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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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to veterans; amending s. 295.21, F.S.; 2
revising the purpose of Florida Is For Veterans, Inc.; 3
revising the duties of the corporation to require that 4
it conduct specified activities directed toward its 5
target market; defining the term "targe t market"; 6
deleting obsolete language; providing that the 7
President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House 8
of Representatives may each appoint only one member 9
from his or her chamber to the corporation's board of 10
directors; making technical changes; am ending s. 11
295.22, F.S.; defining terms; revising the purpose of 12
the Veterans Employment and Training Services Program; 13
revising the functions that Florida Is For Veterans, 14
Inc., must perform in administering a specified 15
program; authorizing the program to prioritize grant 16
funds; revising the uses of specified grant funds; 17
authorizing a business to receive certain other grant 18
funds in addition to specified grant funds; 19
authorizing the use of grant funds to provide for a 20
specified educational stipend; requiri ng the 21
corporation and the University of Florida to enter 22
into a grant agreement before certain funds are 23
expended; requiring the corporation to determine the 24
amount of the stipend; providing that specified 25
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training must occur for a specified duration; 26
authorizing the corporation to provide certain 27
assistance to state agencies and entities, to provide 28
a website that has relevant hyperlinks, and to 29
collaborate with specified state agencies and other 30
entities for specified purposes;; conforming 31
provisions to changes made by the act; making 32
technical changes; creating s. 295.25, F.S.; 33
prohibiting the Department of State from charging 34
veterans who reside in this state fees for the filing 35
of specified documents; amending s. 379.353, F.S.; 36
providing free hunting, freshwater fishing, and 37
saltwater fishing licenses to certain disabled 38
veterans; providing that such licenses expire after a 39
certain period of time; requiring such licenses to be 40
reissued in specified circumstances; amending s. 41
381.78, F.S.; revising the m embership, appointment, 42
and meetings of the advisory council on brain and 43
spinal cord injuries; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; 44
requiring instruction on the history and importance of 45
Veterans' Day and Memorial Day; requiring certain 46
instruction to consist of tw o 45-minute lessons that 47
occur within a certain timeframe; amending s. 48
288.0001, F.S.; conforming a cross -reference; 49
reenacting ss. 379.3581(2)(b) and 379.401(2)(b) and 50
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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
(3)(b), F.S., relating to special authorization 51
hunting licenses and the suspension and forfeiture of 52
licenses and permits, respectively, to incorporate the 53
amendment made to s. 379.353, F.S., in references 54
thereto; providing an effective date. 55
56
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 57
58
Section 1. Subsection (2), p aragraph (a) of subsection 59
(3), and paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section 295.21, 60
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 61
295.21 Florida Is For Veterans, Inc. — 62
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the corporation is to serve as 63
the state's initial point of military transition assistance 64
dedicated to promoting promote Florida as a veteran -friendly 65
state helping that seeks to provide veterans and their spouses 66
with employment opportunities and promoting that promotes the 67
hiring of veterans and their spouses by the business community. 68
The corporation shall encourage retired and recently separated 69
military personnel to remain in this the state or to make this 70
the state their permanent residence. The corporation shall 71
promote the value of military skill sets to bu sinesses in this 72
the state, assist in tailoring the training of veterans and 73
their spouses to match the needs of the employment marketplace, 74
and enhance the entrepreneurial skills of veterans and their 75
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spouses. 76
(3) DUTIES.—The corporation shall: 77
(a) Conduct marketing, awareness, and outreach activities 78
directed toward its target market. As used in this section, the 79
term "target market" means those members, and their spouses, of 80
the United States Armed Forces with 24 months or less until 81
discharge, veterans with 36 months or less since discharge, and 82
members of the Florida National Guard or reserves research to 83
identify the target market and the educational and employment 84
needs of those in the target market. The corporation shall 85
contract with at least on e entity pursuant to the competitive 86
bidding requirements in s. 287.057 and the provisions of s. 87
295.187 to perform the research. Such entity must have 88
experience conducting market research on the veteran 89
demographic. The corporation shall seek input from the Florida 90
Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation on the scope, process, 91
and focus of such research . 92
(4) GOVERNANCE.— 93
(a) The corporation shall be governed by a nine -member 94
board of directors. The Governor, the President of the Senate, 95
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each 96
appoint three members to the board. In making appointments, the 97
Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the 98
House of Representatives must consider representation by active 99
or retired military pe rsonnel and their spouses , representing a 100
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range of ages and persons with expertise in business, education, 101
marketing, and information management. The President of the 102
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives may each 103
appoint only one member f rom the body over which he or she 104
presides. 105
Section 2. Section 295.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to 106
read: 107
295.22 Veterans Employment and Training Services Program. — 108
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. —The Legislature finds 109
that the state has a compelling interest in ensuring that each 110
veteran or his or her spouse who is a resident of this the state 111
finds employment that meets his or her professional goals and 112
receives the training or education necessary to meet those 113
goals. The Legislature also finds that connecting dedicated, 114
well-trained veterans with businesses that need a dedicated, 115
well-trained workforce is of paramount importance. The 116
Legislature recognizes that veterans or their spouses may not 117
currently have the skills to meet the workfor ce needs of Florida 118
employers and may require assistance in obtaining additional 119
workforce training or in transitioning their skills to meet the 120
demands of the marketplace. It is the intent of the Legislature 121
that the Veterans Employment and Training Servi ces Program 122
coordinate and meet the needs of veterans and their spouses and 123
the business community to enhance the economy of this state. 124
(2) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section, the 125
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term: 126
(a) "Secondary industry business" is a business that t he 127
state has an additional interest in supporting and for which 128
veterans and their spouses may have directly transferrable 129
skills. These businesses are in the fields of health care, 130
agriculture, commercial construction, education, law 131
enforcement, and publ ic service. 132
(b) "Servicemember" has the same meaning as in s. 250.01. 133
(c) "Spouse" means a person who is married to a veteran or 134
an unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran. 135
(d) "Target industry business" is a business as defined in 136
s. 288.005. 137
(e) "Target market" has the same meaning as in s. 138
295.21(3)(a). 139
(f) "Veteran" means, irrespective of discharge status, a 140
person who otherwise meets the definition of the term veteran in 141
s. 1.01(14) or who is a servicemember. 142
(3) CREATION.—The Veterans Employment and Training 143
Services Program is created within the Department of Veterans' 144
Affairs to assist in connecting linking veterans or their 145
spouses in search of employment with businesses seeking to hire 146
dedicated, well-trained workers and with opportunities for 147
entrepreneurship education, training, and resources . The purpose 148
of the program is to meet the workforce demands of businesses in 149
this the state by facilitating access to training and education 150
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in high-demand fields for veterans or their spouses and to 151
inspire the growth and development of veteran -owned small 152
businesses. 153
(4)(3) ADMINISTRATION.—Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., 154
shall administer the Veterans Employment and Training Services 155
Program and perform all of the following functions: 156
(a) Conduct marketing and recruiting efforts directed at 157
veterans or their spouses within the target market who reside in 158
or who have an interest in relocating to this state and who are 159
seeking employment. Marketing must include information related 160
to how a veteran's military experience can be valuable to a 161
target industry or secondary industry business. Such efforts may 162
include attending veteran job fairs and events, hosting events 163
for veterans and their spouses or the business community, and 164
using digital and social media and direct mail campaigns. The 165
corporation shall also include such marketing as part of its 166
main marketing campaign. 167
(b) Assist veterans or their spouses who reside in or 168
relocate to this state and who are seeking employment with 169
target industry or secondary industry businesses . The 170
corporation shall offer skills assessments to veterans or their 171
spouses and assist them in establishing employment goals and 172
applying for and achieving gainful employment. 173
1. Assessment may include skill match in formation, skill 174
gap analysis, résumé creation, translation of military skills 175
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into civilian workforce skills, and translation of military 176
achievements and experience into generally understood civilian 177
workforce skills. 178
2. Assistance may include providin g the veteran or his or 179
her spouse with information on current workforce demand by 180
industry or geographic region, creating employment goals, and 181
aiding or teaching general knowledge related to completing 182
applications. The corporation may provide information related to 183
industry certifications approved by the Department of Education 184
under s. 1008.44 as well as information related to earning 185
academic college credit at public postsecondary educational 186
institutions for college -level training and educat ion acquired 187
in the military under s. 1004.096. 188
3. The corporation shall encourage veterans or their 189
spouses to register with the state's job bank system and may 190
refer veterans to local one -stop career centers for further 191
services. The corporation shall provide each veteran with 192
information about state workforce programs and shall consolidate 193
information about all available resources on one website that, 194
if possible, includes a hyperlink to each resource's website and 195
contact information, if available. 196
4. Assessment and assistance may be in person or by 197
electronic means, as determined by the corporation to be most 198
efficient and best meet the needs of veterans or their spouses. 199
(c) Assist Florida target industry and secondary industry 200
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businesses in recruiting and hiring veterans and veterans' 201
spouses. The corporation shall provide services to Florida 202
businesses to meet their hiring needs by connecting businesses 203
with suitable veteran applicants for employment. Suitable 204
applicants include veterans or vete rans' spouses who have 205
appropriate job skills or may need additional training to meet 206
the specific needs of a business. The corporation shall also 207
provide information about the state and federal benefits of 208
hiring veterans. 209
(d) Create a grant program to provide funding to assist 210
veterans in meeting the workforce -skill needs of target industry 211
and secondary industry businesses seeking to hire, promote, or 212
generally improve specialized skills of veterans, establish 213
criteria for approval of requests for fund ing, and maximize the 214
use of funding for this program. Grant funds may be used only in 215
the absence of available veteran -specific federally funded 216
programs. Grants may fund specialized training specific to a 217
particular business. 218
1. The program may priorit ize If grant funds to be are 219
used to provide a technical certificate, a license licensure, or 220
nondegree training from the Master Credentials List pursuant to 221
s. 445.004(4)(h); any federally created certifications or 222
licenses; and any skills -based industry certifications or 223
licenses deemed relevant or necessary by the corporation. a 224
degree, Funds may be allocated only upon a review that includes, 225
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but is not limited to, documentation of accreditation and 226
licensure. Instruction funded through the program termi nates 227
when participants demonstrate competence at the level specified 228
in the request but may not exceed 12 months. Preference shall be 229
given to target industry businesses, as defined in s. 288.005, 230
and to businesses in the defense supply, cloud virtualizat ion, 231
health care, or commercial aviation manufacturing industries. 232
2. Costs and expenditures are shall be limited to $8,000 233
per veteran trainee. Qualified businesses must cover the entire 234
cost for all of the training provided before receiving 235
reimbursement from the corporation equal to 50 percent of the 236
cost to train a veteran who is a permanent, full -time employee. 237
Eligible costs and expenditures include , but are not limited to : 238
a. Tuition and fees. 239
b. Books and classroom materials. 240
c. Rental fees for facilities. 241
3. Before funds are allocated for a request pursuant to 242
this section, the corporation shall prepare a grant agreement 243
between the business requesting funds and the corporation. Such 244
agreement must include, but need not be limited to: 245
a. Identification of the personnel necessary to conduct 246
the instructional program, instructional program description, 247
and any vendors used to conduct the instructional program. 248
b. Identification of the estimated duration of the 249
instructional program. 250
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c. Identification of all direct, training -related costs. 251
d. Identification of special program requirements that are 252
not otherwise addressed in the agreement. 253
e. Permission to access aggregate information specific to 254
the wages and performance of participan ts upon the completion of 255
instruction for evaluation purposes. The agreement must specify 256
that any evaluation published subsequent to the instruction may 257
not identify the employer or any individual participant. 258
4. A business may receive a grant under any state program 259
the Quick-Response Training Program created under s. 288.047 and 260
