SB 250 Florida Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Rural Communities

Summary

Rural Communities; Requiring the state land planning agency to give preference for technical assistance funding to local governments located in a rural area of opportunity; revising the conditions required for a county to be considered a fiscally constrained county; creating the Office of Rural Prosperity within the Department of Commerce; requiring the Office of Rural Prosperity to administer the Renaissance Grants Program to provide block grants to eligible communities; creating the Public Infrastructure Smart Technology Grant Program within the Office of Rural Prosperity; creating the Florida Arterial Road Modernization Program within the Department of Transportation, etc. APPROPRIATION: $144,813,977

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Dec 2025

Senate Passage

Jan 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Mar 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

S 250 Filed → S 250 e1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The First Engrossed version of SB 250 removed two health-related grant programs (the Rural Access to Primary and Preventive Care Grant Program and the Stroke, Cardiac, and Obstetric Response and Education Grant Program) that were in the originally filed bill. It also added a provision specifying how excess title fee collections above $200 million per fiscal year should be distributed - $30 million to the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund and the remainder to the General Revenue Fund.

SCOPE

The Rural Access to Primary and Preventive Care Grant Program (new s. 381.403) was removed entirely. This program would have provided grants to physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses who opened new practices in qualifying rural areas.

The Stroke, Cardiac, and Obstetric Response and Education Grant Program (new s. 381.9856) was removed entirely. This program would have provided grants to entities meeting specified criteria for stroke, cardiac, and obstetric response and education in rural areas.

FISCAL

Section 25 (s. 319.32) now specifies that title fee collections exceeding $200 million in a fiscal year are split: the first $30 million goes to the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund, and any remaining excess is paid into the General Revenue Fund.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 14, 2026

How they voted

40–0

Passed

Total votes 40

Jan 14, 2026

D Democratic11

11 Yea

100% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican28

28 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed as amended; YEAS 39 NAYS 0

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

Amendment(s) adopted (211610, 655052)

upper

Jan 13, 2026

Introduced

upper

Dec 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable by- Appropriations; YEAS 16 NAYS 0

upper

Dec 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Appropriations, 12/10/25, 9:00 am, 412 Knott Building

upper

Nov 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to Appropriations

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor