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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to veterans; creating s. 265.8021, 2
F.S.; defining the term "veteran"; creating the 3
Florida Veterans' History Program within the Division 4
of Arts and Culture of the Department of State as a 5
Florida Folklife Program; providing the program's 6
purpose; authorizing the division to request 7
assistance from the Department of Veterans' Affairs; 8
requiring the division's folklorists to seek out and 9
identify certain veterans; authorizing the division or 10
a folklorist to interview such veterans or invite t hem 11
to submit written or electronic accounts of their 12
experiences; authorizing the division to contract with 13
a third-party vendor for a specified purpose; 14
authorizing the division to adopt rules; amending s. 15
295.21, F.S.; revising the purpose of Florida Is For 16
Veterans, Inc.; revising the duties of the corporation 17
to require that it conduct specified activities 18
directed toward its target market; defining the term 19
"target market"; deleting obsolete language; providing 20
that the President of the Senate and the Speaker of 21
the House of Representatives may each appoint only one 22
member from his or her chamber to the corporation's 23
board of directors; making technical changes; amending 24
s. 295.22, F.S.; defining terms; revising the purpose 25
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of the Veterans Employment a nd Training Services 26
Program; revising the functions that Florida Is For 27
Veterans, Inc., must perform in administering a 28
specified program; authorizing the program to 29
prioritize grant funds; revising the uses of specified 30
grant funds; authorizing a busines s to receive certain 31
other grant funds in addition to specified grant 32
funds; authorizing the use of grant funds to provide 33
for a specified educational stipend; requiring the 34
corporation and the University of Florida to enter 35
into a grant agreement before c ertain funds are 36
expended; requiring the corporation to determine the 37
amount of the stipend; providing that specified 38
training must occur for a specified duration; 39
authorizing the corporation to provide certain 40
assistance to state agencies and entities, to provide 41
a website that has relevant hyperlinks, and to 42
collaborate with specified state agencies and other 43
entities for specified purposes;; conforming 44
provisions to changes made by the act; making 45
technical changes; creating s. 295.25, F.S.; 46
prohibiting the Department of State from charging 47
veterans who reside in this state fees for the filing 48
of specified documents; amending s. 379.353, F.S.; 49
providing free hunting, freshwater fishing, and 50
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saltwater fishing licenses to certain disabled 51
veterans; providing that such licenses expire after a 52
certain period of time; requiring such licenses to be 53
reissued in specified circumstances; amending s. 54
381.78, F.S.; revising the membership, appointment, 55
and meetings of the advisory council on brain and 56
spinal cord injuries; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; 57
requiring instruction on the history and importance of 58
Veterans' Day and Memorial Day; requiring certain 59
instruction to consist of two 45 -minute lessons that 60
occur within a certain timeframe; amending s. 61
288.0001, F.S.; conforming a cross-reference; 62
reenacting ss. 379.3581(2)(b) and 379.401(2)(b) and 63
(3)(b), F.S., relating to special authorization 64
hunting licenses and the suspension and forfeiture of 65
licenses and permits, respectively, to incorporate the 66
amendment made to s. 379.353, F.S., in references 67
thereto; providing an effective date. 68
69
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 70
71
Section 1. Section 265.8021, Florida Statutes, is created 72
to read: 73
265.8021 Florida Veterans' History Program. — 74
(1) As used in this section, the term "veteran" has the 75
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same meaning as in s. 1.01(14). 76
(2) There is created the Florida Veterans' History Program 77
within the Division of Arts and Culture as a Florida Folklife 78
Program to collect and preserve the stories an d experiences of 79
Florida's veterans and the State of Florida's military 80
contributions throughout the nation's history. The division may 81
request assistance with the program from the Department of 82
Veterans' Affairs. 83
(3) In order to collect and preserve the stories and 84
experiences of Florida's veterans and the State of Florida's 85
military contributions throughout the nation's history, the 86
division's folklorists shall seek out and identify those 87
veterans who are willing to share their experiences. The 88
division or a folklorist may interview veterans or invite 89
veterans to submit written or electronic accounts of their 90
experiences for inclusion in the program. 91
(4) As provided in s. 265.802, the division may contract 92
with a third-party vendor to fulfill its respo nsibilities under 93
subsection (3). 94
(5) The division may adopt rules to implement the program. 95
Section 2. Subsection (2), paragraph (a) of subsection 96
(3), and paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section 295.21, 97
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 98
295.21 Florida Is For Veterans, Inc. — 99
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the corporation is to serve as 100
