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SB 996FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Died in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

New Requirements for Foster Care Allowances and Youth Input

Original title: Dependent Children

December 22, 2025

child welfarefoster careyouth servicesgovernment transparency(adopted)judicial branch

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently Died in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

6 actions
  1. Feb 3, 2026Senate
    Now in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
  2. Feb 3, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; YEAS 4 NAYS 0
  3. Jan 29, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, 02/03/26, 1:00 pm, 301 Senate Building
  4. Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced
  5. Jan 7, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; Fiscal Policy
  6. Dec 22, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill establishes a state-mandated weekly allowance for children in foster care, ranging from $6 to $20 depending on age, and creates new transparency requirements for how child welfare agencies incorporate feedback from youth with lived experience.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Children in foster care

Children aged 6-17 are entitled to a weekly cash allowance and increased opportunities for their feedback to be heard by agencies.

Foster caregivers

Caregivers are required to provide a weekly cash allowance and are prohibited from withholding it as punishment.

Department of Children and Families

The department must coordinate quarterly meetings, publish agendas and minutes, and issue biannual reports on feedback implementation.

What changed

Current stage: Died in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill requires foster caregivers to provide children aged 6 to 17 with a weekly cash allowance that cannot be withheld as punishment. It also mandates that the Department of Children and Families and community-based care agencies meet quarterly with youth advocacy organizations and publish reports on their feedback.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a caregiver take away my allowance if I misbehave?
No. The bill explicitly prohibits caregivers from withholding the allowance as a form of punishment.
What can I spend my allowance on?
The allowance is for personal use. You cannot be required to use it for necessities like clothing, school supplies, or personal hygiene items, as those remain the caregiver's responsibility.
How will the state know if agencies are listening to youth feedback?
Agencies are required to publish a report twice a year, starting in 2027, explaining how they have implemented suggestions received from youth advocacy organizations.

Why It Matters

The bill establishes a state-mandated weekly allowance for children in foster care, ranging from $6 to $20 depending on age, and creates new transparency requirements for how child welfare agencies incorporate feedback from youth with lived experience.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededsenate2/3/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

6

Yes

4

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Formalizing Youth Input

The bill represents a shift toward institutionalizing feedback from 'children with lived experience' by requiring formal agendas, minutes, and public reports on how that feedback is used.

Department of Children and Families

Connected Entities

otherChildren, Families, and Elder Affairs“Committee to which the bill was initially referred”Map →
dollar_amount301“Building number”Map →
locationSenate Building“Location of a committee meeting”Map →
otherAppropriations Committee on Health and Human Services“Committee to which the bill was subsequently referred”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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