Florida House Pitches $76.2 Billion Budget

March 23, 2015

The Florida House has released an initial $76.2 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year starting July 1 — a proposal that is about $800 million smaller than a spending plan released in January by Gov. Rick Scott.

While the House and Scott differ on varying elements of the budget, a key difference is that the governor’s proposal includes money for an extension of the Low Income Pool program, which sends additional funds to hospitals and other health-care providers that serve large numbers of poor and uninsured patients. The nearly $2.2 billion program is scheduled to expire June 30, and state and federal officials are negotiating about whether it will continue with changes.

House leaders said they would not count on the so-called LIP funding in their initial budget plan. The House also differs on the LIP issue from the Senate, which is expected to release its initial budget plan Friday.

The House and Senate each will pass budget proposals before holding formal talks next month on a final spending plan.

by The News Service of Florida

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News