Week 8 closed with the chambers still $4.4 billion apart on overall spending, a gap primarily driven by the House’s proposed $2.1 billion across-the-board sales-tax cut. During the April 24 floor sessions, Speaker Daniel Perez and President Ben Albritton conceded that the budget would not pass by the scheduled May 2 adjournment, confirming that the budget allocations are not settled and that conference negotiations will not begin this weekend. Absent agreement on allocations, staff cannot draft conforming and implementing bills, effectively pushing any realistic budget vote into an extended or special session.

With the budget process in limbo, the legislature continued hammering out legislation on the floor of both chambers. Nine health care bills have passed both chambers, heading to Governor DeSantis for consideration. Among the bills are HB 0547 Medical Debt, HB 0597 Diabetes Management in Schools, and HB 647, legislation authorizing advanced practice registered nurses providing hospice care to file certificates of death or fetal death and certify the cause of death.