Florida Senate - 2024 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1666
Ì371270{Î371270
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
01/30/2024 .
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The Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
Domestic Security (Collins) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete lines 130 - 448
4 and insert:
5 (b) “Servicemember” has the same meaning as in 250.01.
6 (c) “Spouse” means a person who is married to a veteran, or
7 an unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran.
8 (d) “Target industry business” is a business as defined in
9 s. 288.005.
10 (e) “Target market” has the same meaning as in s.
11 295.21(3)(a).
12 (f) “Veteran” means, irrespective of discharge status, a
13 person who otherwise meets the definition of veteran in s.
14 1.01(14) or who is a servicemember.
15 (3) CREATION.—The Veterans Employment and Training Services
16 Program is created within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to
17 assist in connecting linking veterans or their spouses in search
18 of employment with businesses seeking to hire dedicated, well
19 trained workers and with opportunities for entrepreneurship
20 education, training, and resources. The purpose of the program
21 is to meet the workforce demands of businesses in this the state
22 by facilitating access to training and education in high-demand
23 fields for veterans or their spouses and to inspire the growth
24 and development of veteran-owned small businesses.
25 (4)(3) ADMINISTRATION.—Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., shall
26 administer the Veterans Employment and Training Services Program
27 and perform all of the following functions:
28 (a) Conduct marketing and recruiting efforts directed at
29 veterans or their spouses within the target market who reside in
30 or who have an interest in relocating to this state and who are
31 seeking employment. Marketing must include information related
32 to how a veteran’s military experience can be valuable to a
33 target industry or secondary industry business. Such efforts may
34 include attending veteran job fairs and events, hosting events
35 for veterans and their spouses or the business community, and
36 using digital and social media and direct mail campaigns. The
37 corporation shall also include such marketing as part of its
38 main marketing campaign.
39 (b) Assist veterans or their spouses who reside in or
40 relocate to this state and who are seeking employment with
41 target industry or secondary industry businesses. The
42 corporation shall offer skills assessments to veterans or their
43 spouses and assist them in establishing employment goals and
44 applying for and achieving gainful employment.
45 1. Assessment may include skill match information, skill
46 gap analysis, résumé creation, translation of military skills
47 into civilian workforce skills, and translation of military
48 achievements and experience into generally understood civilian
49 workforce skills.
50 2. Assistance may include providing the veteran or his or
51 her spouse with information on current workforce demand by
52 industry or geographic region, creating employment goals, and
53 aiding or teaching general knowledge related to completing
54 applications. The corporation may provide information related to
55 industry certifications approved by the Department of Education
56 under s. 1008.44 as well as information related to earning
57 academic college credit at public postsecondary educational
58 institutions for college-level training and education acquired
59 in the military under s. 1004.096.
60 3. The corporation shall encourage veterans or their
61 spouses to register with the state’s job bank system and may
62 refer veterans to local one-stop career centers for further
63 services. The corporation shall provide each veteran with
64 information about state workforce programs and shall consolidate
65 information about all available resources on one website that,
66 if possible, includes a hyperlink to each resource’s website and
67 contact information, if available.
68 4. Assessment and assistance may be in person or by
69 electronic means, as determined by the corporation to be most
70 efficient and best meet the needs of veterans or their spouses.
71 (c) Assist Florida target industry and secondary industry
72 businesses in recruiting and hiring veterans and veterans’
73 spouses. The corporation shall provide services to Florida
74 businesses to meet their hiring needs by connecting businesses
75 with suitable veteran applicants for employment. Suitable
76 applicants include veterans or veterans’ spouses who have
77 appropriate job skills or may need additional training to meet
78 the specific needs of a business. The corporation shall also
79 provide information about the state and federal benefits of
80 hiring veterans.
