SB 1130, sponsored by Sen. Aaron Bean (R-Jacksonville), was scheduled to be heard on Tuesday by its second committee of reference. However, time ran out before the bill was taken up by the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. While this endangers its passage this session, the program is funded at current levels in proposed House and Senate budgets for the coming year.
FPCN is a network of pregnancy help centers that provides services such as counseling, referrals, material support, training, and pregnancy and childbirth education to pregnant mothers as they prepare to parent or place their babies for adoption. The program served 24,184 clients in fiscal year 2015-2016. FPCN has been operating since 2005, with funding in the state budget provided on an annual basis.
Companion measure, HB 969 (Toledo), was passed by the full House on April 5.