a grant under this section for the same veteran trainee. 261
5. A portion of grant funds, as determined by the 262
corporation, may be used for veterans who are not active members 263
of the United States Armed Forces for educational stipends while 264
training at any location of the University of Florida's 265
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences within this state. 266
The corporation and the University of Florida shall enter into a 267
grant agreement before funds are expended. The corporation must 268
determine the amount of the stipend. The training for any 269
individual may not be less than 4 months and not more than 6 270
months. 271
(e) Contract with one or more entities to administer an 272
entrepreneur initiative program for veterans in this state which 273
connects business leaders in the state with veterans seeking to 274
become entrepreneurs. 275
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1. The corporation shall award each contract in accordance 276
with the competitive bidding requirements in s. 287.057 to one 277
or more public or private entities that: 278
a. Demonstrate the ability to implement the program and 279
the commitment of resources, including financial resources, to 280
such programs. 281
b. Have a demonstrated experience working with veteran 282
entrepreneurs. 283
c. As determined by the corporation, have been recognized 284
for their performance in assisting entrepreneurs to launch 285
successful businesses in this the state. 286
2. Each contract must include performance metrics, 287
including a focus on employment and business c reation. The 288
entity may also work with a university or college offering 289
related programs to refer veterans or to provide services. The 290
entrepreneur initiative program may include activities and 291
assistance such as peer -to-peer learning sessions, mentoring, 292
technical assistance, business roundtables, networking 293
opportunities, support of student organizations, speaker series, 294
or other tools within a virtual environment. 295
(f) Administer a As the state's principal assistance 296
organization under the United States Department of Defense's 297
SkillBridge initiative program for target industry and secondary 298
industry qualified businesses in this state and for eligible 299
veterans transitioning servicemembers who reside in, or who wish 300
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to reside in, this state . In administering the initiative, the 301
corporation shall: 302
1. Establish and maintain, as applicable, its 303
certification for the SkillBridge initiative program or any 304
other similar workforce training and transition programs 305
established by the United States Department of De fense; 306
2. Educate businesses, business associations, and eligible 307
veterans transitioning servicemembers on the SkillBridge 308
initiative program and its benefits, and educate military 309
command and personnel within the state on the opportunities 310
available to eligible veterans transitioning servicemembers 311
through the SkillBridge program ; 312
3. Assist businesses in obtaining approval for skilled 313
workforce training curricula under the SkillBridge initiative 314
program, including, but not limited to, apprenticeships, 315
internships, or fellowships; and 316
4. Match eligible veterans transitioning servicemembers 317
who are deemed eligible for SkillBridge participation by their 318
military command with training opportunities offered by the 319
corporation or participating businesses, w ith the intent of 320
having them transitioning servicemembers achieve gainful 321
employment in this state upon completion of their SkillBridge 322
training. 323
(g) Assist veterans and their spouses in accessing 324
training, education, and employment in health care professions. 325
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(h) Coordinate with the Office of Veteran Licensure 326
Services within the Department of Health to assist veterans and 327
their spouses in obtaining licensure pursuant to s. 456.024. 328
(5) COLLABORATION.—The corporation may assist state 329
agencies and entities with recruiting veteran talent into their 330
workforce. The corporation is encouraged to, and may collaborate 331
with state agencies and other entities in efforts to, maximize 332
access to and provide information on one website that, if 333
possible, includes hyperlinks to the websites of and contact 334
information, if available, for state agencies and other entities 335
that maintain benefits, services, training, education, and other 336
resources that are available to veterans and their spouses. 337
(a) Outreach, infor mation exchange, marketing, and 338
referrals between agencies, entities, and the corporation 339
regarding programs and initiatives that may be conducted 340
include, but are not limited to, the Veterans Employment and 341
Training Services Program and those within any o f the following: 342
1. The Department of Veterans' Affairs: 343
a. Access to benefits and assistance programs. 344
b. Hope Navigators Program. 345
2. The Department of Commerce: 346
a. The Disabled Veteran Outreach Program and Local Veteran 347
Employment Representativ es. 348
