Final Status of FCCB Budget Priorities and Concerns
The legislature passed a $117.46 billion state budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year that starts July 1. The budget will go to Governor Ron DeSantis, who has line-item veto authority, for his approval.
Prison Funding
In addition to continued operational funding, the legislature added $100 million in recurring funds to begin to tackle capital improvements at prisons. This is an initial step to address what consultants KPMG determined is at least a $6 billion need over the next 20 years to mitigate challenges. Catholic Days Backgrounder
Health Care
This year, the legislature made historic investments in health care—over $33 billion total (almost 30% of the state’s overall budget)—to ensure that Floridians have better access to high quality care in settings that are appropriate for their needs.
Examples of these investments include:
~ Over $200 million to recruit and retain a highly skilled health care workforce
~ $200 million to expand access to care for moms and babies
~ Over $300 million to improve access to mental health services
~ Over $300 million to support Floridians living in nursing homes
~ Almost $350M to provide services for those living with disabilities
~ $50 million to promote innovation in the delivery of care
Because health care is a basic right that protects human dignity, FCCB has always supported expanding access to high quality care for all Floridians.
Pregnancy Support Services
The Florida Pregnancy Care Network (FPCN) maintains its annual finding 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 fully-funded with $408 million in 2024-2025, of which $174 million goes to the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program (SHIP) and $234 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.
School Security Funding
The budget includes a $5 million allocation for the School Security Assessment Grant Program, which provides funding to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to offer grants to local law enforcement agencies to conduct security assessments, develop active assailant response protocols and training, and provide consultation and guidance on the development of a threat management program to private schools.
Scholarship Funding
The following allocations are included in the budget for PreK-12 scholarship programs:
~ $18.05 million for the Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program to support public postsecondary institutions and independent colleges and universities in providing dual enrollment to private and homeschool students.
~ Nearly $438.14 million for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK), including a 3% increase in the VPK base student allocation to support Florida’s free half-day PreK-4 instruction available to all Florida families.
~ $1.2 billion for the School Readiness Program to assist Florida’s working families with early learning and child care costs.
~ $24 million for New Worlds Scholarship Accounts to provide scholarships to assist VPK students experiencing significant difficulties in reading or math.
Base Student Allocation
A $1.8 billion increase is made to the Florida Education Finance Program, including a 3.72% increase to the base student allocation increasing support for Florida’s per-student education funding.