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the state's initial point of military transition assistance 101
dedicated to promoting promote Florida as a veteran -friendly 102
state helping that seeks to provide veterans and their spouses 103
with employment opportunities and promoting that promotes the 104
hiring of veterans and their spouses by the business community. 105
The corporation shall encourage retired and recently separated 106
military personnel to remain in this the state or to make this 107
the state their permanent residence. The corporation shall 108
promote the value of military skill sets to businesses in this 109
the state, assist in tailoring the training of veterans and 110
their spouses to match the needs of the employment m arketplace, 111
and enhance the entrepreneurial skills of veterans and their 112
spouses. 113
(3) DUTIES.—The corporation shall: 114
(a) Conduct marketing, awareness, and outreach activities 115
directed toward its target market. As used in this section, the 116
term "target market" means those members, and their spouses, of 117
the United States Armed Forces with 24 months or less until 118
discharge, veterans with 36 months or less since discharge, and 119
members of the Florida National Guard or reserves research to 120
identify the target market and the educational and employment 121
needs of those in the target market. The corporation shall 122
contract with at least one entity pursuant to the competitive 123
bidding requirements in s. 287.057 and the provisions of s. 124
295.187 to perform the research. Such entity must have 125
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experience conducting market research on the veteran 126
demographic. The corporation shall seek input from the Florida 127
Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation on the scope, process, 128
and focus of such research . 129
(4) GOVERNANCE.— 130
(a) The corporation shall be governed by a nine -member 131
board of directors. The Governor, the President of the Senate, 132
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each 133
appoint three members to the board. In making appointments, the 134
Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the 135
House of Representatives must consider representation by active 136
or retired military personnel and their spouses , representing a 137
range of ages and persons with expertise in business, education, 138
marketing, and infor mation management. The President of the 139
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives may each 140
appoint only one member from the body over which he or she 141
presides. 142
Section 3. Section 295.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to 143
read: 144
295.22 Veterans Employment and Training Services Program. — 145
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. —The Legislature finds 146
that the state has a compelling interest in ensuring that each 147
veteran or his or her spouse who is a resident of this the state 148
finds employment tha t meets his or her professional goals and 149
receives the training or education necessary to meet those 150
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goals. The Legislature also finds that connecting dedicated, 151
well-trained veterans with businesses that need a dedicated, 152
well-trained workforce is of para mount importance. The 153
Legislature recognizes that veterans or their spouses may not 154
currently have the skills to meet the workforce needs of Florida 155
employers and may require assistance in obtaining additional 156
workforce training or in transitioning their s kills to meet the 157
demands of the marketplace. It is the intent of the Legislature 158
that the Veterans Employment and Training Services Program 159
coordinate and meet the needs of veterans and their spouses and 160
the business community to enhance the economy of th is state. 161
(2) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section, the 162
term: 163
(a) "Secondary industry business" is a business that the 164
state has an additional interest in supporting and for which 165
veterans and their spouses may have directly transferrable 166
skills. These businesses are in the fields of health care, 167
agriculture, commercial construction, education, law 168
enforcement, and public service. 169
(b) "Servicemember" has the same meaning as in s. 250.01. 170
(c) "Spouse" means a person who is married to a veter an or 171
an unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran. 172
(d) "Target industry business" is a business as defined in 173
s. 288.005. 174
(e) "Target market" has the same meaning as in s. 175
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295.21(3)(a). 176
(f) "Veteran" means, irrespective of discharge status, a 177
person who otherwise meets the definition of the term veteran in 178
s. 1.01(14) or who is a servicemember. 179
(3) CREATION.—The Veterans Employment and Training 180
Services Program is created within the Department of Veterans' 181
Affairs to assist in connecting linking veterans or their 182
spouses in search of employment with businesses seeking to hire 183
dedicated, well-trained workers and with opportunities for 184
entrepreneurship education, training, and resources . The purpose 185
of the program is to meet the workforce demands of b usinesses in 186
this the state by facilitating access to training and education 187
in high-demand fields for veterans or their spouses and to 188
inspire the growth and development of veteran -owned small 189
businesses. 190