b. CareerSource Florida, Inc., and local workforce boards 349
employment and recruitment services. 350
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c. The Quick-Response Training Program. 351
d. Select Florida. 352
3. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation, 353
reciprocity and the availabilit y of certain license and fee 354
waivers. 355
4. The Department of Education: 356
a. CAPE industry certifications under s. 1008.44. 357
b. Information related to earning postsecondary credit at 358
public postsecondary educational institutions for college -level 359
training and education acquired in the military under s. 360
1004.096. 361
5. The Department of Health: 362
a. The Office of Veteran Licensure Services. 363
b. The Florida Veterans Application for Licensure Online 364
Response expedited licensing. 365
(b) The corporation may coordinate and collaborate with 366
the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help, the State 367
University System, the Florida College System, the Florida 368
Defense Support Task Force, the Florida Small Business 369
Development Center Network, and the Florida Tal ent Development 370
Council, as necessary. 371
Section 3. Section 295.25, Florida Statutes, is created to 372
read: 373
295.25 Veterans exempt from certain filing fees. —The 374
Department of State may not charge veterans who reside in this 375
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state the applicable fees for filing articles of organization, 376
articles of incorporation, a certificate of limited partnership, 377
or a partnership registration statement, or for the designation 378
of a registered agent, if applicable, as provided in s. 379
605.0213, s. 607.0122, s. 617.0122, s. 620.1109, or s. 380
620.81055. 381
Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 379.353, Florida 382
Statutes, is amended to read: 383
379.353 Recreational licenses and permits; exemptions from 384
fees and requirements. — 385
(1) The commission shall issue without fee hunting, 386
freshwater fishing, and saltwater fishing licenses and permits 387
shall be issued without fee to any resident who is certified or 388
determined to be: 389
(a) To be Totally and permanently disabled for purposes of 390
workers' compensation under chapter 440 as verified by an order 391
of a judge of compensation claims or written confirmation by the 392
carrier providing workers' compensation benefits, or to be 393
totally and permanently disabled by the Railroad Retirement 394
Board, by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or 395
its predecessor, or by any branch of the United States Armed 396
Forces, or who holds a valid identification card issued under 397
the provisions of s. 295.17, upon proof of such certification or 398
determination same. Any license issued under this paragraph 399
after January 1, 1997, expires after 5 years and must be 400
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reissued, upon request, every 5 years thereafter. 401
(b) To be Disabled by the United States Social Security 402
Administration, upon proof of such certification or 403
determination same. Any license issued under this paragraph 404
after October 1, 1999, expires after 2 years and must be 405
reissued, upon proof of certification of disability, every 2 406
years thereafter. 407
(c) A disabled veteran of the United States Armed Forces 408
who was honorably discharged upon separation from service and 409
who is certified by the United States Department of Veterans 410
Affairs or its predecessor or by any branch of the United States 411
Armed Forces as having a service -connected disability percentage 412
rating of 50 percent or greater, upon proof of s uch 413
certification or determination. Any license issued under this 414
paragraph after July 1, 2024, expires after 5 years and must be 415
reissued, upon request, every 5 years thereafter. 416
417
A disability license issued after July 1, 1997, and before July 418
1, 2000, retains the rights vested thereunder until the license 419
has expired. 420
Section 5. Subsections (1), (2), and (3) of section 421
381.78, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 422
381.78 Advisory council on brain and spinal cord 423
injuries.— 424
(1) There is created wi thin the department a 16 -member 425
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advisory council on brain and spinal cord injuries. The council 426
shall be composed of a minimum of : 427
(a) Two four individuals who have brain injuries or are 428
family members of individuals who have brain injuries , with one 429
individual appointed by the President of the Senate and the 430
other individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of 431
Representatives., a minimum of four 432
(b) Two individuals who have spinal cord injuries or are 433
family members of individuals who have spinal cord injuries, 434
with one individual appointed by the President of the Senate and 435
the other individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of 436
Representatives., and a minimum of 437
(c) Two individuals who represent the special needs of 438
children who have brai n or spinal cord injuries , with one 439
individual appointed by the President of the Senate and the 440
other individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of 441
