Drew Wilson
Mental and behavioral health will be a top priority for the Florida Chamber of Commerce in the coming years, according to the pro-business group’s President and CEO, Mark Wilson.
Wilson opened the Chamber’s 5th Annual Leadership Conference on Safety, Health and Sustainability outlining the current “state of play” for workplace safety and well-being in the Sunshine State. Florida currently ranks No. 19 in well-being; the Chamber’s goal is a No. 5 ranking by 2030.
As with other tentpoles of the organization’s master plan, Florida 2030, the Chamber argues that achieving that goal will take widespread buy-in from the business community.
“Ten million people in Florida work, and we care deeply about their safety and well-being,” Wilson said. “Mental health and behavioral health is not just a great idea for your company, it’s a great idea for your community.”
Policymakers will need to be on board, too, and indications are the Chamber’s goals mesh with those of Rep. Sam Garrison, the Northeast Florida Republican in line to succeed Speaker Daniel Perez after the 2026 election.
Garrison spent the 2022-24 term chairing the House’s health care spending panel. The health care silo is far and away the largest component of the state budget, accounting for nearly 2 out of 5 dollars in state spending. Mental and behavioral health comprises about 10% of total health care spending, and billions more is peppered into other silos, including criminal justice and education.
Mental health spending for 2025-26 is murky, with the House and Senate still squabbling over topline spending. Messaging so far indicates cuts are inbound, and mental health programs might be expected to do more with less — lawmakers pushed forward with a bill to measure the effectiveness of current spending.
Still, the ongoing provider shortage has led lawmakers to put substantial funding behind new initiatives — such as former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s “Live Healthy” priority — focused on educating more doctors and, more importantly, convincing them to put down roots in Florida post-residency.
Garrison’s main takeaway from his stint as the House’s lead health care budget writer: “Mental health, mental health, mental health.”
Wilson on Thursday said the Chamber is “very much looking forward to working with” Garrison. As for the policy substance, the Florida Chamber Leadership Cabinet published a lengthy whitepaper last year with several recommendations, such as opening up Certified Mental Health Professional licensure to bachelor’s degree-holders.
Wilson believes the Chamber’s lobbying muscle will move the needle when the time comes. His confidence isn’t unfounded based on recent Sessions, which have seen the Chamber land the plane on a sweeping rewrite of the state’s tort laws, assignment of benefits restrictions, and preemptions on local government regulations maligned by the private sector.
