Lawmakers adjourned the 2022 Florida Legislative Session on Monday, March 14, 2022. The Senate and House of Representatives Sergeants at Arms dropped their hankies to mark sine die, the last day of the session in which lawmakers passed a record $112.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2022-23 (July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023). For the second straight year, the state budget grew by about 10%, mainly because of an influx of federal dollars and a continuing economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that has boosted tax revenue.

During the 60-day session, lawmakers considered more than 3,700 bills. Only 285 bills passed both chambers — a 7.6% passage rate — to make their way to Governor Ron DeSantis for approval.

The Home Care Association of Florida’s (HCAF) chief legislative priority during the 2022 session centered on increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for home health, personal care, and private duty nursing services to account for the minimum wage increase approved by voters in 2020, as well as the ongoing workforce shortage. Additionally, HCAF advocated for and opposed a variety of legislative proposals that affected Florida's home care provider community.

Click here to access the 2022 Florida Legislative Session Report, which summarizes how the dust settled and the impact on home care providers.