Senate committee advances bill to codify Working People with Disabilities program and ease eligibility hurdles
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Summary
The committee passed CS for SB 1016 to codify Florida’s 2019 Working People with Disabilities program, adopt opt‑in enrollment (removing automatic enrollment), add income/asset disregard rules, and require DCF notice; advocates urged better DCF training and outreach to prevent wrongful Medicaid terminations.
Senate leaders moved CS for SB 1016 forward after sponsors and disability advocates described the bill as a formal codification of a 2019 proviso that helped some waiver recipients work while keeping Medicaid supports.
The measure, originally created as a proviso in 2019, would enshrine the Working People with Disabilities program in statute, set income and asset rules to preserve Medicaid eligibility for employed waiver recipients (including an earned-income disregard equal to 550% of the federal benefit rate and asset disregards of $13,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples), and require the Department of Children and Families to provide written notice of eligibility rules within 90 days of the bill’s effective date. Sponsor amendments removed automatic enrollment and instead allowed eligible individuals to opt in and added provisions to facilitate sharing of Medicaid and home‑and‑community‑based services (HCBS) enrollment data between AHCA and DCF.
Advocates who testified said codification could reduce administrative burdens and prevent unnecessary loss of benefits during annual Medicaid redeterminations. Laura Lee, public policy analyst for Disability Rights Florida, said implementation has been hampered by inconsistent staff awareness and elongated renewal processes. Sarah Goldman, a program participant, described losing Medicaid during renewals in the past and said the bill would help people keep both in‑home supports and employment: “When I was graduating … they told me that getting a master's degree was a waste of time,” Goldman said, arguing that the program enables independence and workforce participation.
Committee members asked whether the measure requires a new AHCA waiver; the sponsor said needed waiver language and administrative steps were addressed in 2019 and no new waiver should be necessary. The sponsor and witnesses emphasized that improving training and outreach at DCF will be essential to realize the bill’s goals.
After two Grahl amendments—one to replace automatic enrollment with an opt‑in and one to permit data sharing between AHCA and DCF—the committee adopted the amendments by voice vote and reported CS for SB 1016 favorably.
Next steps: CS for SB 1016 is reported favorably from committee and will proceed to its next committee stop or floor consideration according to Senate rules.