Florida legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Florida H897: Community Rehabilitation Programs
Status: Failed, March 13, 2026
Provides minimum standards community rehabilitation program must meet to qualify to enter into cooperative agreements with Division of Blind Services to provide certain services; authorizes director of division to temporarily waive certain requirements for certain purposes; provides that community rehabilitation programs that meet specified requirements are considered priority service providers for program funding; authorizes division to enter into cooperative agreements with noncommunity rehabilitation program private vendor; provides requirements for such cooperative agreements; requires Florida Association of Agencies Serving Blind, Inc., to coordinate with division to ensure annual cooperative agreements meet certain needs.
What the bill says
An act relating to community rehabilitation programs; amending s. 413.014, F.S.; providing minimum standards a community rehabilitation program must meet to qualify to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Division of Blind Services to provide certain services; authorizing the director of the division to temporarily waive certain requirements for certain purposes; providing that a community rehabilitation program that meets specified requirements is considered a priority service provider for purposes of program funding…
From the introduced text, December 23, 2025:
A bill to be entitled An act relating to community rehabilitation programs; amending s. 413.014, F.S.; providing minimum standards a community rehabilitation program must meet to qualify to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Division of Blind Services to provide certain services; authorizing the director of the division to temporarily waive certain requirements for certain purposes; providing that a community rehabilitation program that meets specified requirements is considered a priority service provider for purposes of program funding; authorizing the division to enter into a cooperative agreement with a noncommunity rehabilitation program private vendor under certain circumstances; providing requirements for such cooperative agreement; requiring the Florida Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., to coordinate with the division to ensure cooperative agreements meet certain needs; providing for funding; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Section 413.014, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: words underlined are additions. hb897-00 FLORIDAHOUSEOFREPRESENTATIVES HB 897 2026 413.014 Community rehabilitation programs.-- (1) The Division of Blind Services shall enter into cooperative agreements with community rehabilitation programs as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, to be the service providers for the blind citizens of their communities. (2) The division shall, as rapidly as feasible, increase the amount of such services provided by community …
Sponsors
- Spencer, Leonard (D, HD-045) · primary sponsor
- Campbell, Daryl (D, HD-099)
Latest actions
- : Died in Careers & Workforce Subcommittee
- : 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
- : Now in Careers & Workforce Subcommittee
- : Referred to Education & Employment Committee
- : Referred to Education Administration Subcommittee
- : Referred to Careers & Workforce Subcommittee
- : Filed
Common questions
- What is H897?
- H897 is a bill in the Florida Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Community Rehabilitation Programs.
- What does H897 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to community rehabilitation programs; amending s. 413.014, F.S.; providing minimum standards a community rehabilitation program must meet to qualify to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Division of Blind Services to provide certain services; authorizing the director of the division to temporarily waive certain requirements for certain purposes; providing that a community rehabilitation program that meets specified requirements is considered a priority service provider for purposes of program funding…
- What is the status of H897?
- Failed as of March 13, 2026. Latest action: Died in Careers & Workforce Subcommittee (March 13, 2026).
- Who sponsored H897?
- Spencer, Leonard (D, HD-045), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for H897?
- On the Florida Legislature website: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/897
Source: official Florida record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.