Small County Coalition
of Florida
A non-partisan statewide alliance of county commissions in Florida’s small and rural counties. The Small County Coalition’s primary mission is to help Florida’s small and rural counties address legislative issues from a small county/rural perspective and work effectively with state agencies leadership.
What is Happening Right Now
Special Session 2026E Legislative and Fiscal Portal
The Special Session 2026E begins on Tuesday, May 12, and runs through May 29 to complete the General Appropriations Act, the implementing bill, and the tax package. The House hosts the conference committees this year. Budget meetings are subject to a swift one-hour notice.
The Senate will position itself where it left off at the end of the Regular Session to begin conferencing with the House. While the Senate proposed budget sits at $115 billion, the House proposed $113.6 billion, leaving a difference of $1.4 billion to negotiate.
The final vote will take place the week after Memorial Day, likely on May 27 or 28, following the constitutionally mandated 72-hour public review period.
| Program Area | Agreed Allocation |
|---|---|
| Health and Human Services | $19.2 Billion |
| PreK-12 Education | $16.2 Billion |
| Higher Education & Justice (Criminal/Civil) | ~$7.0 Billion |
| Agriculture and Natural Resources | $1.38 Billion |
| General Government | $568 Million |
| Transportation, Tourism & Economic Development | $560 Million |
| Administered Funds and Statewide Issues | $476 Million |
| Total Allocations | ~$52.0 Billion |
- Revise F.S. 218.67 (Fiscally Constrained Counties): Update the formula from ad valorem capacity to a per-capita income-to-sales tax contribution factor. Boost the revenue source to provide stability and growth as proposed in SB 250, Sections 7(1-4) and 7(6).
- Adjust Mill Value Metric: Increase the threshold value of a mill from raising no more than $5 million in revenue to $10 million in revenue.
- Full Distribution Funding: Provide complete formula funding for both the Supplemental Distribution and the Emergency Distribution.
- Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT): Fully fund PILT provisions and amend programs to provide an annual adjustment where lands are purchased by the State or WMDs.
- County Road Programs: Increase funding for SCOP (Small County Outreach Program) and SCRAP (Small County Road Assistance Program).
- Farm to Market Roads: Provide dedicated state funding for the new “Farm to Market Roads” program.
- Community & Infrastructure Funding: Support the Job Growth Grant Program alongside quality of life priorities including library services, rural hospitals, rural infrastructure, and broadband.
- Safe Schools Funding: Secure and maintain the base funding allocation of $250,000 per district as part of the formula.
- Student Transportation: Increase funding significantly to help rural school districts absorb high fuel costs caused by geopolitical factors and global tension.
- Special Facility Construction Program: Support Senate funding levels over the House proposal to cover all recommended local projects (Baker, Bradford, DeSoto, Gadsden, Hardee, Hendry, Holmes, Lafayette, Union, and Wakulla).
- Declining Enrollment Funding: Secure the Declining Enrollment Supplement for the FY 26-27 budget to mitigate losses between school years. This includes funding to specifically mitigate the FY 25-26 3rd Calculation.
- Regional Consortia Allocations: Boost the per-member allocation rates for the Panhandle Area Educational Consortia (PAEC), Northeast Florida Educational Consortia (NEFEC), and Heartland Educational Consortia (HEC).
- Rural District Supplemental Services: Set up and finance emergency grant funds inside the three regional consortia to address immediate local educational needs.
- Financial Emergency Assistance: Deliver direct operational relief for small districts currently in state-declared financial emergency status (Glades and Union).
- Voucher Funding Separation: Support legislation that segregates Voucher and Choice program funds from the primary educational funding system.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Important Legislative Calendar Dates
| 2024 | |
|---|---|
| January 9 | Legislative Session Begins |
| January 16 | Small County Coalition Legislative Reception and Briefing |
| January 17 | Florida Association of Counties Legislative Day |
| January 17 | Small School District Council Consortium Legislative Briefing |
| January 17–18 | FSBA Day in the Legislature, Tallahassee, FL |
| January 24-25 | Rural Counties Day – FREDA |
| March 8 | Legislative Session End |
SCC – Final Revised – Legislative Report for the 2024 Regular Legislative Session – March 27 – 2024