Representatives. 442
(d) Two individuals who have, or who are family members of 443
individuals who have or had, a traumatic brain injury, chronic 444
traumatic encephalopathy, or subconcussive impacts due to 445
sports, with one individual appointed by the President of the 446
Senate and the other individual appointed by the Speaker of the 447
House of Representatives. 448
(e) Two veterans as defined in s. 1.01(14) who have or 449
have had a traumatic brain injury, chronic traumatic 450
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encephalopathy, or subconcussive impacts due to military 451
service, or family members of such veterans, with one individual 452
appointed by the President of t he Senate and the other 453
individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of 454
Representatives. 455
(f) Six individuals appointed by the State Surgeon General 456
who are The balance of the council members shall be physicians, 457
other allied health professionals, administrators of brain and 458
spinal cord injury programs, or and representatives from support 459
groups who that have expertise in areas related to the 460
rehabilitation of individuals who have brain or spinal cord 461
injuries. 462
(2) Members of the council shall be appointed to serve by 463
the State Surgeon General. All members' terms shall be staggered 464
terms of for 4 years. An individual may not serve more than two 465
terms. Any council member who is unwilling or unable to p roperly 466
fulfill the duties of the office shall be succeeded by an 467
individual chosen by the State Surgeon General to serve out the 468
unexpired balance of the replaced council member's term. If the 469
unexpired balance of the replaced council member's term is les s 470
than 18 months, then, notwithstanding the provisions of this 471
subsection, the succeeding council member may be reappointed by 472
the State Surgeon General twice. 473
(3) The council shall meet at least quarterly and may 474
adjourn a meeting only by unanimous cons ent two times annually. 475
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Section 6. Paragraph (u) of subsection (2) of section 476
1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 477
1003.42 Required instruction. — 478
(2) Members of the instructional staff of the public 479
schools, subject to the rules of the St ate Board of Education 480
and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and 481
faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the 482
highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy, 483
following the prescribed courses of study, and employing 484
approved methods of instruction, the following: 485
(u)1. In order to encourage patriotism, the sacrifices 486
that veterans and Medal of Honor recipients have made in serving 487
our country and protecting democratic values worldwide. Such 488
instruction must occur on or before Medal of Honor Day , 489
Veterans' Day, and Memorial Day . Members of the instructional 490
staff are encouraged to use the assistance of local veterans and 491
Medal of Honor recipients when practicable. 492
2. The history and importance of Veterans ' Day and 493
Memorial Day. Such instruction must include two 45 -minute 494
lessons that occur on or before the respective holidays. 495
496
The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards 497
and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. 498
Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the 499
recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is 500
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offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or 501
other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness 502
initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u). 503
Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section 504
288.0001, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 505
288.0001 Economic Development Programs Evaluation. —The 506
Office of Economic and Demographic Research and the Office of 507
Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) 508
shall develop and present to the Governor, the President of the 509
Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the 510
chairs of the legislative appropriations committees the Economic 511
Development Programs Evaluation. 512
(2) The Office of Economic and Demographic Research and 513
OPPAGA shall provide a detailed analysis of economic development 514
programs as provided in the following schedule: 515
(c) By January 1, 2016, and every 3 years thereafter , an 516
analysis of the following: 517
1. The tax exemption for semiconductor, defense, or space 518
technology sales established under s. 212.08(5)(j). 519
2. The Military Base Protection Program established under 520
s. 288.980. 521
3. The Quick Response Training Program established under 522
s. 288.047. 523
4. The Incumbent Worker Training Program established under 524
s. 445.003. 525
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5. The direct-support organization and international trade 526
and business development programs established or funded under s. 527
288.012 or s. 288.826. 528
6. The program established under s. 295.22(3) s. 529
295.22(2). 530
