Florida SB 2502: Implementing the 2026-2027 General Appropriations Act

Bill Text

2502 
Implementing the 2026-2027 General Appropriations Act 
2026-02-18T14:14:14Z 
Revising the services required to be provided by regional consortium service organizations under certain circumstances; creating the Regional Consortia Service Organization Supplemental Services Program; establishing the Rural Incentive for Professional Educators (RIPE) Program within the Department of Education for a specified purpose; authorizing the Agency for Health Care Administration to submit a budget amendment requesting additional spending authority to implement specified programs and payments, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2502 

 By the Committee on Appropriations 

 576-02995-26 20262502__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act implementing the 2026-2027 General 
 3 Appropriations Act; providing legislative intent; 
 4 incorporating by reference certain calculations; 
 5 amending s. 1001.451, F.S.; revising the services 
 6 required to be provided by regional consortium service 
 7 organizations under certain circumstances; revising 
 8 the allocation that certain regional consortium 
 9 service organizations are eligible to receive from the 
 10 General Appropriations Act; requiring regional 
 11 consortium service organizations to submit certain 
 12 annual reports to the Department of Education; 
 13 requiring the carry forward of certain unexpended 
 14 funds; requiring each regional consortium service 
 15 organization to provide quarterly financial reports to 
 16 member districts; requiring member districts to 
 17 designate fiscal agent districts for certain purposes; 
 18 providing for compensation of fiscal agent districts; 
 19 providing for certain personnel recommendations, 
 20 policies, salary schedules, and job descriptions; 
 21 authorizing the purchase or lease of property and 
 22 facilities; providing for the distribution of certain 
 23 revenues upon dissolution of a regional consortium 
 24 service organization; revising authorized means of 
 25 revenue generation; requiring the establishment of a 
 26 fund balance for certain purposes; providing for the 
 27 future expiration and reversion of specified statutory 
 28 text; creating s. 1001.4511, F.S.; creating the 
 29 Regional Consortia Service Organization Supplemental 
 30 Services Program; authorizing the use of program funds 
 31 for specified purposes; requiring each regional 
 32 consortium service organization to annually report 
 33 certain information to the Legislature; authorizing 
 34 the carryforward of certain funds; creating s. 
 35 1009.635, F.S.; establishing the Rural Incentive for 
 36 Professional Educators (RIPE) Program within the 
 37 Department of Education for a specified purpose; 
 38 providing eligibility requirements for the program; 
 39 providing for student loan repayment assistance, up to 
 40 a specified amount; requiring the department to verify 
 41 certain participant information before disbursement of 
 42 an award; specifying that the program is administered 
 43 by the Office of Student Financial Assistance within 
 44 the department; requiring the State Board of Education 
 45 to adopt rules by a specified date; authorizing 
 46 certain state university boards of trustees to accept 
 47 a health care provider’s procurement methods and 
 48 construction contracts under certain circumstances; 
 49 authorizing the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical 
 50 University board of trustees to expend available 
 51 reserves or carryforward certain balances for a 
 52 specified purpose; authorizing the Agency for Health 
 53 Care Administration to submit a budget amendment to 
 54 realign Medicaid funding for specified purposes, 
 55 subject to certain limitations; authorizing the Agency 
 56 for Health Care Administration to submit a budget 
 57 amendment to realign funding within the Florida 
 58 Kidcare program appropriation categories or to 
 59 increase budget authority for certain purposes; 
 60 specifying the time period within which such budget 
 61 amendment must be submitted; amending s. 381.986, 
 62 F.S.; extending for 1 fiscal year the exemption of 
 63 certain rules pertaining to the medical use of 
 64 marijuana from certain rulemaking requirements; 
 65 authorizing the Agency for Health Care Administration 
 66 to submit a budget amendment requesting additional 
 67 spending authority to implement specified programs and 
 68 payments; requiring institutions participating in a 
 69 specified workforce expansion and education program to 
 70 provide quarterly reports to the agency; authorizing 
 71 the Agency for Health Care Administration to submit a 
 72 budget amendment for a specified purpose; authorizing 
 73 the Agency for Health Care Administration to submit a 
 74 budget amendment requesting additional spending 
 75 authority to implement the Low Income Pool component 
 76 of the Florida Managed Medical Assistance 
 77 Demonstration up