81 (d) Create a grant program to provide funding to assist
82 veterans in meeting the workforce-skill needs of target industry
83 and secondary industry businesses seeking to hire, promote, or
84 generally improve specialized skills of veterans, establish
85 criteria for approval of requests for funding, and maximize the
86 use of funding for this program. Grant funds may be used only in
87 the absence of available veteran-specific federally funded
88 programs. Grants may fund specialized training specific to a
89 particular business.
90 1. The program may prioritize If grant funds to be are used
91 to provide a technical certificate, a license licensure, or
92 nondegree training from the Master Credentials List pursuant to
93 s. 445.004(4)(h); any federally created certifications or
94 licenses; and any skills-based industry certifications or
95 licenses deemed relevant or necessary by the corporation. a
96 degree, Funds may be allocated only upon a review that includes,
97 but is not limited to, documentation of accreditation and
98 licensure. Instruction funded through the program terminates
99 when participants demonstrate competence at the level specified
100 in the request but may not exceed 12 months. Preference shall be
101 given to target industry businesses, as defined in s. 288.005,
102 and to businesses in the defense supply, cloud virtualization,
103 health care, or commercial aviation manufacturing industries.
104 2. Costs and expenditures are shall be limited to $8,000
105 per veteran trainee. Qualified businesses must cover the entire
106 cost for all of the training provided before receiving
107 reimbursement from the corporation equal to 50 percent of the
108 cost to train a veteran who is a permanent, full-time employee.
109 Eligible costs and expenditures include, but are not limited to:
110 a. Tuition and fees.
111 b. Books and classroom materials.
112 c. Rental fees for facilities.
113 3. Before funds are allocated for a request pursuant to
114 this section, the corporation shall prepare a grant agreement
115 between the business requesting funds and the corporation. Such
116 agreement must include, but need not be limited to:
117 a. Identification of the personnel necessary to conduct the
118 instructional program, instructional program description, and
119 any vendors used to conduct the instructional program.
120 b. Identification of the estimated duration of the
121 instructional program.
122 c. Identification of all direct, training-related costs.
123 d. Identification of special program requirements that are
124 not otherwise addressed in the agreement.
125 e. Permission to access aggregate information specific to
126 the wages and performance of participants upon the completion of
127 instruction for evaluation purposes. The agreement must specify
128 that any evaluation published subsequent to the instruction may
129 not identify the employer or any individual participant.
130 4. A business may receive a grant under any state program
131 the Quick-Response Training Program created under s. 288.047 and
132 a grant under this section for the same veteran trainee.
133 5. A portion of grant funds, as determined by the
134 corporation, may be used for veterans who are not active members
135 of the United States Armed Forces for educational stipends while
136 training at any location of the University of Florida’s
137 Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences within this state.
138 The corporation and the University of Florida shall enter into a
139 grant agreement before funds are expended. The corporation must
140 determine the amount of the stipend. The training for any
141 individual may not be less than 4 months and not more than 6
142 months.
143 (e) Contract with one or more entities to administer an
144 entrepreneur initiative program for veterans in this state which
145 connects business leaders in the state with veterans seeking to
146 become entrepreneurs.
147 1. The corporation shall award each contract in accordance
148 with the competitive bidding requirements in s. 287.057 to one
149 or more public or private entities that:
150 a. Demonstrate the ability to implement the program and the
151 commitment of resources, including financial resources, to such
152 programs.
153 b. Have a demonstrated experience working with veteran
154 entrepreneurs.
155 c. As determined by the corporation, have been recognized
156 for their performance in assisting entrepreneurs to launch
157 successful businesses in this the state.
158 2. Each contract must include performance metrics,
159 including a focus on employment and business creation. The
160 entity may also work with a university or college offering
161 related programs to refer veterans or to provide services. The
162 entrepreneur initiative program may include activities and
163 assistance such as peer-to-peer learning sessions, mentoring,
164 technical assistance, business roundtables, networking
165 opportunities, support of student organizations, speaker series,
166 or other tools within a virtual environment.
