| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to veterans; amending s. 496.406, F.S.; |
| 3 | exempting certain veterans' organizations from |
| 4 | requirements to file registration statements with the |
| 5 | Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; amending |
| 6 | s. 295.187, F.S.; revising the definition of the term |
| 7 | "service-disabled veteran" for purposes of the Florida |
| 8 | Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Opportunity |
| 9 | Act; amending s. 296.06, F.S.; revising eligibility |
| 10 | requirements for residency in the Veterans' Domiciliary |
| 11 | Home of Florida; amending s. 296.36, F.S.; revising |
| 12 | eligibility requirements for admittance into a licensed |
| 13 | health care facility operated by the Department of |
| 14 | Veterans' Affairs; providing an effective date. |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 17 |
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| 18 | Section 1. Section 496.406, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 19 | to read: |
| 20 | 496.406 Exemption from registration.-The following |
| 21 | charitable organizations and sponsors are exempt from the |
| 22 | requirements of s. 496.405: |
| 23 | (1) A person who is soliciting for a named individual, |
| 24 | provided that all the contributions collected without any |
| 25 | deductions whatsoever are turned over to the beneficiary for her |
| 26 | or his use and provided that the person has complied with the |
| 27 | requirements of s. 496.413. |
| 28 | (2) A charitable organization or sponsor which limits |
| 29 | solicitation of contributions to the membership of the |
| 30 | charitable organization or sponsor. For the purposes of this |
| 31 | paragraph, the term "membership" does not include those persons |
| 32 | who are granted a membership upon making a contribution as a |
| 33 | result of a solicitation. |
| 34 | (3) Any division, department, post, or chapter of a |
| 35 | veterans' service organization granted a federal charter under |
| 36 | Title 36, U.S.C. |
| 37 | Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section |
| 38 | 295.187, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 39 | 295.187 Florida Service-Disabled Veteran Business |
| 40 | Enterprise Opportunity Act.- |
| 41 | (3) DEFINITIONS.-For the purpose of this section, the |
| 42 | term: |
| 43 | (b) "Service-disabled veteran" means a veteran who is a |
| 44 | permanent Florida resident with a service-connected disability |
| 45 | of 10 percent or greater as determined by the United States |
| 46 | Department of Veterans Affairs or who has been terminated from |
| 47 | military service by reason of disability by the United States |
| 48 | Department of Defense. |
| 49 | Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 296.06, Florida |
| 50 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 51 | 296.06 State policy; eligibility requirements.- |
| 52 | (2) To be eligible for residency in the home, a veteran |
| 53 | must: |
| 54 | (a) Have wartime service as provided in s. 1.01(14) or |
| 55 | peacetime service as defined in s. ss. 1.01(14) and 296.02. |
| 56 | (b) Have been a resident of the state for 1 year |
| 57 | immediately preceding application and be a resident of the state |
| 58 | at the time of application. |
| 59 | (c) Not be mentally ill, habitually inebriated, or |
| 60 | addicted to drugs. |
| 61 | (d) Not owe money to the department for services rendered |
| 62 | during any previous stay at a department facility. |
| 63 | (e) Have applied for all financial assistance reasonably |
| 64 | available through governmental sources. |
| 65 | (f) Have been approved as eligible for care and treatment |
| 66 | by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. |
| 67 | Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 296.36, Florida |
| 68 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 69 | 296.36 Eligibility and priority of admittance.- |
| 70 | (1) To be eligible for admittance to the home, the person |
| 71 | must be a veteran as provided defined in s. 1.01(14) or have |
| 72 | eligible peacetime service as defined in s. 296.02 and must: |
| 73 | (a) Be in need of nursing home care. |
| 74 | (b) Have been a resident of the state for 1 year |
| 75 | immediately preceding, and at the time of application for, |
| 76 | admission to the home. |
| 77 | (c) Not owe money to the department for services rendered |
| 78 | during any previous stay at a department facility. |
| 79 | (d) Have applied for all financial assistance reasonably |
| 80 | available through governmental sources. |
| 81 | (e) Have been approved as eligible for care and treatment |
| 82 | by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. |
| 83 | Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |