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SB 1286FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Died in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Proposed Changes to First Responder Recruitment and Support Programs

Original title: First Responders

January 7, 2026

first respondersfirefighterslaw enforcementgrantsmental healthpublic safety

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently Died in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

6 actions
  1. Jan 28, 2026Senate
    Now in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government
  2. Jan 28, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable by Banking and Insurance; YEAS 10 NAYS 0
  3. Jan 23, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Banking and Insurance, 01/28/26, 10:30 am, 412 Knott Building
  4. Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced
  5. Jan 12, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Banking and Insurance; Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; Fiscal Policy
  6. Jan 7, 2026SenateIntroduced
    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 would have created a new $5,000 recruitment bonus for newly hired firefighters and established a state-level Institute for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to support the mental health of public safety personnel, contingent on future legislative funding.

Who is mentioned in the record

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

Firefighters

Newly hired firefighters become eligible for recruitment bonuses and the state will provide new mental health support resources.

Law enforcement officers

The existing recruitment bonus program is extended and modified to include new administrative requirements.

Fire service providers

These agencies must assist the state in collecting data for bonus payments and may apply for new grant programs.

What changed

Current stage: Died in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Background

  • The bill was introduced during the 2026 legislative session but failed to advance out of the Appropriations Committee. context

Summary

This bill expands the existing law enforcement recruitment bonus program to include firefighters and creates a new state institute focused on first responder mental health. It also establishes a formal grant review process for fire service projects and programs.

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

Who is eligible for the new recruitment bonus?
Newly employed full-time law enforcement officers and firefighters who have not previously been employed in those roles in Florida.
What happens if a firefighter leaves their job before 2 years?
They must reimburse the state for the bonus unless they were discharged for reasons other than misconduct.
What will the new Institute for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder do?
It will coordinate research, training, and outreach to support the mental health and resilience of first responders.

Why It Matters

The bill would have created a new $5,000 recruitment bonus for newly hired firefighters and established a state-level Institute for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to support the mental health of public safety personnel, contingent on future legislative funding.

News Coverage

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

Lobbying Activity

CORRIGAN & USSERY LLC

on behalf of POINT BLANK ENTERPRISES INC.

View filing →

D INITIATIVES LLC

on behalf of FAMA/FEMSA GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

View filing →

SKYLINE CAPITOL LLC

on behalf of STREET SMARTS VR

View filing →

RICHARD M ERICKSON

on behalf of AT&T ILLINOIS

Senate LDAView filing →

RICHARD M ERICKSON

on behalf of AT&T ILLINOIS

Senate LDAView filing →

Voting Record

Motion succeededsenate1/28/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

12

Yes

12

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 shift90% confidence

Integration of Fire and Law Enforcement Recruitment

The bill moves to consolidate recruitment bonus administration for both law enforcement and fire services under a single program framework.

Department of CommerceDivision of State Fire Marshal

Connected Entities

location412 Knott Building“Location of the Banking and Insurance committee meeting”Map →
dollar_amount10“Number of votes in favor of the bill”Map →
date01/28/26“Date of the favorable vote”Map →
otherBanking and Insurance“Committee that voted favorably on the bill”Map →
otherAppropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government“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
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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