Section 8. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 531
made by this act to section 379.353, Florida Statutes, in a 532
reference thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 533
379.3581, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 534
379.3581 Hunter safety course; requirements; penalty. — 535
(2) 536
(b) A person born on or after June 1, 1975, who has not 537
successfully completed a hunter safety course may apply to the 538
commission for a special authorizati on to hunt under 539
supervision. The special authorization for supervised hunting 540
shall be designated on any license or permit required under this 541
chapter for a person to take game or fur -bearing animals. A 542
person issued a license with a special authorization to hunt 543
under supervision must hunt under the supervision of, and in the 544
presence of, a person 21 years of age or older who is licensed 545
to hunt pursuant to s. 379.354 or who is exempt from licensing 546
requirements or eligible for a free license pursuant to s. 547
379.353. 548
Section 9. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 549
made by this act to section 379.353, Florida Statutes, in 550
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references thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and 551
paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 379.401, Florida 552
Statutes, are reenacted to read: 553
379.401 Penalties and violations; civil penalties for 554
noncriminal infractions; criminal penalties; suspension and 555
forfeiture of licenses and permits. — 556
(2) LEVEL TWO VIOLATIONS. — 557
(b)1. A person who commits a Level Two violatio n but who 558
has not been convicted of a Level Two or higher violation within 559
the past 3 years commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, 560
punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. 561
2. Unless the stricter penalties in subparagraph 3. or 562
subparagraph 4. apply, a person who commits a Level Two 563
violation within 3 years after a previous conviction for a Level 564
Two or higher violation commits a misdemeanor of the first 565
degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, with 566
a minimum mandatory fi ne of $250. 567
3. Unless the stricter penalties in subparagraph 4. apply, 568
a person who commits a Level Two violation within 5 years after 569
two previous convictions for a Level Two or higher violation, 570
commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as 571
provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, with a minimum mandatory 572
fine of $500 and a suspension of any recreational license or 573
permit issued under s. 379.354 for 1 year. Such suspension shall 574
include the suspension of the privilege to obtain such license 575
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or permit and the suspension of the ability to exercise any 576
privilege granted under any exemption in s. 379.353. 577
4. A person who commits a Level Two violation within 10 578
years after three previous convictions for a Level Two or higher 579
violation commits a misd emeanor of the first degree, punishable 580
as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, with a minimum 581
mandatory fine of $750 and a suspension of any recreational 582
license or permit issued under s. 379.354 for 3 years. Such 583
suspension shall include the suspension of the privilege to 584
obtain such license or permit and the suspension of the ability 585
to exercise any privilege granted under s. 379.353. If the 586
recreational license or permit being suspended was an annual 587
license or permit, any privileges under ss. 379.353 and 379.354 588
may not be acquired for a 3 -year period following the date of 589
the violation. 590
(3) LEVEL THREE VIOLATIONS. — 591
(b)1. A person who commits a Level Three violation but who 592
has not been convicted of a Level Three or higher violation 593
within the past 10 years commits a misdemeanor of the first 594
degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. 595
2. A person who commits a Level Three violation within 10 596
years after a previous conviction for a Level Three or higher 597
violation commits a misdemean or of the first degree, punishable 598
as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, with a minimum 599
mandatory fine of $750 and a suspension of any recreational 600
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license or permit issued under s. 379.354 for the remainder of 601
the period for which the license or permit was issued up to 3 602
years. Such suspension shall include the suspension of the 603
privilege to obtain such license or permit and the ability to 604
exercise any privilege granted under s. 379.353. If the 605
recreational license or permit being suspended was an annua l 606
license or permit, any privileges under ss. 379.353 and 379.354 607
may not be acquired for a 3 -year period following the date of 608
the violation. 609
3. A person who commits a violation of s. 379.354(17) 610
shall receive a mandatory fine of $1,000. Any privileges under 611
ss. 379.353 and 379.354 may not be acquired for a 5 -year period 612
following the date of the violation. 613
Section 10. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 614