Which APD rules changed on August 30, 2026?

Four rules in Chapter 65G-4, Florida Administrative Code: 65G-4.014 (Eligibility for Agency Services - Definitions), 65G-4.015 (Eligibility for Agency Services Criteria), 65G-4.016 (Application Process) and 65G-4.017 (Establishing Eligibility). All four carry an effective date of 8/30/2026 on the state rule index.

What is the current APD Application for Services form?

Application for Services Form 65G-4.016A, Rev. 2026, incorporated by reference into Rule 65G-4.016, F.A.C. effective 30 August 2026 at flrules.org reference Ref-19720. APD publishes it in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole at apd.myflorida.com/services/apply.htm. A copy saved before 30 August 2026 is the previous version.

Did the August 30, 2026 APD rule change affect staff training requirements?

No. Chapter 65G-4 covers eligibility for Agency services, not staffing. No training requirement, renewal cadence or deadline changed because of this amendment. Staff training sits in Chapter 65G-2 and Chapter 65G-7, neither of which was amended on that date.

Is Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome a qualifying diagnosis for APD services in Florida?

Yes, as of 30 August 2026. Rule 65G-4.015(3)(h), F.A.C. lists it among the confirmed diagnoses that qualify, it is defined at Rule 65G-4.014(8), and Rule 65G-4.017(8) requires the diagnosis be confirmed by genetic testing with written documentation from a medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathy.

How long does APD have to decide an Application for Services?

Rule 65G-4.016, F.A.C. requires APD to acknowledge receipt of every application and to make a determination within the time frames in section 393.065(1), Florida Statutes, which may be tolled if further documentation or evaluations are needed. Once decided, APD must notify the applicant in writing within five business days.

Rule changes08/28/2026·4 min read

Four APD Eligibility Rules Took Effect August 30, 2026 — and the Application Form Changed With Them

The four rules in Chapter 65G-4 that decide who qualifies for APD services were amended effective 30 August 2026. No staff training deadline moved. But the Application for Services is built into one of those rules, and it was replaced on the same day — it is now Form 65G-4.016A, Rev. 2026. A copy saved before that date is the old one.

What changed in APD's eligibility rules on August 30, 2026?

Four rules in Chapter 65G-4 — the chapter that decides who qualifies for APD services — were amended effective 30 August 2026. They are 65G-4.014, .015, .016 and .017. The amendments add Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome as a qualifying diagnosis, conforming the rules to Chapter 2026-129, Laws of Florida, and they replaced the Application for Services with Form 65G-4.016A, Rev. 2026. No staff training requirement changed.

Published 28 August 2026, before the rules took effect. Rewritten 8 September 2026 from the adopted rule text on the state record, which is now available — so the caveat that used to sit at the bottom of this piece is gone, and what follows is what the rules actually say.

If you run a group home, supported living or personal supports, two minutes here saves you sending the wrong form — because one part of this change bites people quietly.

Which rules changed?

These four, all now effective 30 August 2026:

65G-4.014 — Eligibility for Agency Services, Definitions
65G-4.015 — Eligibility for Agency Services Criteria
65G-4.016 — Application Process
65G-4.017 — Establishing Eligibility

The history note the state publishes on 65G-4.015 reads, word for word: "History–New 5-16-12, Amended 6-3-20, Technical Change 11-3-25, Amended 8-30-26."

What actually changed: one more qualifying diagnosis

The 2026 Legislature added Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome to the definition of developmental disability in s. 393.063, F.S. through Chapter 2026-129, Laws of Florida. These four rules are APD catching its own eligibility rules up to that statute, and it shows up in three separate places:

65G-4.014(8) defines it — a disorder caused by a mutation in the DNMT3A gene, typified by mild to severe intellectual disability, macrocephaly, and height and weight two or more standard deviations above the mean for age and sex, with features that may include joint hypermobility, hypotonia, kyphoscoliosis, seizures or deficits in behavior.
65G-4.015(3)(h) adds it to the list of confirmed diagnoses that qualify, alongside autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, intellectual disability, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and spina bifida.
65G-4.017(8) sets the proof: the diagnosis must be confirmed by genetic testing, with written documentation from a medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathy. That is the same standard the rule sets for Phelan-McDermid syndrome, and a stricter one than cerebral palsy or Prader-Willi, where medical records documenting the diagnosis before age 18 are enough.

The part most people will miss. The Application for Services is built into Rule 65G-4.016 — the rule does not just mention the form, it contains it. So when the rule was replaced, the form was replaced with it. The current one is Application for Services Form 65G-4.016A, Rev. 2026, incorporated by reference at flrules.org as Ref-19720 and revised, in the state's own words, to include Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome. APD publishes it in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole at apd.myflorida.com/services/apply.htm. A copy you downloaded and saved before 30 August 2026 is the old version. Pull a fresh one rather than reusing a stored PDF.

Two other things the amended application rule says

Worth knowing if you ever help somebody through an application, because both are obligations on the Agency rather than on the applicant:

Every application gets a receipt. 65G-4.016(1) says APD shall acknowledge receipt of all applications it receives, regardless of how they were submitted, with an immediate receipt confirmation returned the same way the application came in — unless the applicant asked for a different method on the form itself. The rule names four routes in: hand delivery, U.S. mail, fax, and the online portal on APD's website.
Five business days to put the decision in writing. 65G-4.016(4) requires written notice within five business days of the determination, and if the answer is no, the notice must tell the applicant they may appeal under Chapter 120, F.S. 65G-4.016(5) also requires APD to suggest other programs or services the person may qualify for.

Does this change anything my staff have to do?

No. Chapter 65G-4 is about who qualifies for services. It is not the staffing chapter. Nothing on your training calendar moved — no course, no renewal, no deadline. Staff requirements live in Chapter 65G-2 (licensing and staffing) and Chapter 65G-7 (medication), and neither was amended on this date.

This matters if you help people apply for APD services, or if somebody you support has been turned down on their diagnosis before.

How do I check this myself?

Open the rule and read the effective date at the top — it is the first thing on the page. We have linked the individual rule, the full chapter index and the incorporated form below. The index is worth a bookmark generally: it lists every rule in the chapter with the date it last moved, which is the fastest way to see whether anything has changed since you last looked. The chapter index also carries a link to the chapter's adopted text, which is where the wording quoted above comes from.

Sources

This article is general information for Florida APD group-home providers, not legal advice or a guarantee of compliance. Rules change and vary by region — always confirm the current requirement with the cited source and your APD regional office.