Budget conference: Senate, House make strides on environment, ag, but dozens of gaps remain
May 15, 2026
Sen. Ed Hooper and Rep. Lawrence McClure, the budget chiefs in their respective chambers, are heading home with no shortage of agriculture, environment and general government spending considerations to iron out over the weekend.
Following a productive — but incomplete — first week of the budget Special Session, the two chambers have yet to agree on dozens of line items spanning Everglades restoration, coastal and water quality programs, agriculture funding and digital upgrades to state systems.
Here’s a list of notable items with outstanding disagreements between the chambers as of Friday afternoon, sorted from the largest dollar amount in consideration to the smallest:
— EAA Reservoir, CEPP: The single biggest spending gulf between the chambers involves the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, a massive water storage project at the heart of Everglades restoration. The Senate is holding at $424.7 million while the House is at $249.3 million for the reservoir component of the Central Everglades Planning Project. While that gap is sizable, it’s better than the offer of nothing the House gave early Thursday.
— Citrus research: The Senate is pushing an enormous investment in citrus research tied to the industry’s long-running battle against citrus greening and production decline, $179.5 million to the House’s $9 million.
— Flood and sea-level rise resilience: The House is seeking a much larger statewide resilience package for flooding and sea-level-rise mitigation projects — $160 million to the Senate’s $50 million.
— Lower Kissimmee STA: The chambers remain $38.6 million apart on funding for the Lower Kissimmee Basin Stormwater Treatment Area, a major Everglades-related water-cleaning project north of Lake Okeechobee. The Senate is at $138.6 million. The House is at $100 million.
— Alternative water supply grants: The House wants double the Senate’s funding level for alternative water supply development projects intended to reduce pressure on traditional groundwater sources — $100 million to $50 million.
— Land protection easements: The House is putting $75 million on the table for conservation easements to protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands. The Senate, so far, is offering nothing.
— Acquisition of environmentally unique lands: Senators are offering triple the House amount — $75 million to $25 million — for statewide acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands through the Florida Forever conservation-buying program.
— Ocklawaha River restoration: The Senate is backing a major restoration effort for the Ocklawaha River system, long obstructed by the Kirkpatrick Dam built for the ill-fated Cross Florida Barge Canal, to the tune of $65.5 million. The House has yet to put anything on the table.
— Land and Resource Management: The House is offering $60 million for statewide land and resource management initiatives tied to conservation and public lands operations. The Senate is at $10 million.
— Petroleum Tanks Cleanup: House members are offering a larger spending package — $60 million — for petroleum contamination cleanup and tank restoration projects statewide. The Senate is at $40 million.
— C-51 Reservoir implementation: Both chambers are backing the C-51 Reservoir project in Palm Beach County, designed to capture excess stormwater and reduce harmful discharges to the Lake Worth Lagoon — but the Senate remains at $70 million, with the House at $60 million.
— Statewide Maintenance, Repair and Construction: The House is offering $54.6 million for statewide infrastructure repair at Department of Environmental Protection facilities and properties. The Senate has a comparatively paltry $3 million on the table.
— Kissimmee Lab construction: The House is offering $37.8 million for an addition to the Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Kissimmee. The Senate has not matched it, nor has it matched another $2.9 million earmark the House has for the facility elsewhere in its most recent proposal.
— Farmers Feeding Florida: The Senate is at $35 million for the statewide food bank and agricultural surplus distribution program. The House is $10 million lower.
— Innovative technology grants: The House wants $35 million for innovative water-quality and environmental technology projects, more than triple the Senate’s $10 million offer.
— Water storage facility revolving loan fund: The House is offering $30.5 million for a revolving-loan program for water-storage infrastructure projects. That line currently has no Senate counteroffer.
— Derelict vessel removal program: The House is offering nearly $20 million more than the Senate for statewide derelict boat removal efforts lawmakers bolstered through legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last year, $27.3 million to $7.3 million.
— Total maximum daily loads: The House wants $25 million for pollution-reduction planning and water-quality compliance projects for impaired water bodies statewide. The Senate is at $10 million.
— Indian River Lagoon water quality projects: The House is offering $25 million for Indian River Lagoon restoration and pollution-control work — $15 million more than the Senate’s $10 million.
— Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District Project: Senators are offering $25 million to a large initiative under the St. Johns River Water Management District designed to supply up to 54 million gallons of drinking water daily to central and northeast Florida. For now, the earmark does not have a House counterpart.
