Florida’s multibillion-dollar Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund expired at midnight Monday, setting up a high-stakes clash between the House and Senate over how the money can be spent.
The fund was created in 2022 and was designed to set aside money for the state to prepare for and respond to disasters not already covered in the budget. The legislature has deposited more than $4.7 billion into the fund since its creation.
Originally designed to respond to hurricanes and other natural disasters, the fund has also been used for immigration enforcement and evacuations of Floridians from international conflict zones. According to a 2026 annual report from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the state spent more than $573 million on immigration enforcement between 2023 and 2025.
A House committee unanimously approved extending the fund with new restrictions, including a provision that would limit its use to natural emergencies and prevent its use for immigration enforcement. The Senate, by contrast, voted along party lines to extend the fund through 2027 without adding new restrictions, signaling support for broader executive flexibility during declared emergencies.
Rather than renewing the fund as the Senate offered, the House allowed it to lapse to force the Senate back to the negotiating table. If the fund is not reauthorized, the remaining funds will be transferred to the state’s general fund.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier pushed back against any restrictions, writing: “Gov. Ron DeSantis — in part through his emergency powers — has led the country in combating illegal immigration and its dangers. So, let’s take this authority away? Moronic.”
The two chambers must now reconcile their competing approaches as part of broader budget negotiations, with hurricane season beginning June 1.
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