Florida Medicaid expansion ballot push delayed to 2028
Florida Decides Healthcare, the campaign seeking to place Medicaid expansion on the ballot, announced it will delay its effort until 2028 after the GOP-controlled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis enacted H.B. 1205 in May 2025. The new law tightens petition-collection rules—capping how many petitions can be gathered, criminalizing certain violations, and barring non‑U.S. citizens and non‑Florida residents from circulating petitions—and the group says those changes make meeting a 2026 signature deadline impossible. The law is being challenged in federal court, with the case slated for trial in January 2026.
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Campaign delays push to expand Medicaid in Florida until 2028, citing new state law
New information:
- Florida Decides Healthcare will pause its 2026 ballot drive and aim for 2028 instead.
- H.B. 1205 (signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2025) limits petition collection, bars non‑U.S. citizens/non‑Florida residents from gathering signatures, and attaches felony penalties for violations.
- The campaign is pursuing a federal lawsuit against H.B. 1205; that case is scheduled for trial in January 2026.
- Advocates note a nationwide trend: nearly 150 bills in 15 state legislatures this year sought to tighten ballot-initiative rules (per the Fairness Project).