2024 Florida Legislative Summary

Victory in the fight against cancer requires bold new public policies that promote cancer prevention, early detection of cancer, and expand access to quality, affordable health care. Lawmakers make many decisions that impact the lives of Floridians impacted by cancer and their leadership is vital to defeating this disease. In 2024, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) worked with the Florida Legislature in support of the following priorities:

Ensuring Access to Quality Care

• Access to Biomarker Testing: ACS CAN supports legislation that improves coverage of comprehensive biomarker testing. During the 2024 Legislative Session, HB 885, related to biomarker testing, passed unanimously. The bill requires the state’s Medicaid managed care plans and the state employee health insurance plans to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment, appropriate management, or ongoing monitoring of a disease or condition. As originally filed, the bill would have also covered state-regulated commercial plans. While we were disappointed to see the impact of the bill reduced with the removal of private plans, ACS CAN will work to pass legislation broadening the coverage requirement to capture eligible commercial plans during an upcoming legislative session.
• Affordable, Adequate Health Insurance: ACS CAN supports policies that ensure access to quality, affordable and comprehensive health care coverage, including Medicaid. While there was no formal legislative committee discussion of Medicaid expansion during the 2024 Legislative Session, ACS CAN worked with partner organizations to facilitate discussions about strategies to close the coverage gap with legislators from both parties.

Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

• Breast and Cervical Cancer: ACS CAN worked to increase funding for the Mary Brogan Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program to $3 million (up from current funding of $1.83 million).

Cancer Research Funding

• Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program: The Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program received $127.5 million. These funds are distributed on a tiered basis to the state’s eligible NCI-designated cancer centers, which include H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer, the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Florida Health Shands Cancer Hospital.
• Florida Cancer Innovation Fund: The Florida Cancer Innovation Fund, which awards research grants to support innovative cancer research, including emerging research trends and promising practices, received $60 million. This represents a $40 million increase over current year funding.
•  Other State Cancer Research Programs: The Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program was funded at $10 million, and the King Biomedical Research program received $7.85 million. Additionally, $3 million was provided for pediatric cancer research through the statutory Live Like Bella Initiative.

Reducing the Toll of Tobacco

• Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Funding: The Legislature approved nearly $87 million in funding for the Comprehensive Statewide Tobacco Prevention and Education Program. This represents an increase of $3.7 million over current year funding. The dollars distributed within the larger program are generally consistent with the CDC’s Best Practices.

Appropriations

• The $117.5 billion budget for FY 2024-25 adopted during the 2024 Legislative Session includes approximately $347 million for the fight against cancer. In total, cancer-related funding from the legislature includes:

For more information, contact: Susan Harbin, Florida Senior Government Relations Director ACS CAN [email protected]; 770.546.8845

ACS CAN is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidencebased public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, please visit www.fightcancer.org.