Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1361 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	HB 1361 2025
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10	10	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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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to veterans' assistance; creating s. 2
16	16	295.235, F.S.; requiring the Department of Veterans' 3
17	17	Affairs, subject to appropriation, to expand programs 4
18	18	connecting veterans and their families and survivors 5
19	19	to certain services, benefits, and support; requiring 6
20	20	the department to host public events for such purpose; 7
21	21	requiring the department to submit an annual report to 8
22	22	the Governor and Legislature; providing an effective 9
23	23	date. 10
24	24	11
25	25	WHEREAS, Florida offers its population of 1.4 million 12
26	26	veterans unique benefits, such as in -state tuition rates for 13
27	27	veterans and their families using the Post -9/11 GI Bill, several 14
28	28	layers of property tax exemptions, and expanded ve terans' 15
29	29	preference, including extensive benefits and licensure and fee 16
30	30	waivers, for many activities and occupations, and 17
31	31	WHEREAS, veterans' benefits and services provided by the 18
32	32	State of Florida are meant to complement and augment available 19
33	33	federal programs to avoid duplication of effort and unnecessary 20
34	34	state expense for a federally funded service or benefit, and 21
35	35	WHEREAS, with only 749,000 Florida veterans enrolled in 22
36	36	earned health care services from the United States Department of 23
37	37	Veterans Affairs, hundr eds of thousands of the state's veterans 24
38	38	and their families are not taking advantage of earned federal, 25
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40	40	HB 1361 2025
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44	44	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
45	45	hb1361-00
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47	47	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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51	51	state, and local services, benefits, and support, and 26
52	52	WHEREAS, while Department of Veterans' Affairs veterans' 27
53	53	claims examiners assisted more than 245, 000 veterans in 28
54	54	providing information and counsel on earned services, benefits, 29
55	55	and support by the end of fiscal year 2024, additional federal 30
56	56	dollars for Florida veterans remain untouched due to a lack of 31
57	57	awareness, and 32
58	58	WHEREAS, a corresponding increase in the quality and 33
59	59	quantity of outreach opportunities linking veterans with earned 34
60	60	benefits through the Department of Veterans' Affairs will not 35
61	61	only increase the quality of life for Florida veterans and their 36
62	62	families, but provide additional federal dolla rs to bolster 37
63	63	local economies, NOW, THEREFORE, 38
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65	65	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 40
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67	67	Section 1. Section 295.235, Florida Statutes, is created 42
68	68	to read: 43
69	69	295.235 Funds for promoting veteran assistance. — 44
70	70	(1) Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature of 45
71	71	$500,000 in nonrecurring funds , the Department of Veterans' 46
72	72	Affairs shall enhance and expand its Internet -based, mobile 47
73	73	application, printed, social media, and in -person outreach 48
74	74	programs through various means for the purpose of connecting 49
75	75	veterans, their families, and their survivors with earned 50
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77	77	HB 1361 2025
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81	81	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
82	82	hb1361-00
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84	84	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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88	88	services, benefits, and support beyond existing underfunded 51
89	89	efforts. 52
90	90	(2) Using appropriated funds, the department must host at 53
91	91	least two public events each year to disseminate inform ation to 54
92	92	in-person and virtual attendees regarding benefits and services 55
93	93	available to veterans, including, but not limited to, 56
94	94	educational, medical, insurance, and disability benefits. 57
95	95	(3) The department must submit an annual report to the 58
96	96	Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the 59
97	97	House of Representatives which includes the number of public 60
98	98	events hosted by the department, the number of attendees at each 61
99	99	such event, and any other information deemed necessary by the 62
100	100	department. 63
101	101	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 64