Legislators returned to Tallahassee for two weeks in October for interim committee meetings in preparation for the 2026 Legislative Session. The meetings were used to update legislators on policy and funding issues approved during the 2025 Legislative Session and to workshop potential policy matters that may be addressed in the coming session. Legislators will reconvene for four more interim committee weeks before the Regular Session begins on January 13, 2026:
- November 3-7, 2025
- November 17-21, 2025
- December 1-5, 2025
- December 8-12, 2025
Property Tax Proposals
House Speaker Daniel Perez issued a memorandum on October 16, 2025, outlining a series of property tax reform proposals. Building off the work of the House Select Committee on Property Taxes, members of the committee filed multiple joint resolutions (HJR201, 203, 205, 207, 209, 211, 213) and a companion bill (HB 215). The Speaker emphasized that the final decision on property tax policy should rest with voters, allowing Floridians to approve some, all, or none of the proposals. Each measure includes safeguards prohibiting any reduction in law enforcement funding and exempts school property taxes. To date, the Senate has not released any property tax proposals.
Budget Update – General Revenue Estimates / Legislative Budget Requests
The Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research released the Long-Range Financial Outlook Report, which was approved by the Legislative Budget Commission meeting on September 12. This report offers a multi-year view of Florida’s fiscal position. As a result of actions taken by the Legislature in the 2025 Session, the state’s near-term financial outlook has improved significantly. However, despite these improvements, the 2025 Outlook anticipates a substantial deficit of more than $6.5 billion in the third year (2028–29). The four most significant budget drivers for the projected deficit include Medicaid expenditures, K-12 education and scholarship vouchers, the state health insurance program, and the Emergency Response Fund.
The State Court System’s Legislative Budget Request (LBR) for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 was submitted to the Governor’s Office by September 15, 2025. All agency LBRs were due at this time in order for the Governor to compile proposed budget recommendations. The Governor’s recommendations must be submitted to the legislature at least 30 days before the beginning of the 2026 Legislative Session.
Legislation Update and Deadlines
To date, a little over 250 of the more than 2,000 expected bills for the 2026 Legislative Session have been filed. The number of bill filings is expected to increase rapidly in the coming committee weeks. All House bills must be submitted to bill drafting by Friday, November 21, and filed and published electronically by Friday, January 9, 2026 (the Friday before the first day of regular session). In the Senate, bills must be filed by noon on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the first day of session.