167 (f) Administer a As the state’s principal assistance
168 organization under the United States Department of Defense’s
169 SkillBridge initiative program for target industry and secondary
170 industry qualified businesses in this state and for eligible
171 veterans transitioning servicemembers who reside in, or who wish
172 to reside in, this state. In administering the initiative, the
173 corporation shall:
174 1. Establish and maintain, as applicable, its certification
175 for the SkillBridge initiative program or any other similar
176 workforce training and transition programs established by the
177 United States Department of Defense;
178 2. Educate businesses, business associations, and eligible
179 veterans transitioning servicemembers on the SkillBridge
180 initiative program and its benefits, and educate military
181 command and personnel within the state on the opportunities
182 available to eligible veterans transitioning servicemembers
183 through the SkillBridge program;
184 3. Assist businesses in obtaining approval for skilled
185 workforce training curricula under the SkillBridge initiative
186 program, including, but not limited to, apprenticeships,
187 internships, or fellowships; and
188 4. Match eligible veterans transitioning servicemembers who
189 are deemed eligible for SkillBridge participation by their
190 military command with training opportunities offered by the
191 corporation or participating businesses, with the intent of
192 having them transitioning servicemembers achieve gainful
193 employment in this state upon completion of their SkillBridge
194 training.
195 (g) Assist veterans and their spouses in accessing
196 training, education, and employment in health care professions.
197 (h) Coordinate with the Office of Veteran Licensure
198 Services within the Department of Health to assist veterans and
199 their spouses in obtaining licensure pursuant to s. 456.024.
200 (5) COLLABORATION.—The corporation may assist state
201 agencies and entities with recruiting veteran talent into their
202 workforce. The corporation is encouraged to, and may collaborate
203 with state agencies and other entities in efforts to, maximize
204 access to and provide information on one website that, if
205 possible, includes hyperlinks to the websites of and contact
206 information, if available, for state agencies and other entities
207 that maintain benefits, services, training, education, and other
208 resources that are available to veterans and their spouses.
209 (a) Outreach, information exchange, marketing, and
210 referrals between agencies, entities, and the corporation
211 regarding programs and initiatives that may be conducted
212 include, but are not limited to, the Veterans Employment and
213 Training Services Program and those within any of the following:
214 1. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs:
215 a. Access to benefits and assistance programs.
216 b. Hope Navigators Program.
217 2. The Department of Commerce:
218 a. The Disabled Veteran Outreach Program and Local Veteran
219 Employment Representatives.
220 b. CareerSource Florida, Inc., and local workforce boards
221 employment and recruitment services.
222 c. The Quick-Response Training Program.
223 d. Select Florida.
224 3. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation,
225 reciprocity and the availability of certain license and fee
226 waivers.
227 4. The Department of Education:
228 a. CAPE industry certifications under s. 1008.44.
229 b. Information related to earning postsecondary credit at
230 public postsecondary educational institutions for college-level
231 training and education acquired in the military under s.
232 1004.096.
233 5. The Department of Health:
234 a. The Office of Veteran Licensure Services.
235 b. The Florida Veterans Application for Licensure Online
236 Response expedited licensing.
237 (b) The corporation may coordinate and collaborate with the
238 Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help, the State
239 University System, the Florida College System, the Florida
240 Defense Support Task Force, the Florida Small Business
241 Development Center Network, and the Florida Talent Development
242 Council, as necessary.
243 Section 3. Section 295.25, Florida Statutes, is created to
244 read:
245 295.25 Veterans exempt from certain filing fees.—The
246 Department of State may not charge veterans who reside in this
247 state the applicable fees for filing articles of organization,
248 articles of incorporation, a certificate of limited partnership,
249 or a partnership registration statement, or for the designation
250 of a registered agent, if applicable, as provided in s.
251 605.0213, s. 607.0122, s. 617.0122, s. 620.1109, or s.
252 620.81055.