(4)(3) ADMINISTRATION.—Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., 191
shall administer the Veterans Employment and Training Services 192
Program and perform all of the following functions: 193
(a) Conduct marketing and recruiting efforts directed at 194
veterans or their spouses within the target market who reside in 195
or who have an interest in relocating to this state and who are 196
seeking employment. Marketing must include information related 197
to how a veteran's military experience can be valuable to a 198
target industry or secondary industry business. Such efforts may 199
include attending veteran job fairs and events, hosting events 200
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for veterans and their spouses or the business community, and 201
using digital and social media and direct mail campaigns. The 202
corporation shall also include such marke ting as part of its 203
main marketing campaign. 204
(b) Assist veterans or their spouses who reside in or 205
relocate to this state and who are seeking employment with 206
target industry or secondary industry businesses . The 207
corporation shall offer skills assessments to veterans or their 208
spouses and assist them in establishing employment goals and 209
applying for and achieving gainful employment. 210
1. Assessment may include skill match information, skill 211
gap analysis, résumé creation, translation of military skills 212
into civilian workforce skills, and translation of military 213
achievements and experience into generally understood civilian 214
workforce skills. 215
2. Assistance may include providing the veteran or his or 216
her spouse with information on current workforce demand by 217
industry or geographic region, creating employment goals, and 218
aiding or teaching general knowledge related to completing 219
applications. The corporation may provide information related to 220
industry certifications approved by the Department of Education 221
under s. 1008.44 as well as information related to earning 222
academic college credit at public postsecondary educational 223
institutions for college -level training and education acquired 224
in the military under s. 1004.096. 225
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3. The corporation shall encourage veterans or their 226
spouses to register with the state's job bank system and may 227
refer veterans to local one -stop career centers for further 228
services. The corporation shall provide each veteran with 229
information about state workforce programs and shall consolidate 230
information about all available resources on one website that, 231
if possible, includes a hyperlink to each resource's website and 232
contact information, if available. 233
4. Assessment and assistance may be in person or by 234
electronic means, as determined by the cor poration to be most 235
efficient and best meet the needs of veterans or their spouses. 236
(c) Assist Florida target industry and secondary industry 237
businesses in recruiting and hiring veterans and veterans' 238
spouses. The corporation shall provide services to Fl orida 239
businesses to meet their hiring needs by connecting businesses 240
with suitable veteran applicants for employment. Suitable 241
applicants include veterans or veterans' spouses who have 242
appropriate job skills or may need additional training to meet 243
the specific needs of a business. The corporation shall also 244
provide information about the state and federal benefits of 245
hiring veterans. 246
(d) Create a grant program to provide funding to assist 247
veterans in meeting the workforce -skill needs of target industry 248
and secondary industry businesses seeking to hire, promote, or 249
generally improve specialized skills of veterans, establish 250
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criteria for approval of requests for funding, and maximize the 251
use of funding for this program. Grant funds may be used only in 252
the absence of available veteran -specific federally funded 253
programs. Grants may fund specialized training specific to a 254
particular business. 255
1. The program may prioritize If grant funds to be are 256
used to provide a technical certificate, a license licensure, or 257
nondegree training from the Master Credentials List pursuant to 258
s. 445.004(4)(h); any federally created certifications or 259
licenses; and any skills -based industry certifications or 260
licenses deemed relevant or necessary by the corporation. a 261
degree, Funds may be allocated only upon a review that includes, 262
but is not limited to, documentation of accreditation and 263
licensure. Instruction funded through the program terminates 264
when participants demonstrate competence at the level specified 265
in the request but may n ot exceed 12 months. Preference shall be 266
given to target industry businesses, as defined in s. 288.005, 267
and to businesses in the defense supply, cloud virtualization, 268
health care, or commercial aviation manufacturing industries. 269
2. Costs and expenditures are shall be limited to $8,000 270
per veteran trainee. Qualified businesses must cover the entire 271
cost for all of the training provided before receiving 272
reimbursement from the corporation equal to 50 percent of the 273
cost to train a veteran who is a permanent, full-time employee. 274
Eligible costs and expenditures include , but are not limited to : 275
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a. Tuition and fees. 276
b. Books and classroom materials. 277
c. Rental fees for facilities. 278
