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Legislative Update: Gov. DeSantis signs state budget, completes 2026 Session action

July 10, 2026

By FICPA Governmental Affairs

Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis formally signed Florida’s 2026–27 state budget, totaling $117.6 billion in spending, while exercising his line-item veto authority to remove more than $800 million in appropriations before final enactment. Gov. DeSantis also completed his review of all remaining legislation from the 2026 Regular Session, including the annual tax package and all enrolled bills passed by the Legislature.  

Budget Overview, Veto Actions and Tax Package 

The final budget reflects a continuation of Florida’s recent fiscal priorities – maintaining reserves and supporting targeted tax relief while controlling overall spending growth. Notably, this budget marks the fourth consecutive year that Florida has reduced its spending. 

Gov. DeSantis’ veto package targeted a mix of local member projects, discretionary appropriations and select statewide program funding. The veto message can be found here. 

We are proud to share that the FICPA’s priorities – funding for both the Clay Ford Scholarship and the enforcement of unlicensed activity – were both approved in the budget.   

The 2026-27 General Appropriations Act went into effect July 1, 2026.  

The governor also signed the annual tax package – HB 7031E. The tax package normally moves in coordination with action on the state budget. The 2026 legislation was a bit more modest than in recent years. Among other things, the bill included several sales tax holidays:  

As a reminder, much of the discussion around tax relief was focused on the property tax reform proposal for non-school homestead property that will be on the ballot in November. Additionally, the Legislature made a significant tax policy decision during the regular session to decouple Florida from several provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

Completion of the Governor’s Annual Review of Bills 

Notably, for CPAs practicing in local government, last week the governor signed House Bill 1329 – Local Government Finances, requiring counties and municipalities to provide taxpayers with greater visibility into government spending and budgeting decisions.  

The governor has now acted on all legislation passed during the 2026 Regular Session. All remaining enrolled bills have either been signed into law or vetoed, formally closing the governor’s activity in the 2026 legislative cycle. 

In total, the governor approved 228 of the 237 bills passed, while vetoing only 8. Barring a Special Session, these bills and the budget were the last Gov. DeSantis will sign during his term in office. 

Jason Harrell Presents at the Cuban American CPA Association 

Last weekend, FICPA Chief External Affairs Officer Jason Harrell joined the Cuban American CPA Association at their conference on Marco Island and presented legislative and state of the profession updates. Jason discussed the FICPA’s advocacy on behalf of the profession and offered an overview of the budget, tax package and property tax debate. Jason was honored by the warm welcome he received and is proud to continue the relationship between the FICPA and the Cuban American CPA Association.  

Moving Forward 

With all action from the 2026 Session concluded, attention will now shift to the 2026 mid-term election and preparation for the 2027 Session. Legislators are now back home in their districts handling local issues and, for many, focusing on their campaigns. Although the Capitol is quiet, the offseason is still a very active time. The FICPA team will be busy traveling the state, meeting with members, attending chapter events and conferences, interviewing candidates for office and building grassroots support to ensure the CPA profession’s continued legislative success.  

Our Legislative Updates will continue on a biweekly schedule throughout the summer, and we will provide a full election recap this fall. In the meantime, the FICPA team is here to help if you have any questions about our advocacy program.