HB 797 2025
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hb797-00
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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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A bill to be entitled 2
An act relating to veteran and spouse nursing home 3
beds; creating s. 296.4 15, F.S.; authorizing certain 4
licensed skilled nursing facilities to request to 5
designate or alter the designation of certain beds as 6
veteran and spouse nursing home beds if specific 7
criteria are met; authorizing the executive director 8
of the Department of Veteran Affairs to approve such 9
requests if specific criteria are met ; authorizing the 10
department to adopt rules; amending s. 408.036, F.S.; 11
specifying conditions under which certain state 12
veterans' nursing homes or certain licensed skilled 13
nursing facilities are exempt from having to receive a 14
certificate of need from the Agency for Health Care 15
Administration; providing an effective date. 16
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18
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Section 1. Section 296.421, Florida Statutes, is created 20
to read: 21
296.415 Veteran and spouse nursing home beds. — 22
(1) A licensed skilled nursing facility located on the 23
campus of a nonprofit retirement community that is exempt from 24
taxation under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and 25
HB 797 2025
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hb797-00
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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
provides housing exclusively for veterans, their spouses, and 26
surviving spouses may reques t to designate certain beds or alter 27
the designation of certain beds as veteran and spouse nursing 28
home beds if: 29
(a) The residents who will be admitted meet the criteria 30
of s. 296.36. 31
(b) The beds will be operated in accordance with the 32
United States Department of Veteran Affairs Community Nursing 33
Home Program. 34
(2)(a) The director may approve a request to designate or 35
alter the designation of veteran and spouse nursing home beds if 36
the request complies with the requirements of subsection (1) and 37
ss. 296.35, 296.36, 296.37 , and 296.41. 38
(b) The department may adopt rules to implement this 39
section. 40
Section 2. Paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of section 41
408.036, Florida Statutes , is amended, and paragraph (n) is 42
added to that section, to read: 43
408.036 Projects subject to review; exemptions. — 44
(3) EXEMPTIONS.—Upon request, the following projects are 45
subject to exemption from subsection (1): 46
(f) For state veterans' nursing homes operated by or on 47
behalf of the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs in 48
accordance with part II of chapter 296 for which at least 50 49
percent of the construction cost is state or federally funded 50
HB 797 2025
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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
and for which the Federal Government pays a per diem rate not to 51
exceed one-half of the cost of the veterans' care in such state 52
nursing homes. These beds shall not be included in the nursing 53
home bed inventory. 54
(n) For the consolidation or combination of licensed 55
skilled nursing facilities or the transfer of beds between 56
licensed skilled nursing facilities which are for the sole use 57
of veterans, their spouses, or surviving spouses in accordance 58
with s. 296.415. The original licensed skilled nursing facility 59
must have a shared controlling interest in the receiving 60
licensed skilled nursing facility, and the site of the receiving 61
licensed skilled nursing facility may not be located more than 62
100 miles from the site of the original licensed skilled nursing 63
facility. 64
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 65