3. Before funds are allocated for a request pursuant to 279
this section, the co rporation shall prepare a grant agreement 280
between the business requesting funds and the corporation. Such 281
agreement must include, but need not be limited to: 282
a. Identification of the personnel necessary to conduct 283
the instructional program, instructional program description, 284
and any vendors used to conduct the instructional program. 285
b. Identification of the estimated duration of the 286
instructional program. 287
c. Identification of all direct, training -related costs. 288
d. Identification of special program requirements that are 289
not otherwise addressed in the agreement. 290
e. Permission to access aggregate information specific to 291
the wages and performance of participants upon the completion of 292
instruction for evaluation purposes. The agreement must specify 293
that any evaluation published subsequent to the instruction may 294
not identify the employer or any individual participant. 295
4. A business may receive a grant under any state program 296
the Quick-Response Training Program created under s. 288.047 and 297
a grant under this section for the same veteran trainee. 298
5. A portion of grant funds, as determined by the 299
corporation, may be used for veterans who are not active members 300
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of the United States Armed Forces for educational stipends while 301
training at any location of th e University of Florida's 302
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences within this state. 303
The corporation and the University of Florida shall enter into a 304
grant agreement before funds are expended. The corporation must 305
determine the amount of the stipend. T he training for any 306
individual may not be less than 4 months and not more than 6 307
months. 308
(e) Contract with one or more entities to administer an 309
entrepreneur initiative program for veterans in this state which 310
connects business leaders in the state with veterans seeking to 311
become entrepreneurs. 312
1. The corporation shall award each contract in accordance 313
with the competitive bidding requirements in s. 287.057 to one 314
or more public or private entities that: 315
a. Demonstrate the ability to implement the pro gram and 316
the commitment of resources, including financial resources, to 317
such programs. 318
b. Have a demonstrated experience working with veteran 319
entrepreneurs. 320
c. As determined by the corporation, have been recognized 321
for their performance in assisting en trepreneurs to launch 322
successful businesses in this the state. 323
2. Each contract must include performance metrics, 324
including a focus on employment and business creation. The 325
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entity may also work with a university or college offering 326
related programs to re fer veterans or to provide services. The 327
entrepreneur initiative program may include activities and 328
assistance such as peer -to-peer learning sessions, mentoring, 329
technical assistance, business roundtables, networking 330
opportunities, support of student organ izations, speaker series, 331
or other tools within a virtual environment. 332
(f) Administer a As the state's principal assistance 333
organization under the United States Department of Defense's 334
SkillBridge initiative program for target industry and secondary 335
industry qualified businesses in this state and for eligible 336
veterans transitioning servicemembers who reside in, or who wish 337
to reside in, this state . In administering the initiative , the 338
corporation shall: 339
1. Establish and maintain, as applicable, its 340
certification for the SkillBridge initiative program or any 341
other similar workforce training and transition programs 342
established by the United States Department of Defense; 343
2. Educate businesses, business associations, and eligible 344
veterans transitioning servicemembers on the SkillBridge 345
initiative program and its benefits, and educate military 346
command and personnel within the state on the opportunities 347
available to eligible veterans transitioning servicemembers 348
through the SkillBridge program ; 349
3. Assist businesses in obtaining approval for skilled 350
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workforce training curricula under the SkillBridge initiative 351
program, including, but not limited to, apprenticeships, 352
internships, or fellowships; and 353
4. Match eligible veterans transitioning servicemembers 354
who are deemed eligible for SkillBridge participation by their 355
military command with training opportunities offered by the 356
corporation or participating businesses, with the intent of 357
having them transitioning servicemembers achieve gainful 358
employment in this state upon completion of their SkillBridge 359
training. 360
(g) Assist veterans and their spouses in accessing 361
training, education, and employment in health care professions. 362
(h) Coordinate with the Office of Veteran Licensure 363
Services within the Department of Health to assist veterans and 364
their spouses in obtaining licensure pursuant to s. 456.024. 365
(5) COLLABORATION.—The corporation may assist state 366
agencies and entities with recruiting veteran talent into their 367
workforce. The corporation is en couraged to, and may collaborate 368
with state agencies and other entities in efforts to, maximize 369
access to and provide information on one website that, if 370
possible, includes hyperlinks to the websites of and contact 371
