorporating results into Medicaid quality-incentive calculations; requiring nursing-home medical directors to hold recognized certifications or equivalents; mandating biannual patient-safety culture surveys and broader resident-centered quality metrics; requiring nursing homes to maintain electronic health record systems and to make admit/transfer/discharge data available to the state health information exchange; strengthening reporting of financial data and imposing fines for noncompliance with reporting obligations; and directing AHCA to commission a contractor to study national quality and payment systems and report findings by Dec. 1, 2025.

Senator Smith asked whether the survey and benchmarking data would allow comparison to national standards; Burton said the bill was designed to both collect new resident-experience data and to commission a study to identify best practices nationwide. A representative of the Florida Healthcare Association waived in support during the public testimony portion.

Committee action: CS for CS for SB 170 was reported favorably by the committee; the sponsor waived closing remarks and the committee recorded a favorable vote.

Why it matters: The bill ties resident experience and safety-culture metrics to Medicaid quality incentives, requires new reporting and data-exchange requirements, and directs a statewide study to identify practices that improve nursing home quality.

Implementation note: The bill requires AHCA to enhance reporting and to submit findings and recommendations to the legislature; the December 2025 study deadline was included to inform future deliberations.

Quotable: \"This bill is a policy bill that actually corresponds to the bill you voted on just a minute ago presented by Senator Trumbull,\" Senator Burton said. \"It requires AHCA to report to the governor and legislature on payments made under the Medicaid Quality Incentive Program.\"","CS for CS for SB 170 was reported favorably after committee consideration. Sponsors said the bill requires consumer satisfaction and safety-culture surveys, strengthens reporting to AHCA, requires EHR and data reporting, and directs a study of national best practices for nursing home quality.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6093068,"Senate committee advances Tristan Murphy Act to expand pretrial mental health diversion and behavioral health data reporting",642,9958000,10600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6&start=9958&end=10600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6/thumbnail_9958000.jpg","/articles/6093068/Florida/Senate-committee-advances-Tristan-Murphy-Act-to-expand-pretrial-mental-health-diversion-and-behavioral-health-data-reporting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093068-9b61a3c57d8fe3f7d3c5d9f2355e9b5c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770397704&Signature=cIN0wLlbD1E3gv9FHoxdrEnxR4xIZeQnTMAK3ugRIiVKNjGXseqNk5ZymTtNNe~NS881z1UcnrztR7ex3qc~V8piXl297gYGtmwiAj8W72EeOTL04~3FOUJuLCiv8DzBYg5-inYF7M0JSQRC~8swCp8Xz12jdtJria-cxusyPoWvHk2T1ZKDmFtc5FufDZLDNnfbgIYSPxVR0MkkBIP84ykopehDjn7w9BDqP6JRaJYm7KGc9zSQKnunL0e55JwT2ee1-Nm-wDOR~3QqMh0xrgt8UTMuxvnAPytmvGrVIkIIY5WyNZgCK47cbyBjkOAFzGbmQ7BM-Xuig-0xhvXqOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appropriations Committee reported CS for SB 168, the Tristan Murphy Act, which sponsors described as a response to gaps at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice.

Sponsor Senator Bradley told the committee the measure is intended to expand clinically appropriate diversion options and to improve the state's ability to coordinate care for defendants with mental illness. \"This bill makes multiple changes to address mental health in the criminal justice system in an effort to divert clinically appropriate defendants to treatment not jail,\" Bradley said.

Major provisions include: establishing a pretrial misdemeanor and felony mental-health diversion model that allows the court to condition release on treatment compliance and preserves state attorney discretion in admitting felony defendants to diversion; expanding allowable uses of criminal justice mental health reinvestment grants (to include specialized training for 911 operators and EMTs, veteran treatment courts and other services); exempting fiscally constrained counties from certain local match requirements for grants; requiring mental-health evaluations and treatment recommendations for defendants found incompetent who later regain competency and are placed on probation; and directed changes for the Department of Corrections to evaluate inmates' mental health before assigning certain work programs.

The bill also establishes a Florida Behavioral Health Data Repository to collect and analyze behavioral-health information statewide. Senator Bradley accepted a timely amendment (sponsored by Senator Bridal) that names the Northwest Regional Data Center as the lead entity to manage the repository and includes an appropriation to implement it.

Public testimony included mental health advocacy groups and family members supporting the bill. Several senators praised the measure as a step toward keeping clinically appropriate individuals in treatment rather than incarceration; others noted the need for service capacity in local communities.

Committee action: CS for SB 168 was reported favorably by the committee after adoption of the Bridal amendment clarifying the repository manager and adding implementation funding. The sponsor said the measure will provide new community-based pathways and data tools for monitoring outcomes.

