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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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An act relating to veterans' long -term care facilities 2
admissions; amending s. 296.02, F.S.; revising 3
definitions; amending s. 296.03, F.S.; revising 4
eligibility for residency in the Veterans' Domiciliary 5
Home of Florida to include specified individuals; 6
amending s. 296.08, F.S.; adding such individuals to 7
the priority of admittance schedule; amending s. 8
296.32, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes ma de by 9
the act; amending s. 296.33, F.S.; revising the 10
definition of the term "resident"; amending s. 296.36, 11
F.S.; revising the admission eligibility for veterans' 12
nursing homes to include specified persons; revising 13
the priority of admittance to include s uch persons; 14
providing an effective date. 15
16
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
18
Section 1. Subsections (1), (4), (8), and (10) of section 19
296.02, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 20
296.02 Definitions. —For the purposes of this part, except 21
where the context clearly indicates otherwise: 22
(1) "Applicant" means a veteran with wartime service or 23
peacetime service, as defined in this section , or the spouse or 24
surviving spouse of such veteran, who is not in need of 25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
hospitalization or nursing home care. 26
(4) "Domiciliary care" means shelter, sustenance, and 27
incidental medical care provided on an ambulatory self -care 28
basis to assist eligible applicants veterans who are disabled by 29
age or disease, but who are not in need of hospi talization or 30
nursing home care services. 31
(8) "Resident" means any eligible applicant veteran 32
admitted to residency in the home. 33
(10) "Veterans' Domiciliary Home of Florida," hereinafter 34
referred to as the "home," means a home established by the state 35
for veterans who served in wartime service or in peacetime 36
service, as defined in this section , or the spouses or surviving 37
spouses of such veterans . 38
Section 2. Section 296.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to 39
read: 40
296.03 Veterans' Domiciliary Home o f Florida.—The 41
Veterans' Domiciliary Home of Florida is for veterans who served 42
in wartime service or peacetime service, as defined in s. 43
296.02, or the spouses or surviving spouses of such veterans, 44
and is maintained for the use of those individuals veterans who 45
are not in need of hospitalization or nursing home care and who 46
can attend to their personal needs, dress themselves, and attend 47
a general dining facility, or who are in need of extended 48
congregate care. 49
Section 3. Paragraph (e) is added to sub section (1) of 50
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section 296.08, Florida Statutes, to read: 51
296.08 Priority of admittance. — 52
(1) In determining the eligibility of applicants to the 53
home, the administrator shall give admittance priority in 54
accordance with the following schedule: 55
(e) The spouses or surviving spouses of veterans described 56
in this subsection. 57
Section 4. Section 296.32, Florida Statutes, is amended to 58
read: 59
296.32 Purpose.—The purpose of this part is to provide for 60
the establishment of basic standards for the operation of 61
veterans' nursing homes for eligible veterans and the spouses or 62
surviving spouses of such veterans who are in need of such 63
services. 64
Section 5. Subsection (5) of section 296.33, Florida 65
Statutes, is amended to read: 66
296.33 Definitions. —As used in this part, the term: 67
(5) "Resident" means any eligible veteran , or the spouse 68
or surviving spouse of such veteran, who is admitted to the 69
home. 70
Section 6. Subsections (1) and (3) of section 296. 36, 71
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 72
296.36 Eligibility and priority of admittance. — 73
(1) To be eligible for admittance to the home, the person 74
must be a veteran as provided in s. 1.01(14) or have eligible 75
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peacetime service as defined in s. 296.02 , or be the spouse or 76
surviving spouse of a veteran, and must: 77
(a) Be in need of nursing home care. 78
(b) Be a resident of the state at the time of application 79
for admission to the home. 80
(c) Not owe money to the department for services rendered 81
during any previous stay at a department facility. 82
(d) Have applied for all financial assistance reasonably 83
available through governmental sources. 84
(e) Have been approved as eligible for care and treatment 85
by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. 86
(3) Admittance priority must be given to eligible persons 87
veterans in the following order of priority: 88
(a) An eligible veteran who is a resident of the State of 89
Florida. 90
(b) An eligible veteran who has a service -connected 91
disability as determined by the United States Department of 92
Veterans Affairs, or was discharged or released from military 93
service for disability incurred or aggravated in the line of 94
duty and the disability is the condition for which nursing home 95
care is needed. 96
(c) An eligible vet eran who has a non-service-connected 97
disability and is unable to defray the expense of nursing home 98
care and so states under oath before a notary public or other 99
officer authorized to administer an oath. 100
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(d) The spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran de scribed 101
in this subsection. 102
Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 103