Proposed Budget Highlights
The proposed budget includes record funding for education, environmental resources, and law enforcement. In general, the budget includes $225 million to provide pay increases for state employees; other funding recommendations include:
Taxpayer Savings
- $1 billion through a fuel tax holiday, reducing the tax motor fuel by $0.25 per gallon (funded by the State Fiscal Recovery Fund).
- $57.4 million through a 7-day Freedom Week sales tax holiday covering certain outdoor recreation purchases.
- $72.9 million through a 10-day Back-to-School sales tax holiday covering certain purchases of clothing, school supplies and computers.
- $11 million through a 10-day Disaster Preparedness sales tax holiday covering items needed during disasters including generators up to $1,000.
- $14.7 million through permanent elimination of fees charged for obtaining a state identification card.
Education
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$600 million, an increase of $50 million, to continue efforts to raise the minimum K-12 teacher salary to $47,500 plus salary increases for veteran teachers and instructional personnel.
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$23.9 billion in total funding for the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), including increases for the Base Student Allocation ($124 per pupil), mental health allocation ($20 million), safe school initiatives ($30 million), and instructional materials ($21 million).
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The budget does not include any tuition or fee increases for the state’s colleges and universities.
Environment
- $980 million dedicated for Everglades restoration and protection of water resources.
- $552 million for resiliency planning and coral reef protection. ($500 million funded by the State Fiscal Recovery Fund).
- $50 million for beach nourishment to protect the state’s coastline.
- $137 million for cleanup of contaminated sites, focused on promoting redevelopment.
Public Safety
- $25 million in bonus payments for new law enforcement officers.
- $210.8 million to provide salary increases across various public safety offices, including:
- $124.2 million to increase the Department of Corrections’ base rate of pay to $20 per hour for Correctional Officers, Probation Officers, and Inspectors.
- $11.2 million to increase the base rate of pay to $17 and $19 per hour for Department of Juvenile Justice Detention Officers and Probation Officers, respectively.
- $32.5 million to give all entry level state sworn law enforcement a 20 percent increase.
- $42.9 million to give all non-entry level state sworn law enforcement a 25 percent increase.
- $5 million to develop a comprehensive prison modernization and position realignment analysis plus $20.7 million for correctional IT infrastructure and security.
- $17.8 million and 12 FTE to improve staffing levels at the Department of Corrections plus $6.5 million and 18 FTE to make correctional facilities safer and $31.3 million and 43 FTE to improve inmate health and well-being.
State Fiscal Recovery Fund
- $238 million for one-time $1,000 retention payments for eligible full-time teachers and principals.
- $500 million for the Resilient Florida Grant Program.
- $220 million for second round of relief payments of $1,000 for first responders.
- $100 million for the Workforce Information System.
- $100 million for the Rural Infrastructure Fund.