Lawmakers on Florida’s House-Senate Conference Committee will approve a $117.46 billion state budget this week.
A conference committee of the House and Senate announced Tuesday morning that they had reached an agreement on the spending plan.
That triggered the required 72-hour “cooling-off” period before lawmakers can vote on the budget, meaning the legislature could conclude its work and adjourn on time this Friday.
House Bill 5001 includes a $1.8 billion increase in funding for public schools during the current fiscal year. That represents a $240 increase in per-student spending.
There is also a 3 percent pay raise for state employees, with additional increases for the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The budget authorizes the payment of $500 million in state debt, provides significant tax relief, and sets aside record state reserves.
Additional legislation passed by both chambers includes historic funding to grow Florida’s health care workforce and new investments dedicated to the environment and Florida’s clean water resilience.
“We wisely used pandemic funds to make critical, once-in-a-generation investments in our infrastructure, from roads and bridges to educational facilities, drinking water, and coastal resilience,” said Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples). “Our revenues are increasing, but instead of spending everything we have, we are paying down debt, setting aside historic reserves, and providing significant tax relief, so Floridians can keep more of the money they work so hard to earn.”
“Our Health and Human Services budget complements the historic allocations throughout our Live Healthy legislation with significant investments to improve the health and well-being of the most vulnerable in our state, particularly our children, seniors, and fellow Floridians with disabilities,” said Sen. Gayle Harrell (R-Stuart), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services. “We are also increasing funding to support independent living for our youth in the child welfare system, raising the level of respite support for families affected by Alzheimer’s, and expanding needed services for those struggling with substance abuse.”
Once again, we commit to the long-term care of our veterans by providing funding for our ninth state veterans’ nursing home in Collier County, ensuring Florida remains the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.
“We continue our long-standing efforts to preserve Florida’s unique natural resources and make critical improvements to our environmental and clean water infrastructure,” said Sen. Jason Brodeur (R-Sanford), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government. “These investments benefit current and future generations of Floridians while safeguarding Florida’s economy as our pristine natural features continue to attract visitors from across the country and around the world.”
Image: Wqcs
