2024 Florida Legislative Priorities & Session Outcomes

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:

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.

Mary Brogan Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program - The Legislature approved total state funding of $3,000,000. This increase in funding has been a priority for ACS CAN Advocates for many years and undoubtedly will open the door for more cancers to be found at earlier stages.

Biomedical Research - James & Esther King Biomedical Research Program was appropriated $7,850,000 million and the Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program $10 million. Pediatric cancer research was funded at $3 million for a total of $20,850,000 million allocated for biomedical research.

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.

Tobacco Prevention and Education - The Tobacco Free Florida program is slated to receive over $87 million for the coming budget year, which is an increase of over $3,700,000.

We would like to thank you for your continued commitment, and for the important role you played.

For more information on the 2024 ACS CAN priorites and outcomes, please click here.

Updated information on our priorities can be found at www.fightcancer.org/florida. You can follow the action on Twitter at @ACSCAN_Florida and be sure to click here to follow us on Facebook.