Gov. Ron DeSantis detailed plans in his $117 billion "Floridians First" budget for the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year during a press conference in Orlando this week.
"It's always good to be in a situation where we're being able to do this from a position of fiscal strength," DeSantis said. "If you look back, when I became governor, there was about, I think $1.3 billion in Florida's rainy day fund. Now, with this budget, we’ve more than tripled the state’s rainy day fund. In fact, we’re maxing it out to where you’re not even allowed under Florida’s Constitution to put any more money in the rainy day fund.”
Gov. DeSantis' budget proposal is the final of his eight-year term and comes ahead of the start of Florida's Legislative Session in January. The governor detailed specific plans at the press conference and on social media, which can be found below.
Education:
- $1.56B in teacher pay increases
- $1.7B in early child education.
- $30.6B in funding for the K-12 public school system.
- $1.9B for the State University System.
- $130M for nursing education programs to address nursing vaccines.
- $100M for the State University System to recruit and retain teachers.
Transportation:
- $15.4B to the Department of Transportation.
- $14.3B for the state transportation work program.
Law Enforcement and Military:
- $13.5M to Florida law enforcement.
- $25M for the Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program.
- $15M in additional funding for the Florida State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication. (S.A.F.E.) Program.
- $62M for Florida State Guard members.
- $91.7M for support for National Guard facilities, along with helping guards get higher ed degrees, retention bonuses, and health insurance premium reimbursements.
Fiscal Strength:
- $118M invested to max-out Florida's Rainy Day Fund to its constitutional maximum of $5 billion, tripling the balance of $1.5 billion at the start of the governor's tenure.
- $300M for pro property tax relief discussions.
- $1.09B in total reserves, increasing Florida's FY 2026-2027 reserves to $16.75 billion.
Health Care:
- $8.6M to aid capital improvements for the State Veterans Nursing Homes.
- $278M for cancer research initiatives, including $40M for the Cancer Collaborative Incubator and $10M to establish the Casey DeSantis Cancer Innovation, Care, and Research Fund.
- $36.6M to support child welfare programs, including foster parents, caregivers, and community-based services.
- $159M for behavioral health programs, including diversion and discharge resources.
- $20M to aid individuals with unique abilities.
- $7.5M to boost services through the Community Care for the Elderly Program and the Home Care for the Elderly Program.
- $31.8M to sustain and increase the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network
Environmental and Natural Resources:
- $1.4 million in Everglades restoration projects and water quality programs
- $208M to fortify Florida's coastline, including beach improvements
