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SB 1144

Appropriations; making an appropriation to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. Emergency.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Trey Caldwell

Codifies the Office of Hope Florida in the Governor’s Office to coordinate agencies and partners, placing Hope Navigators to connect Floridians in need with services.

Second Reading referred to Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget
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Bill Summary · SB 1144

Summary — SB 1144 (Florida version: Hope Florida Program)

Note: The materials provided include multiple different bills designated “SB 1144” from other states (Arizona — jail excise tax; Hawaii — transient‑accommodation fee transparency; Illinois — minor technical change). This summary focuses on the Florida CS/SB 1144 materials supplied (Committee Substitute / Senator Burgess), which codify and formalize the Hope Florida program within state government.

Main purpose

CS/SB 1144 codifies the Office of Hope Florida within the Executive Office of the Governor (EOG) and establishes a statutory framework for the Hope Florida program, which connects Floridians in need with resources across public, private, nonprofit and faith‑based partners through “Hope Navigators.”

Key provisions

  • Establishes the Office of Hope Florida within the EOG and authorizes the Governor to appoint a director who serves at the Governor’s pleasure.
  • Defines program terms, participant eligibility, and roles for Hope Navigators (community‑embedded single points of contact who develop care plans with participants).
  • Requires participating state agencies to coordinate with the Office and participate in the program when directed; identifies a core set of agencies required to participate (including DCF, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Juvenile Justice, Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, Department of Education, Agency for Health Care Administration, Department of Corrections, Division of Emergency Management, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Department of Commerce, and Department of Elderly Affairs).
  • Directs the Office to:
    • Establish program goals and strategies;
    • Facilitate coordination among participating agencies and expand the Hope Florida Partner Network (state agencies, public‑private partnerships, nonprofits, faith‑based and private sector partners);
    • Oversee operations such as a toll‑free “Hope Line,” program website, and a case management system;
    • Develop and implement participant care plans in partnership with Hope Navigators.
  • Preserves use of public‑private and faith‑based partners to provide goods/services supporting participant goals.
  • Requires continued agency cooperation and alignment of services to reduce barriers to self‑sufficiency.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: Floridians who contact the program and are paired with Hope Navigators (vulnerable individuals, unemployed persons, seniors, youth aging out of foster care, veterans, disaster survivors, etc.).
  • State agencies listed above will be required to participate and coordinate when directed by the EOG.
  • Nonprofit, faith‑based and private partners included in the Hope Florida Partner Network.
  • Program staff (Hope Navigators) and the Office of Hope Florida.

Fiscal and timeline aspects

  • Committee analyses estimate an insignificant or no fiscal impact to state or local government expenditures (committee substitute notes an “insignificant, negative fiscal impact” in one version and “not expected to impact” in others).
  • Effective date in analyses: either upon becoming law (CS) or July 1, 2025 (earlier analysis) — the committee substitute indicates it takes effect upon becoming law.
  • Legislative status (from provided records): introduced Feb. 6, 2025 (Sen. Burgess); committee substitute adopted by Governmental Oversight & Accountability; re‑referred under Rule 3‑9(a) / re‑referred to Assignments. (Materials show multiple committee actions in March–April 2025.)

Notes / context

  • Hope Florida began as an initiative (Sept. 2021) and has grown to include the Hope Florida Fund, Activate Hope (disaster response), the Hope Line (833‑GET‑HOPE), and program variants focused on youth, seniors, veterans and workforce services. This bill places the Office and program structure into statute to standardize operations and agency coordination.
  • The packet provided contains other unrelated SB 1144 texts from other states; confirm jurisdiction/version if you need a summary of a different SB 1144 (Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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