information, if available, for state agen cies and other entities 372
that maintain benefits, services, training, education, and other 373
resources that are available to veterans and their spouses. 374
(a) Outreach, information exchange, marketing, and 375
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referrals between agencies, entities, and the corporat ion 376
regarding programs and initiatives that may be conducted 377
include, but are not limited to, the Veterans Employment and 378
Training Services Program and those within any of the following: 379
1. The Department of Veterans' Affairs: 380
a. Access to benefits and assistance programs. 381
b. Hope Navigators Program. 382
2. The Department of Commerce: 383
a. The Disabled Veteran Outreach Program and Local Veteran 384
Employment Representatives. 385
b. CareerSource Florida, Inc., and local workforce boards 386
employment and recruit ment services. 387
c. The Quick-Response Training Program. 388
d. Select Florida. 389
3. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation, 390
reciprocity and the availability of certain license and fee 391
waivers. 392
4. The Department of Education: 393
a. CAPE industry certifications under s. 1008.44. 394
b. Information related to earning postsecondary credit at 395
public postsecondary educational institutions for college -level 396
training and education acquired in the military under s. 397
1004.096. 398
5. The Department of Health: 399
a. The Office of Veteran Licensure Services. 400
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b. The Florida Veterans Application for Licensure Online 401
Response expedited licensing. 402
(b) The corporation may coordinate and collaborate with 403
the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help, t he State 404
University System, the Florida College System, the Florida 405
Defense Support Task Force, the Florida Small Business 406
Development Center Network, and the Florida Talent Development 407
Council, as necessary. 408
Section 4. Section 295.25, Florida Statutes , is created to 409
read: 410
295.25 Veterans exempt from certain filing fees. —The 411
Department of State may not charge veterans who reside in this 412
state the applicable fees for filing articles of organization, 413
articles of incorporation, a certificate of limited p artnership, 414
or a partnership registration statement, or for the designation 415
of a registered agent, if applicable, as provided in s. 416
605.0213, s. 607.0122, s. 617.0122, s. 620.1109, or s. 417
620.81055. 418
Section 5. Subsection (1) of section 379.353, Florida 419
Statutes, is amended to read: 420
379.353 Recreational licenses and permits; exemptions from 421
fees and requirements. — 422
(1) The commission shall issue without fee hunting, 423
freshwater fishing, and saltwater fishing licenses and permits 424
shall be issued without fee to any resident who is certified or 425
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determined to be: 426
(a) To be Totally and permanently disabled for purposes of 427
workers' compensation under chapter 440 as verified by an order 428
of a judge of compensation claims or written confirmation by the 429
carrier providing workers' compensation benefits, or to be 430
totally and permanently disabled by the Railroad Retirement 431
Board, by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or 432
its predecessor, or by any branch of the United States Armed 433
Forces, or who holds a valid identification card issued under 434
the provisions of s. 295.17, upon proof of such certification or 435
determination same. Any license issued under this paragraph 436
after January 1, 1997, expires after 5 years and must be 437
reissued, upon request, every 5 ye ars thereafter. 438
(b) To be Disabled by the United States Social Security 439
Administration, upon proof of such certification or 440
determination same. Any license issued under this paragraph 441
after October 1, 1999, expires after 2 years and must be 442
reissued, upon proof of certification of disability, every 2 443
years thereafter. 444
(c) A disabled veteran of the United States Armed Forces 445
who was honorably discharged upon separation from service and 446
who is certified by the United States Department of Veterans 447
Affairs or its predecessor or by any branch of the United States 448
Armed Forces as having a service -connected disability percentage 449
rating of 50 percent or greater, upon proof of such 450
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certification or determination. Any license issued under this 451
paragraph after July 1, 2024, expires after 5 years and must be 452
reissued, upon request, every 5 years thereafter. 453
454
A disability license issued after July 1, 1997, and before July 455
1, 2000, retains the rights vested thereunder until the license 456
has expired. 457
Section 6. Subsections (1), (2), and (3) of section 458
381.78, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 459
381.78 Advisory council on brain and spinal cord 460
injuries.— 461
(1) There is created within the department a 16 -member 462
advisory council on brain and spinal cord injuries. Th e council 463
shall be composed of a minimum of : 464
(a) Two four individuals who have brain injuries or are 465
family members of individuals who have brain injuries , with one 466
individual appointed by the President of the Senate and the 467
other individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of 468
Representatives., a minimum of four 469
