DeSantis signs state budget
Today, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-2027, a $117.6 billion spending plan “that reflects nearly eight years of conservative leadership anchored by fiscal discipline, responsible governance, and strategic investment.
“Following nearly $810 million in line-item vetoes, the budget marks the fourth consecutive year of declining state spending while continuing record investments in education, infrastructure, public safety, environmental conservation, and economic opportunity,” the release from his office states. “The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget represents the culmination of an administration that proved conservative governance can simultaneously reduce the size of government, pay down debt, build record reserves, lower taxes, and make historic investments in Florida’s future.”
“Over the last seven and a half years, Florida has set the national standard for conservative governance, while breaking record after record in economic strength, education, and environmental stewardship,” DeSantis said. “We’ve delivered billions in tax relief to families while making historic investments in the priorities that matter most to Floridians. The FY 2026-2027 Budget I signed today reflects the core priorities I laid out from the beginning. This budget protects taxpayers’ interests, cuts spending for the fourth year in a row, and makes meaningful investments to build on Florida’s successes in education, public safety, environmental conservation, infrastructure, cancer research, and more. I’m proud that Florida continues to serve as the prime example of fiscal responsibility and government that works for the people of our state.”
According to the release:
• State spending has declined for four consecutive years while Florida has continued to invest in its highest priorities.
• Florida has maxed out its Rainy-Day fund to its constitutional limit of $5.0 billion, up from its initial balance of $1.5 billion in 2019.
• Florida has maintained balanced budgets and earned AAA credit ratings from every major credit rating agency.
• Total state reserves have grown to nearly $18 billion, providing one of the strongest fiscal positions in the nation.
• More than 50 percent of all state debt accumulated since statehood has been repaid ahead of schedule, with Florida now on track to retire approximately 52%.
• State government has reduced more than 1,300 positions while Florida’s population has grown by more than ten percent, maintaining the lowest number of state employees per capita among the nation’s largest states.
• Floridians have received nearly $9.7 billion in tax relief, including the complete repeal of the commercial rent tax, saving businesses approximately $2.7 billion annually.
• Since 2019, Florida has increased funding for the Florida Education Finance Program by more than $8 billion, bringing total K-12 funding to a record $30 billion while raising per-student funding to $9,338-the highest level in state history. The administration has also invested $7.1 billion toward teacher salary increases, expanded the nation’s leading school choice programs, strengthened civics education, and maintained Florida’s position as the nation’s leader in higher education and education freedom.
• The state’s economy has grown to nearly $1.8 trillion, representing approximately 65 percent growth since 2019. Florida continues to lead the nation in new business formations, with more than 3.8 million new businesses created during the Governor’s tenure, while strategic investments in workforce education, transportation infrastructure, and economic development continue positioning Florida for long-term success.
• Secured nearly $9.5 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality improvements-the largest environmental investment in Florida history since taking office.
Tax holidays and exemptions
DeSantis approved a permanent Back-to-School tax holiday and made previous temporary holidays on disaster preparedness items permanent.
Commodities permanently exempt from state sales taxes include baby and toddler products, diapers, sunscreen, insect repellent, and admissions to Florida State Parks. The budget provides a second consecutive Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday, from Sept. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2026, on the retail sale of firearms, ammunition and related accessories, crossbows and related accessories, camping supplies, and fishing supplies. After a launch in 2025, the holiday is expanded to include additional firearm accessories and doubles the price of eligible fishing bait and tackle eligible for savings.
The holiday will save Florida’s hunters, anglers, and campers $40 million in sales taxes next year, the release states.
The budget also builds on a prior tax holiday to assist Floridians in home hardening improvements to lower insurance premiums and increase their defenses against severe weather. As enacted, the budget includes a sales tax refund of up to $500 per eligible residential property for sales tax paid on impact-resistant windows and doors purchased from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.
Education
The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget provides what his office says is an historic $30 billion in funding for the K-12 public school system.
“This will include the highest per student investment ever, providing $9,338 per student, an increase of $150 over last year. This investment will also cover the costs of nearly 500,000 students who are projected to participate in Florida’s school choice program-the Family Empowerment Scholarship.”
Additional funding highlights for Florida’s K-12 students include:
• $1.56 billion to provide salary increases for teachers and other instructional personnel, an increase of $200 million over FY 2025-2026.
• $1.65 billion for early childhood education, including $431 million for Voluntary Prekindergarten.
• $290 million for the Safe Schools Allocation.