253 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 379.353, Florida
254 Statutes, is amended to read:
255 379.353 Recreational licenses and permits; exemptions from
256 fees and requirements.—
257 (1) The commission shall issue without fee hunting,
258 freshwater fishing, and saltwater fishing licenses and permits
259 shall be issued without fee to any resident who is certified or
260 determined to be:
261 (a) To be Totally and permanently disabled for purposes of
262 workers’ compensation under chapter 440 as verified by an order
263 of a judge of compensation claims or written confirmation by the
264 carrier providing workers’ compensation benefits, or to be
265 totally and permanently disabled by the Railroad Retirement
266 Board, by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or
267 its predecessor, or by any branch of the United States Armed
268 Forces, or who holds a valid identification card issued under
269 the provisions of s. 295.17, upon proof of such certification or
270 determination same. Any license issued under this paragraph
271 after January 1, 1997, expires after 5 years and must be
272 reissued, upon request, every 5 years thereafter.
273 (b) To be Disabled by the United States Social Security
274 Administration, upon proof of such certification or
275 determination same. Any license issued under this paragraph
276 after October 1, 1999, expires after 2 years and must be
277 reissued, upon proof of certification of disability, every 2
278 years thereafter.
279 (c) A disabled veteran of the United States Armed Forces
280 who was honorably discharged upon separation from service and
281 who is certified by the United States Department of Veterans
282 Affairs or its predecessor or by any branch of the United States
283 Armed Forces as having a service-connected disability percentage
284 rating of 50 percent or greater, upon proof of such
285 certification or determination. Any license issued under this
286 paragraph after July 1, 2024, expires after 5 years and must be
287 reissued, upon request, every 5 years thereafter.
288
289 A disability license issued after July 1, 1997, and before July
290 1, 2000, retains the rights vested thereunder until the license
291 has expired.
292 Section 5. Subsections (1), (2), and (3) of section 381.78,
293 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
294 381.78 Advisory council on brain and spinal cord injuries.—
295 (1) There is created within the department a 16-member
296 advisory council on brain and spinal cord injuries. The council
297 shall be composed of a minimum of:
298 (a) Two four individuals who have brain injuries or are
299 family members of individuals who have brain injuries, with one
300 individual appointed by the President of the Senate and the
301 other individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of
302 Representatives., a minimum of four
303 (b) Two individuals who have spinal cord injuries or are
304 family members of individuals who have spinal cord injuries,
305 with one individual appointed by the President of the Senate and
306 the other individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of
307 Representatives., and a minimum of
308 (c) Two individuals who represent the special needs of
309 children who have brain or spinal cord injuries, with one
310 individual appointed by the President of the Senate and the
311 other individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of
312 Representatives.
313 (d) Two individuals who have, or who are family members of
314 individuals who have or had, a traumatic brain injury, chronic
315 traumatic encephalopathy, or subconcussive impacts due to
316 sports, with one individual appointed the President of the
317 Senate and the other individual appointed by the Speaker of the
318 House of Representatives.
319 (e) Two veterans as defined in s. 1.01(14) who have or have
320 had a traumatic brain injury, chronic traumatic encephalopathy,
321 or subconcussive impacts due to military service, or family
322 members of such veterans, with one veteran or family member
323 appointed by the President of the Senate and the other veteran
324 or family member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
325 Representatives.
326 (f) Six individuals, appointed by the State Surgeon
327 General, who are The balance of the council members shall be
328 physicians, other allied health professionals, administrators of
329 brain and spinal cord injury programs, or and representatives
330 from support groups who that have expertise in areas related to
331 the rehabilitation of individuals who have brain or spinal cord
332 injuries.
333 (2) Members of the council shall be appointed to serve by
334 the State Surgeon General. All members’ terms shall be staggered
335 terms of for 4 years. An
336
337 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
338 And the title is amended as follows:
339 Delete line 38
340 and insert:
341 certain disabled veterans; providing that specified
342 licenses issued to such veterans expire periodically
343 and must be reissued upon request after such time
344 period; amending s. 381.78, F.S.;