Florida Legislature Calls Special Budget Session for May 12-29
House and Senate leaders schedule 18-day session after failing to pass budget during regular session for second year running.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Florida House and Senate leaders announced Thursday they have reached agreement on a $52 billion general revenue budget for the next fiscal year, paving the way for an 18-day special session scheduled for May 12-29 to formally pass the spending plan.
House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton resolved weeks of disputes that prevented the Republican-controlled Legislature from passing a budget during the regular session that ended in March. This marks the second consecutive year GOP leaders failed to meet the annual budget deadline.
The special session will focus exclusively on crafting the fiscal year 2026-27 budget, which will guide state spending from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
Second Special Session This Year
The May budget session is the second special session of 2026. Lawmakers are already scheduled to return to the state capital next week for a separate special session addressing redistricting, artificial intelligence and vaccines.
The budget agreement allocates $22.8 billion in state dollars for K-12 and higher education combined, representing the largest portion of the spending plan. Health and human services received the second-largest allocation at $19.2 billion.
Education and Health Dominate Spending
Together, education and health services account for more than $40.2 billion, consuming over 77 percent of the agreed-upon state funds. The $52 billion figure represents only general revenue allocations from Florida’s main budget account, which draws from sales taxes, corporate income taxes and other state sources.
The announcement did not reveal the total budget amount, which includes federal funding beyond state general revenue. Federal trust funds comprised more than 54 percent of the current fiscal year’s $114.8 billion budget.
Breaking Budget Stalemate
Republican legislators had been deadlocked over state spending priorities for weeks following the conclusion of the regular legislative session. The disagreement prevented passage of the state’s constitutionally required annual budget on schedule.
The 18-day timeframe for the special session will allow lawmakers to review, debate and finalize budget details before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. The session represents a condensed timeline compared to the typical months-long budget process during regular legislative sessions.
Florida’s budget process requires both chambers to agree on spending allocations across various state departments and programs before final passage and transmission to the governor for signature.
