Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1464
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       8-01292A-25                                           20251464__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to veterans’ assistance; creating s.
    3         295.235, F.S.; requiring the Department of Veterans’
    4         Affairs, subject to appropriation, to expand programs
    5         connecting veterans and their families and survivors
    6         to certain services, benefits, and support; requiring
    7         the department to host public events for such purpose;
    8         requiring the department to submit an annual report to
    9         the Governor and Legislature; providing an effective
   10         date.
   11  
   12         WHEREAS, Florida offers its population of 1.4 million
   13  veterans unique benefits, such as in-state tuition rates for
   14  veterans and their families using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, several
   15  layers of property tax exemptions, and expanded veterans’
   16  preference, including extensive benefits and licensure and fee
   17  waivers, for many activities and occupations, and
   18         WHEREAS, veterans’ benefits and services provided by the
   19  State of Florida are meant to complement and augment available
   20  federal programs to avoid duplication of effort and unnecessary
   21  state expense for a federally funded service or benefit, and
   22         WHEREAS, with only 749,000 Florida veterans enrolled in
   23  earned health care services from the United States Department of
   24  Veterans Affairs, hundreds of thousands of the state’s veterans
   25  and their families are not taking advantage of earned federal,
   26  state, and local services, benefits, and support, and
   27         WHEREAS, while Department of Veterans’ Affairs veterans’
   28  claims examiners assisted more than 245,000 veterans in
   29  providing information and counsel on earned services, benefits,
   30  and support by the end of fiscal year 2024, additional federal
   31  dollars for Florida veterans remain untouched due to a lack of
   32  awareness, and
   33         WHEREAS, a corresponding increase in the quality and
   34  quantity of outreach opportunities linking veterans with earned
   35  benefits through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs will not
   36  only increase the quality of life for Florida veterans and their
   37  families, but provide additional federal dollars to bolster
   38  local economies, NOW, THEREFORE,
   39  
   40  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   41  
   42         Section 1. Section 295.235, Florida Statutes, is created to
   43  read:
   44         295.235 Funds for promoting veteran assistance.—
   45         (1) Subject to an annual appropriation of $500,000 by the
   46  Legislature, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall enhance
   47  and expand its Internet-based, mobile application, printed,
   48  social media, and in-person outreach programs through various
   49  means for the purpose of connecting veterans, their families,
   50  and their survivors with earned services, benefits, and support
   51  beyond existing underfunded efforts.
   52         (2) Using appropriated funds, the department must host at
   53  least two public events each year to disseminate information to
   54  in-person and virtual attendees regarding benefits and services
   55  available to veterans, including, but not limited to,
   56  educational, medical, insurance, and disability benefits.
   57         (3) The department must submit an annual report to the
   58  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   59  House of Representatives which includes the number of public
   60  events hosted by the department, the number of attendees at each
   61  such event, and any other information deemed necessary by the
   62  department.
   63         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.