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FloridaHB 11212026HouseWALLET

Aging and Disability Services

Sponsored By: Alex Rizo (Republican)

Signed by Governor

AppropriationHuman Services SubcommitteeHealth Care Budget SubcommitteeHealth & Human Services CommitteeRules

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

10 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 5 mixed.

Faster community care for high-risk adults

Beginning July 1, 2026, qualifying high-risk adults get priority consideration for Community Care for the Elderly services. This covers vulnerable adults identified through protective investigations as needing services. It also covers high-risk abuse, neglect, or exploitation victims needing immediate help and referred by adult protective services. Assessment and services must start within 72 hours after referral, or follow local protocols established through department contracts.

Priority long-term care for qualifying adults

Beginning July 1, 2026, three groups get priority Medicaid managed long-term care enrollment without screening or joining the pre-enrollment list. One group is adults ages 18–20 with a chronic, debilitating condition generally requiring round-the-clock medical, nursing, or health supervision or intervention. Another is residents requesting community transition after at least 60 consecutive days in a Florida-licensed skilled nursing facility. The third is high-risk adults referred by the Department of Children and Families and temporarily placed in department-funded assisted living. All three groups must still meet the program’s other eligibility requirements.

Required enrollment through aging resource centers

Beginning July 1, 2026, covered state service payments in designated areas require screening and enrollment through an aging and disability resource center. This includes Medicaid managed long-term care; payment restrictions phase in as eligible plans become available. Centers can directly provide information, referrals, outreach, screening, and intake. They need a Department of Elderly Affairs waiver to provide other direct services.

New screening rules for long-term care

Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida maintains a statewide pre-enrollment list for Medicaid managed long-term care services at home or in community settings. Except for groups allowed to bypass the list, applicants must complete screening before placement. Frailty-based scores set priority; ties go to the person with the oldest list placement date. Enrollment offers depend on available funding, and applicants must meet financial and medical eligibility requirements. High-priority applicants need rescreening each year or after notice of a significant change. Applicants contacted to schedule screening must respond within 30 calendar days. After failed contact, centers and partners must reschedule within 30 days, or applicants risk removal from the screening process.

Home-care supplements can cover food

Beginning July 1, 2026, special home-care subsidy supplements can cover food, nutritional supplements, other goods and services, and specialized care. This applies to eligible older people receiving home-care subsidy payments. The extra help must be necessary to maintain the person’s health, safety, and well-being. The law sets no new payment amount.

More training and penalties for guardians

Beginning July 1, 2026, professional guardians need 30 hours of continuing education every two calendar years after their initial 40-hour training year. Courses must be approved or offered by the Office of Public and Professional Guardians. Continuing education includes one hour on Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders; guardianship-law training falls from four hours to three. Training costs cannot be charged to the assets of the person under guardianship. The office can fine a guardian up to $500 per violation after finding a covered violation; fines are not automatic. Other discipline includes added education, monitoring, suspension, or registration revocation.

Broader access to guardianship investigation records

Beginning July 1, 2026, the Office of Public and Professional Guardians can subpoena records relevant to its investigations. This covers financial institutions, insurers, caregivers, care facilities, professional guardians, and their employees; courts can enforce substantial failures to comply. Clerks can share confidential guardianship information with the Department of Elderly Affairs for purposes authorized by court order. The office’s director no longer needs Florida Bar membership, but still needs knowledge of guardianship law and services for incapacitated people. By August 1, 2026, the department must send legislative leaders specified unredacted office records, including 2025 complaints and investigative records.

New delivery rules for community care

Beginning July 1, 2026, Community Care for the Elderly services use a single lead agency designated by the area agency on aging. The department or its contracting agency must contract for core services. An area agency can provide core services directly only when the lead agency cannot perform its duties and the department approves. Lead agencies must build local partnerships to help people remain safely in their communities, extending this support beyond older adults. The law authorizes training before service and annually for providers and staff; the department must set training standards by rule.

Care assessments guide long-term care payments

Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida’s CARES assessment program performs or reviews initial managed long-term care assessments and assigns care levels. Level 1 covers nursing-home residence or placement needs; Level 2 covers imminent risk with substantial health needs. Level 3 covers imminent risk with milder needs, and payment rates adjust as assessed needs change. The department can develop fixed per-person provider rates before a resource center opens. Rates use past state service costs for people age 60 or older, may vary by area, and require actuarial certification before payment. Rates receive annual reviews and adjustments for inflation and program changes, and can cover individual programs or bundled services.

Tighter spending controls for aging agencies

Beginning July 1, 2026, area agencies on aging must competitively solicit purchases of goods or contracted services costing more than $35,000. Requests must reach vendors simultaneously and state submission, public-opening, contract, and evaluation details. Executive salary paid from state and federal funds is capped at 150% of the Secretary of Elderly Affairs’ annual salary. The cap applies across department contracts but does not bar cash payments from non-appropriated state funds. The department must put spending-rule penalties or sanctions in agency contracts and impose them for noncompliance. It can also use corrective action, financial penalties, probation, temporary program takeover, or moratoria for specified failures, including poor budget management.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Alex Rizo

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Fabián Basabe

    Republican • House

  • Human Services Subcommittee

    Affiliation unavailable

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 148 • No: 2

Senate vote • 3/11/2026

Senate Floor Vote

Yes: 35 • No: 0

House vote • 2/25/2026

House Floor Vote

Yes: 113 • No: 2

Actions Timeline

  1. Chapter No. 2026-74

    5/12/2026

  2. Approved by Governor

    5/11/2026

  3. Signed by Officers and presented to Governor

    4/30/2026

  4. Ordered enrolled

    3/11/2026House

  5. In Messages

    3/11/2026House

  6. CS passed; YEAS 35 NAYS 0 -SJ 782

    3/11/2026Senate

  7. Read 3rd time -SJ 782

    3/11/2026Senate

  8. Read 2nd time -SJ 782

    3/11/2026Senate

  9. Substituted for CS/SB 1630 -SJ 782

    3/11/2026Senate

  10. Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading

    3/11/2026Senate

  11. Withdrawn from Rules -SJ 781

    3/11/2026Senate

  12. Received

    2/26/2026Senate

  13. Referred to Rules

    2/26/2026Senate

  14. In Messages

    2/25/2026Senate

  15. CS passed; YEAS 113, NAYS 2

    2/25/2026House

  16. Read 3rd time

    2/25/2026House

  17. Added to Third Reading Calendar

    2/25/2026House

  18. Read 2nd time

    2/25/2026House

  19. Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026)

    2/19/2026House

  20. Added to Second Reading Calendar

    2/18/2026House

  21. Bill released to House Calendar

    2/18/2026House

  22. Reported out of Health & Human Services Committee

    2/18/2026House

  23. Favorable by Health & Human Services Committee

    2/18/2026House

  24. Added to Health & Human Services Committee agenda

    2/16/2026House

  25. Now in Health & Human Services Committee

    2/5/2026House

Bill Text

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