• $15.4 million to support civics engagement programs, including $7 million for the Florida Civics Seal of Excellence Program.
For colleges and universities, the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget recommends:
• $1.8 billion for the Florida College System
• $3.9 billion for the State University System
• $158.6 million for Florida’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Workforce investment
The FY 2026-27 Budget invests $732 million for workforce education programs, ensuring that Floridians can continue to access workforce education opportunities that lead to high-demand, high-wage jobs. This investment includes:
• $130 million for nursing education programs to help address nursing vacancies.
• $473.5 million in operational funding for Florida’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
• $20 million for the Governor’s Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program to support pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs for high school and college students.
Economic Growth
Florida is the fastest growing state in the nation with U.S. News & World Report, in 2025, ranking Florida as the No. 1 economy in the nation for the third consecutive year.
To support Florida’s transportation network and infrastructure, the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget invests:
• $14.4 billion for the state transportation work program to construct and maintain Florida’s transportation network.
• $4.9 billion for highway construction and maintenance to include 181 new lane miles, and $1.4 billion to resurface 2,622 lane miles.
• $155.5 million in seaport infrastructure improvements to ensure Florida’s ports continue to have capacity while the rest of the nation struggles from supply chain backups at seaports, and $374.7 million for aviation improvements.
To help create new jobs and support business development throughout the state, the FY 2026-27 Budget invests:
• $40 million for the Job Growth Grant Fund to support local infrastructure and workforce training projects.
• $80 million to continue marketing efforts through VISIT FLORIDA.
Rural communities investment includes:
• $27 million for the Rural Infrastructure Fund to support local infrastructure projects that help attract jobs.
• $81.8 million for the Small County Outreach Program to assist small county governments in repairing infrastructure.
Workforce housing:
To support workforce housing, the FY 2026-27 Budget includes:
• $165.7 million for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program.
• $70.8 million for the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program.
• $50 million for the Hometown Heroes Housing program to provide down payment and closing cost assistance for hard-working Floridian heroes, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, educators, healthcare professionals, childcare employees, and active military or veterans.
Law Enforcement and Military
The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget includes $19.8 million in pay increases for sworn state law enforcement officers.
• $20 million for the sixth year of the Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program, which provides a signing bonus of up to $5,000 for those hired as first-time law enforcement officers in Florida.
• A $2.5 million pay increase for state firefighters.
• $52 million to support National Guard facilities and guardsmen seeking higher education degrees.
• $15 million to continue the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (S.A.F.E.) Program to continue to assist local governments in their fight against drugs.
• $1.5 million for the Defense Reinvestment Grant Program, which provides funding for infrastructure projects that make a positive impact on the military value of installations within the state.
• $6 million for the Florida Defense Support Commission, which supports the Florida defense industry by awarding grants and guiding the future of military installation operations in the state.
Everglades and Water Quality & Supply
The Budget includes $1.2 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality, bringing the total investment during the Governor’s second term to almost $6 billion, and bringing the investment during the Governor’s tenure to nearly $9.5 billion.
This includes continued investments in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the landmark dollar-for-dollar commitment between the state and the Federal government to restore America’s Everglades. This summer, during the 25th Anniversary year of CERP, we reached a historic agreement with the Trump Administration to accelerate CERP, including critical components of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) and EAA Reservoir. Of the $665 million dedicated to Everglades restoration, the budget allocates $475 million for CERP.
Within that amount $450 million of those funds directly supports CEPP, fully funding all remaining components of state-funded portions of the EAA Reservoir and CEPP South-Blue Shanty Flow-way. This investment ensures that the landmark of Everglades restoration is achieved and delivered five years ahead of schedule.
In addition, the budget provides $50 million for specific project components designed to achieve the greatest reductions in harmful discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Estuaries and $79 million for the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program.
To continue protecting Florida’s water quality and supply, the budget includes $396 million for targeted water quality improvements to achieve significant, meaningful, and measurable nutrient reductions in key waterbodies. This includes:
• $301 million for local water projects to construct, upgrade, or expand wastewater facilities, including septic to sewer conversions, stormwater management projects, and agricultural nutrient reduction projects.
• $45 million is provided for the priority areas of the Indian River Lagoon and Biscayne Bay.
• $20 million to accelerate projects to meet scientific nutrient reduction goals, called Total Maximum Daily Loads.
• $30 million for water quality improvement projects through the Water Management Districts.