Why it matters: The bill creates statutory authority and program structure to expand diversion options across counties, add data collection and reporting, and target grant dollars to build clinical capacity and crisis-response training.","CS for SB 168, known as the Tristan Murphy Act, was reported favorably after the committee approved an amendment clarifying data-repository management. The bill creates a model for misdemeanor and felony pretrial mental health diversion, expands grant uses for local mental health programs, and establishes a statewide behavioral health data hub.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6093074,"Senate committee advances overhaul of scholarship rules to separate 'money-following-the-student' from FEFP",2155,8103000,10258000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6&start=8103&end=10258","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2850059-4c2c77a7f74367c7acde4a785bcab2f6/thumbnail_8103000.jpg","/articles/6093074/Florida/Senate-committee-advances-overhaul-of-scholarship-rules-to-separate-money-following-the-student-from-FEFP","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093074-8f392dbcf7ced644a7bbdb316673efcd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770397704&Signature=Mv9TaCaw2BDWmKWarzNmaF~4ezfZ5fwZRaEXlnCaElO1GX0kv5p~XQpTxu4gtJOWRJw7D4mGChtzjXRC64tealocfzCJHBq9eQ65UeQBjSFjrpEO4sm6fMZ4SmhPbEGrWq5L30hVMs4E5fxlUZ0HsoWzTbAxtPDIDpRYjDbLgBc3c7-VMYgsHWenFHaqPMSruHX0u7rCUOq0Rg9Xr3ZtmcAeUCP0DL5pWXdb5G8amq9gT6wiAHZq3sPgM1507kZVOByAaEHNBvl~3q0WDMOOwselLnyIL2lBLUi9c3cDUXFifoU9qz~atTNl2VIqpXtWSxSpEbYESKo3c5AlJdMToA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appropriations Committee reported CS for SB 7,030, a broad package of changes to Florida's educational scholarship and scholarship-adjacent funding mechanisms, after extended debate and a timely amendment to clarify hybrid service delivery for some students.

President Gates, who presented the measure, framed the bill as a response to rapidly growing school choice and scholarship enrollment. \"Today there are 543,000 students in scholarship programs,\" Gates said. \"That's 16% of school age children in Florida and the numbers are rising.\" Gates told the committee the bill separates Family Empowerment Scholarship funding from the FEFP formula and creates a new student-identification number for scholarship recipients so the state can track where subsidized students are enrolled.

Key provisions discussed in committee include: requiring a single application for all scholarship programs; adding additional documentation at initial application (including proof of residence and birth records); assigning a unique student ID to scholarship recipients; moving scholarship and district payments to a monthly cycle (with a two-month front-loaded payment for homeschool families); requiring families to verify eligibility prior to each payment; standardizing invoicing and reimbursements for homeschool spending; and creating a school-year-end audit by the Auditor General with repayment requirements for scholarship funding organizations if overpayments are identified.

Several senators asked operation-focused questions about timing and cash flow. Senator Polsky and Senator Smith pressed whether the monthly payment cycle and up-front two-month payment for homeschool families would reduce backlogs and speed first-year disbursements. Gates said district representatives told the committee they could accommodate the monthly schedule and that the changes, along with the student ID and monthly verification, would reduce instances of funds going to the wrong provider.

Public testimony included representatives of private and religious schools who warned that earlier deadlines and new verification requirements could risk payments when new schools open late in the summer or when families relocate into Florida after the May 31 initial deadline. A representative of private schools suggested allowance for follow-up corrections for missed parent verifications as long as the student was in fact enrolled and no fraud was present.

Why it matters: The bill would alter how roughly $4 billion in state-funded scholarships are administered and tracked, changing both the administrative timeline and documentation requirements for families, scholarship-funding organizations, and school districts.

Committee action: CS for SB 7,030 was reported favorably by the committee following a friendly technical amendment (barcode 503386) clarifying a hybrid-option for certain unique-abilities scholarship recipients. The sponsor said additional technical refinements could follow before floor consideration.

What the committee did not decide: The bill introduces multiple operational and reporting changes but does not itself appropriate the total dollars for scholarship programs; appropriation levels will be set in the General Appropriations Act, which the committee adopted earlier in the same meeting.

Quotable: \"We need a clearer ability to estimate or project student choice accurately,\" Gates said. \"One of the reasons we don't know where students are at different points is because we don't have a tracking number.\"","CS for SB 7,030 moves out of the Appropriations Committee after extended debate. Sponsors said the bill creates a student ID for scholarship recipients, monthly payments, standardized applications, and a separate line item for family empowerment scholarships to improve tracking and payment timeliness.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances broad water-management bill with Everglades funding and local referendum protections

Senate Appropriations Committee adopts $117.4 billion general appropriations bill, advances implementing measures

Senate committee forwards nursing home quality bill that would expand oversight, surveys and reporting

Senate committee advances Tristan Murphy Act to expand pretrial mental health diversion and behavioral health data reporting

Senate committee advances overhaul of scholarship rules to separate 'money-following-the-student' from FEFP