SB 2502 Summary

• Implements the 2015-2016 General Appropriations Act and modifies education funding formulas, including revisions to the Florida Education Finance Program, CAPE industry certification bonuses, and reading instruction requirements for lowest-performing schools.

• Establishes a federally connected student supplement for school districts serving students from military installations, NASA property, and Indian lands, with calculations based on student counts and exempt property values.

• Creates new performance-based funding models for State University System and Florida College System institutions based on metrics including graduation rates, employment outcomes, and student loan default rates, with institutions failing to meet thresholds subject to withheld funds.

• Authorizes Agency for Persons with Disabilities to prioritize waiver services based on crisis status and child welfare involvement, allows military families to access services when transferred to Florida, and modifies Medicaid payment and hospital reimbursement procedures.

• Contains numerous fiscal year 2015-2016 provisions with July 1, 2016 expiration dates affecting state employee benefits, trust fund transfers, travel restrictions, contract extensions, and agency budget authorities across multiple departments.