Additional water quality investments include $50 million to restore Florida’s world-renowned springs and for land acquisition to protect springsheds as well as $23 million to improve water quality and combat the impacts of harmful algal blooms, including blue-green algae and red tide. The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget includes $50 million for the Alternative Water Supply Grant Program to help communities plan for and implement vital conservation, reuse and other alternative water supply projects.
The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget invests $63 million in Florida’s State Parks for infrastructure improvements and resource management. The budget also includes $150 million to protect Florida’s conservation lands and waterways to ensure Florida’s prized properties are accessible for future generations of Florida families. This funding includes $150 million for the Florida Forever Program, the state’s blueprint for conserving Florida’s natural and recreation lands, including those located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Florida is home to 1,300 miles of coastline which plays an important role in Florida’s economy and quality of life, attracting visitors from across the world and providing an invaluable defense against hurricanes. The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget includes $64 million in beach nourishment funding to bolster our shorelines.
The FY 2026-27 Budget also prioritizes the protection of Florida’s working agricultural lands and family farms, providing an appropriation of $425 million to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program to enter into perpetual conservation easements. To preserve Florida’s iconic citrus industry, the budget invests more than $175 million for citrus research and the Citrus Health Response Program. This includes $7 million for research and additional advertising by the Department of Citrus.
The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget also includes $15 million to restore Florida’s Oyster reefs, including $11 million in Apalachicola Bay. Over the last two decades, bay wide declines in oyster reef size from over 2,000 acres to less than 100 acres resulted in a reduction of oyster populations that led to the ongoing fishery closure, instituted in 2020. This project will provide for continued restoration in Apalachicola Bay in support of sustainable oyster reefs that protect and enhance the ecosystem services this natural resource provides to the public.
To further protect Florida’s rural areas and communities surrounded by Florida’s beautiful forests, the budget provides $4 million to support the replanting of trees and timber impacted by hurricanes and natural disasters, in addition to investing over $104 million in Florida’s efforts to effectively combat wildfires including equipment, and wildfire suppression activities, such as prescribed burning.
The FY 2026-27 Budget also includes $193 million for the cleanup of contaminated sites with a focus on promoting redevelopment of these areas once cleanup has been completed.
Health
To support mental health resiliency and those suffering from substance abuse, the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget recommends:
• More than $73 million for behavioral health services, including support for forensic bed capacity and operations of the state mental health treatment facilities.
• More than $164.6 million from the nationwide Opioid Settlement Agreement to continue support for the Office of Opioid Recovery. Florida is using opioid settlement funds to expand life-saving treatment, prevention, and recovery services statewide, helping communities fight addiction, support families, and reduce opioid-related deaths. $166 million to sustain and expand opioid recovery across the state.
To support important cancer research, the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget includes:
• $127.5 million for the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program, which supports cancer research, clinical trials, and efforts to improve patient cancer care through Florida’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer centers.
• $70 million for the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund, including a $10 million increase, to help researchers develop and advance new cancer treatments and technologies.
• $30 million to support the Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator, which is initially focused on accelerating research and improving outcomes for children with cancer.
The budget adds $2 million to expand testing for contaminants like heavy metals, bacteria, pesticides, and microplastics, ensuring safer food and household items for Floridians. This investment reduces health risks, promotes transparency, builds consumer confidence, and supports Florida’s Make America Healthy Again Agenda.
To support Florida’s mothers, their children, and the children in the child welfare system, the budget includes an increase of more than $90.3 million to strengthen these efforts.
This includes $28.3 million for Community-Based Care lead agencies’ risk pool to address unexpected child welfare needs and support independent peer reviews that promote accountability and continuous improvement, $24.9 million to maintain adoption subsidies for families who adopt children from Florida’s child welfare system, $11.1 million to increase foster care room and board rates for licensed foster families, and $10.1 million to expand extended foster care services for young adults transitioning to independence. Additionally, $1 million will expand statewide digital recruitment for foster parents and Guardian ad Litem volunteers, further strengthening stability and community connections for children.
Seniors and those with disabilities
The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget includes:
• An increase of $3 million, for a total of $73.1 million to serve additional seniors as part of the Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative.
• An additional $7.5 million, for a total of $131 million to increase services through the Community Care for the Elderly Program and the Home Care for the Elderly Program. Funding will provide additional support for seniors at risk for out of home placement.
• To support Floridians with unique abilities, the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget includes an increase of over $10 million in funding to allow additional individuals with disabilities to be provided with necessary services through the Home and Community Based Services Waiver.
• The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget invests an additional $4.2 million to support capital improvements for the state-run veterans’ nursing homes.
Source: Office of the Governor