SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 1556

Experimental Treatment Access Trust Fund/Department of Health
Send via email
SPONSOR
Burgess
FILED BY
Danny Burgess — District 23, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
July 1, 2026, if SB 1552 or similar legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension thereof and becomes a law
DIED IN
Health Policy

Filed under Healthcare.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Experimental Treatment Access Trust Fund/Department of Health; Creating the Experimental Treatment Access Trust Fund within the Department of Health for specified purposes; authorizing licensed experimental treatment centers to contribute a specified amount to the trust fund or provide specified care at no cost; providing for future review and termination or re-creation of the trust fund, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Creates a fund to help patients pay for experimental treatment costs.

The bill creates the Experimental Treatment Access Trust Fund inside the Department of Health, letting the Legislature appropriate money to help Florida residents cover travel expenses or partial costs of experimental treatment.

Licensed experimental treatment centers can choose to pay into the fund -- 2 percent of net annual profits from experimental treatments -- or instead give free experimental care of an equivalent value the department will define by rule.

Neither the contribution nor the Legislature's spending from the fund is mandatory, so the fund could exist without ever collecting or distributing money. It automatically ends July 1, 2030 unless the Legislature extends or re-creates it sooner.

None of this takes effect unless a separate, related bill also passes and becomes law in the same legislative session -- the bill's own text leaves that companion bill's number blank.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Creates the Experimental Treatment Access Trust Fund at the Department of Health majors. 499.02955

AIEstablishes a new trust fund in the state treasury from which the Legislature may appropriate money to help Florida-resident patients cover travel expenses or partial costs of getting experimental treatment.

“for the purpose of assisting eligible patients who are residents of this state with costs associated with travel to receive experimental treatment” bill text, line 18 →
§ 2 Lets treatment centers pay 2 percent of profits into the fund majors. 499.02955

AIEach licensed experimental treatment center may contribute 2 percent of its net annual profits from experimental treatments into the trust fund, though nothing requires it to do so.

“may contribute 2 percent of net annual profits from experimental treatments to the Experimental Treatment Access Trust Fund” bill text, line 22 →
§ 3 Lets centers give free care instead of paying into the fund moderates. 499.02955

AIAs an alternative to a cash contribution, a center may provide free experimental treatment care worth an equivalent amount, with that equivalence to be defined later by department rule.

“may provide at no cost experimental treatment care in an equivalent amount as adopted by rule by the department” bill text, line 25 →
§ 4 Fund automatically terminates in 2030 unless renewed moderates. 499.02955

AIThe trust fund is set to terminate on July 1, 2030 unless the Legislature ends it sooner or re-creates it, and it must undergo the standard trust-fund review process before that date.

“the trust fund shall, unless terminated sooner, be terminated on July 1, 2030” bill text, line 28 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Health Policy
1/22/2026
Introduced
1/16/2026
Referred to Health Policy; Appropriations Committee on Health and...
1/9/2026
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 499.02955
+146 / −0