(b) Two individuals who have spinal cord injuries or are 470
family members of individuals who have spinal cord injuries , 471
with one individual appointed by the President of the Senate and 472
the other individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of 473
Representatives., and a minimum of 474
(c) Two individuals who represent the special needs of 475
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children who have brain or spinal cord injuries , with one 476
individual appointed by the President of the Sen ate and the 477
other individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of 478
Representatives. 479
(d) Two individuals who have, or who are family members of 480
individuals who have or had, a traumatic brain injury, chronic 481
traumatic encephalopathy, or subconcussive im pacts due to 482
sports, with one individual appointed by the President of the 483
Senate and the other individual appointed by the Speaker of the 484
House of Representatives. 485
(e) Two veterans as defined in s. 1.01(14) who have or 486
have had a traumatic brain injury, chronic traumatic 487
encephalopathy, or subconcussive impacts due to military 488
service, or family members of such veterans, with one individual 489
appointed by the President of the Senate and the other 490
individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of 491
Representatives. 492
(f) Six individuals appointed by the State Surgeon General 493
who are The balance of the council members shall be physicians, 494
other allied health professionals, administrators of brain and 495
spinal cord injury programs, or and representatives from su pport 496
groups who that have expertise in areas related to the 497
rehabilitation of individuals who have brain or spinal cord 498
injuries. 499
(2) Members of the council shall be appointed to serve by 500
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the State Surgeon General. All members' terms shall be staggered 501
terms of for 4 years. An individual may not serve more than two 502
terms. Any council member who is unwilling or unable to properly 503
fulfill the duties of the office shall be succeeded by an 504
individual chosen by the State Surgeon General to serve out the 505
unexpired balance of the replaced council member's term. If the 506
unexpired balance of the replaced council member's term is less 507
than 18 months, then, notwithstanding the provisions of this 508
subsection, the succeeding council member may be reappointed by 509
the State Surgeon General twice. 510
(3) The council shall meet at least quarterly and may 511
adjourn a meeting only by unanimous consent two times annually. 512
Section 7. Paragraph (u) of subsection (2) of section 513
1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 514
1003.42 Required instruction. — 515
(2) Members of the instructional staff of the public 516
schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education 517
and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and 518
faithfully, using the books and materials requir ed that meet the 519
highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy, 520
following the prescribed courses of study, and employing 521
approved methods of instruction, the following: 522
(u)1. In order to encourage patriotism, the sacrifices 523
that veterans and Medal of Honor recipients have made in serving 524
our country and protecting democratic values worldwide. Such 525
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instruction must occur on or before Medal of Honor Day , 526
Veterans' Day, and Memorial Day . Members of the instructional 527
staff are encouraged to us e the assistance of local veterans and 528
Medal of Honor recipients when practicable. 529
2. The history and importance of Veterans' Day and 530
Memorial Day. Such instruction must include two 45 -minute 531
lessons that occur on or before the respective holidays. 532
533
The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards 534
and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. 535
Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the 536
recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is 537
offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or 538
other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness 539
initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u). 540
Section 8. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section 541
288.0001, Florida Statutes, is amended t o read: 542
288.0001 Economic Development Programs Evaluation. —The 543
Office of Economic and Demographic Research and the Office of 544
Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) 545
shall develop and present to the Governor, the President of the 546
Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the 547
chairs of the legislative appropriations committees the Economic 548
Development Programs Evaluation. 549
(2) The Office of Economic and Demographic Research and 550
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OPPAGA shall provide a detailed analysis of economic development 551
programs as provided in the following schedule: 552
(c) By January 1, 2016, and every 3 years thereafter, an 553
analysis of the following: 554
1. The tax exemption for semiconductor, defense, or space 555
technology sales established under s. 212.08(5)(j). 556
2. The Military Base Protection Program established under 557
s. 288.980. 558
3. The Quick Response Training Program established under 559
s. 288.047. 560
4. The Incumbent Worker Training Program established under 561
s. 445.003. 562
