Heading into her sixth Legislative Session, Tallahassee Democratic Rep. Allison Tant is prioritizing legislation aimed at helping families, people with disabilities and voters who expect fair play at the ballot box.

All are close to her heart in one way or another.

One proposal (HB 915) would create a new program within the Agency for Health Care Administration allowing certain adults with developmental disabilities to keep Medicaid waiver services while working and earning income. Tant said the change would remove employment disincentives that currently cause people to lose critical home- and community-based services when their earnings increase.

The issue is personal for Tant. One of her sons, who has disabilities and worked part time, was forced to quit his job after being automatically enrolled in the state retirement system — something she was told could jeopardize his Medicaid eligibility.

The lack of clear, codified rules caused panic and confusion for her family, and Tant later learned that many families, lawyers and even state staff were similarly unsure about what income or savings options are available to people with disabilities.

She said she only later learned, through ABLE United Director John Finch, that people with disabilities can hold up to $13,000 in assets without losing Medicaid — a protection authorized through a yearly budget proviso that is not clearly spelled out in statute.

“I’m paying attention, and I didn’t know about this,” Tant said. “I just want to make sure this is codified as a program of Florida and that families know there are protections.”

If passed, HB 915 or its Senate counterpart (SB 1016), sponsored by Fleming Island Republican Sen. Jennifer Bradley, would establish a state “Working People with Disabilities” program. Eligible participants must be at least 18, have a developmental disability, be employed and already enrolled in a qualifying Medicaid waiver program.

The measure would allow participants to earn up to 550% of the federal Supplemental Security Income benefit rate, disregard up to $13,000 in assets for individuals and $24,000 for couples, and exclude retirement accounts from asset limits.

Another bill (HB 969) is a follow-up to legislation Tant passed last year aimed at improving early detection of Type 1 diabetes in grade school students. This year’s proposal, carried in the Senate by Miami Republican Sen. Alexis Calatayud (SB 1046), would focus on developmental disorders.

The measure would require the Department of Health to work with school districts to develop and publish materials helping parents and guardians recognize signs of developmental delays and autism spectrum disorder in young children.

Public schools, charter schools, prekindergarten providers and early learning coalitions would be required to annually notify parents of voluntary prekindergarten through second-grade students about the materials.

Parents and early intervention programs try to identify developmental delays early, but Tant said some children still “slip that net.”

“I’m trying to get them identified, diagnosed and then get them some support,” she said, adding that earlier diagnoses can be both compassionate and cost-effective by allowing resources to be allocated earlier in a child’s education.

Tant is also sponsoring legislation (SB 448, HB 417) with Kissimmee Democratic Sen. Kristen Arrington that would require school districts to provide students and parents with information about available career and technical education programs, beginning by the end of fifth grade and annually thereafter.

The proposal would also mandate career and academic planning meetings for eighth-grade students and their parents before high school course registration, covering career options, scholarships, workforce data and dual enrollment opportunities.

Further, the measure would expand and standardize students’ personalized academic and career plans, requiring annual reviews beginning in ninth grade.

Tant told Florida Politics she will pilot the concept during a scholarship night in Jefferson County on March 4.

“I’m trying to get that information in front of families and students so they can work together to understand what their futures need to look like,” she said.

Tant’s last priority bill (HB 91) is a renewed attempt to strengthen enforcement of Florida’s party-affiliation rules for candidates.

State law already requires candidates to be registered with the political party from which they seek nomination for at least a year before qualifying for a General Election. But candidates have repeatedly skirted those rules, and courts have not consistently intervened.

Tant’s inspiration for the bill was perennial candidate Beulah Farquharson, whom she described as having “bounced around” Florida while frequently switching party affiliations shortly before qualifying deadlines.

Most recently, Farquharson filed in 2024 to run against Madison County Clerk Billy Washington. According to an August 2024 report by the Madison Enterprise Reporter, Farquharson filed as a Democrat the same day she switched parties, after previously being registered with no party affiliation in Osceola County.

Washington sued to remove Farquharson from the ballot and ultimately prevailed, but Tant said the challenge took months and cost thousands of dollars.

“Our courts were put through a ridiculous exercise on this,” she told members of the Government Operations Subcommittee last month. The panel voted unanimously to advance HB 91 — already making it more successful this Session than in last year’s.

HB 91 and its Senate counterpart (SB 62), also sponsored by Arrington, would require candidates to swear under oath that they have been registered with their political party for at least 365 consecutive days before qualifying.

The measure would also require no-party candidates to affirm they have not been affiliated with a political party during that same period and would limit who can file eligibility challenges and where those cases may be heard.

The 2026 Legislative Session begins Tuesday.