— Land management: The House is at double the Senate offer — $20 million to $10 million — for statewide land-management activities under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).
— Oyster restoration: The House is well above the Senate on oyster-restoration funding tied to Apalachicola and related coastal ecosystems — $19.7 million to just $2.1 million.
— Code and life safety projects: The House is higher on facility code-compliance and life-safety upgrades — $8.3 million to the Senate’s $4.8 million.
— Water Management Districts land management: The House is at $13.7 million for land-management operations within Florida’s Water Management Districts, nearly double the Senate’s $6.9 million offer.
— Small county wastewater treatment grants: The Senate is offering modestly more — $10.7 million to $8 million — for wastewater infrastructure assistance in smaller counties.
— Agricultural nonpoint source best management practices: The House wants more than 10 times what the Senate is offering to help agricultural producers implement pollution-reduction practices — $5.9 million to $500,000.
— Biosolids grant program: The House is offering $5 million for grants tied to biosolids management and wastewater residuals projects. That line currently has no Senate counterpart.
— Smart biological treatments: The Senate wants $5 million for biological treatment technologies aimed at improving water quality. So far, the House has offered nothing in return.
— Seafloor Mapping Resilience Initiative: The Senate is backing a $5 million statewide seafloor mapping effort tied to resilience and coastal planning. The House has not matched it.
— Lake restoration study: The Senate is offering $5 million for a statewide lake restoration study initiative that, for now, does not have a House counterpart.
— Beach projects statewide: The House is offering $23.6 million for statewide beach renourishment and erosion-control projects. The Senate is at $14.1 million.
— Biscayne Bay water quality improvements: The House is at double the Senate’s offer — $20 million to $10 million — for restoration and water-quality work in Biscayne Bay, which DeSantis routed $30 million toward in December. The water body, which abuts Miami-Dade County, has been the site of multiple fish kills in recent years.
— Citrus Nursery and Packing Infrastructure: The Senate is offering $15 million to modernize citrus nursery and packing operations — three times the House’s $5 million.
— Statewide agricultural projects: The Senate is offering $10 million for statewide agriculture-related projects under FDACS. The House has not matched it.
— Roads, bridges and maintenance: The Senate is maintaining $11.4 million for transportation and infrastructure maintenance tied to FDACS-managed properties. The House has not yet offered a counterpart.
— Conner Lab planning, design and construction: The House is at $11 million for planning and construction of the University of Florida-adjacent Conner Laboratory agricultural facility, for which DeSantis slashed nearly $5 million in funding last year. The Senate has offered nothing.
— Florida Wildlife Commission artificial fish reef construction program: $5 million from the Senate, nothing from the House.
— Overtime pay for Florida Wildlife Commission officers: The House wants $4 million, while the Senate is offering $2 million.
— Red Tide management grants: $3 million from the House, nil from the Senate.
— Comprehensive coastal fishery and habitat review: The Senate is offering $2 million for a statewide fishery and habitat review effort. The House has not matched it.
— New state forest: The Senate is funding the creation of a new state forest unit, which Sen. Jason Brodeur confirmed would be in Bay County, at $1.9 million. The House has offered nothing.
— Jonathan Dickinson State Park: The House is putting $2 million on the table for improvements at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The Senate has not yet matched it.
— Unified digital services and workflow automation platform: The House is at $2.5 million for a new digital workflow modernization platform for Florida Wildlife Commission operations, a line item the Senate has not yet filled with anything.
— Captive Wildlife Grant Program: The House is offering $2 million for grant funding tied to captive wildlife operations and facilities. The House has not matched it.
— Enhanced marine fish management: The Senate is at $2 million for additional marine fish management initiatives, without a House counterpart.
— Critical pay increase: The House is pushing for a $4 million set-aside to cover FDACS recruitment and retention pay increases, an idea toward which the Senate hasn’t offered any funding yet.
— Increase salary rate for law enforcement: The Senate wants double the House amount for law enforcement salary increases at the Florida Wildlife Commission, $2 million to $1 million.
— Monroe County reef protection: The Senate is offering $650,000 for a reef-protection initiative in the Florida Keys. The House has not matched it or provided a counteroffer.
Senate President Ben Albritton said Friday that budget negotiations are “proceeding very well” and predicted lawmakers will finish talks by the end of next week, with floor votes expected after Memorial Day — ahead of the previously expected May 29 finish date.
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