5. The direct-support organization and international trade 563
and business development programs established or funded under s. 564
288.012 or s. 288.826. 565
6. The program established under s. 295.22(3) s. 566
295.22(2). 567
Section 9. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 568
made by this act to section 379.353, Florida Statutes, in a 569
reference thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 570
379.3581, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 571
379.3581 Hunter safety course; requirements; penalty. — 572
(2) 573
(b) A person born on or after June 1, 1975, who has not 574
successfully completed a hunter safety course may apply to the 575
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commission for a special authorization to hunt under 576
supervision. The special authorization for supervised hunting 577
shall be designated on any license or permit requir ed under this 578
chapter for a person to take game or fur -bearing animals. A 579
person issued a license with a special authorization to hunt 580
under supervision must hunt under the supervision of, and in the 581
presence of, a person 21 years of age or older who is li censed 582
to hunt pursuant to s. 379.354 or who is exempt from licensing 583
requirements or eligible for a free license pursuant to s. 584
379.353. 585
Section 10. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 586
made by this act to section 379.353, Florida Statutes, in 587
references thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and 588
paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 379.401, Florida 589
Statutes, are reenacted to read: 590
379.401 Penalties and violations; civil penalties for 591
noncriminal infractions; criminal penalties; sus pension and 592
forfeiture of licenses and permits. — 593
(2) LEVEL TWO VIOLATIONS. — 594
(b)1. A person who commits a Level Two violation but who 595
has not been convicted of a Level Two or higher violation within 596
the past 3 years commits a misdemeanor of the second d egree, 597
punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. 598
2. Unless the stricter penalties in subparagraph 3. or 599
subparagraph 4. apply, a person who commits a Level Two 600
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violation within 3 years after a previous conviction for a Level 601
Two or higher violation commits a misdemeanor of the first 602
degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, with 603
a minimum mandatory fine of $250. 604
3. Unless the stricter penalties in subparagraph 4. apply, 605
a person who commits a Level Two violation within 5 year s after 606
two previous convictions for a Level Two or higher violation, 607
commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as 608
provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, with a minimum mandatory 609
fine of $500 and a suspension of any recreational license or 610
permit issued under s. 379.354 for 1 year. Such suspension shall 611
include the suspension of the privilege to obtain such license 612
or permit and the suspension of the ability to exercise any 613
privilege granted under any exemption in s. 379.353. 614
4. A person who commits a Level Two violation within 10 615
years after three previous convictions for a Level Two or higher 616
violation commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable 617
as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, with a minimum 618
mandatory fine of $750 and a susp ension of any recreational 619
license or permit issued under s. 379.354 for 3 years. Such 620
suspension shall include the suspension of the privilege to 621
obtain such license or permit and the suspension of the ability 622
to exercise any privilege granted under s. 37 9.353. If the 623
recreational license or permit being suspended was an annual 624
license or permit, any privileges under ss. 379.353 and 379.354 625
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may not be acquired for a 3 -year period following the date of 626
the violation. 627
(3) LEVEL THREE VIOLATIONS. — 628
(b)1. A person who commits a Level Three violation but who 629
has not been convicted of a Level Three or higher violation 630
within the past 10 years commits a misdemeanor of the first 631
degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. 632
2. A person who commits a Level Three violation within 10 633
years after a previous conviction for a Level Three or higher 634
violation commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable 635
as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, with a minimum 636
mandatory fine of $750 and a sus pension of any recreational 637
license or permit issued under s. 379.354 for the remainder of 638
the period for which the license or permit was issued up to 3 639
years. Such suspension shall include the suspension of the 640
privilege to obtain such license or permit a nd the ability to 641
exercise any privilege granted under s. 379.353. If the 642
recreational license or permit being suspended was an annual 643
license or permit, any privileges under ss. 379.353 and 379.354 644
may not be acquired for a 3 -year period following the dat e of 645
the violation. 646
3. A person who commits a violation of s. 379.354(17) 647
shall receive a mandatory fine of $1,000. Any privileges under 648
ss. 379.353 and 379.354 may not be acquired for a 5 -year period 649
following the date of the violation. 650
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Section 11. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 651