SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/CS/SB 794

Agency for Persons with Disabilities
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SPONSOR
Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Jones
FILED BY
Shevrin D. Jones — District 34, Democrat [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1, 2026
COMPANION
CS/CS/HB 565 — CS/CS/SB 794 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Healthcare.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Agency for Persons with Disabilities; Requiring level 2 employment screening for all employees of residential facilities and adult day training programs; providing background screening requirements for such employees; requiring the agency to solicit input and conduct publicly noticed hearings for a specified purpose in each service region; requiring the agency to use certain information to identify certain core competencies and performance metrics and make recommendations for standardizing assessments, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Requires background screening for all staff at residential and day-training facilities.

Every employee of a licensed residential facility or adult day training program must now undergo level 2 background screening, including employment history and local criminal record checks -- not just managers, supervisors, and direct care staff.

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities must commission university surveys, hold a public hearing in every service region, and study caseloads to identify core competencies for waiver support coordinators. It must report its findings to the Legislature by February 2027.

Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, a genetic disorder linked to intellectual disability and macrocephaly, is added to the statutory list of conditions that can qualify someone as having a developmental disability under Florida law.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Expands mandatory screening to every facility employee majors. 393.0655

AILevel 2 background screening, previously required only for managers, supervisors, and direct service providers, now applies to every employee of a licensed residential facility or adult day training program regardless of role.

“and all employees of residential facilities or adult day training programs licensed under this chapter”
§ 2 Adds Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome as a qualifying disability majors. 393.063

AIA new definition for Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, a genetic disorder marked by intellectual disability and macrocephaly, is created, and the syndrome is added to the list of conditions -- alongside Down syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome -- that can qualify someone as having a developmental disability.

“means a disorder caused by a mutation in the DNMT3A gene typified by mild to severe intellectual disability” bill text, line 139 →
§ 3 Directs a university survey of support coordination quality moderate

AIThe agency must contract with a state university to survey organization owners, support coordinators, and iBudget clients and their families about the quality and consistency of waiver support coordination services.

“the Agency for Persons with Disabilities shall contract with a state university to develop and administer surveys regarding waiver support coordination services” bill text, line 65 →
§ 4 Requires a public hearing in every service region moderate

AIBeyond the university survey, the agency itself must solicit input from stakeholders and hold at least one publicly noticed hearing on coordinator quality in each of its service regions.

“shall conduct at least one publicly noticed hearing for this purpose in each service region” bill text, line 108 →
§ 5 Requires a competency report to the Governor and Legislature moderate

AIUsing the survey and gap-analysis data, the agency must identify core competencies and performance metrics for support coordinators and report its findings and recommendations by February 15, 2027.

“the agency shall identify specific core competencies for waiver support coordinators, identify specific performance metrics” bill text, line 114 →
TIMELINE
3/9/2026
Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/HB 565 (Ch....
3/9/2026
Substituted CS/CS/HB 565 -SJ 690
3/9/2026
Read 2nd time -SJ 690
3/4/2026
Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/09/26
3/3/2026
Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
3/2/2026
Favorable by- Fiscal Policy; YEAS 18 NAYS 0
2/26/2026
CS/CS by Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services...
2/26/2026
On Committee agenda-- Fiscal Policy, 03/02/26, 12:00 pm, 412 Knott Building
2/26/2026
Now in Fiscal Policy
2/26/2026
Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/25/2026
CS/CS by Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services;...
2/20/2026
On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Health and Human...
2/12/2026
Now in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
2/11/2026
CS by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs read 1st time
2/11/2026
Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/10/2026
CS by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; YEAS 6 NAYS 0
2/5/2026
On Committee agenda-- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs,...
1/13/2026
Introduced
12/16/2025
Referred to Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Appropriations...
12/8/2025
Filed
14 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 393.0655
+5 / −3
s. 393.063
+86 / −1
s. 393.063
+0 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES
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