HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: HB 685 Florida Veterans' History Program
SPONSOR(S): Salzman
TIED BILLS: IDEN./SIM. BILLS: SB 408
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Local Administration, Federal Affairs & Special 15 Y, 0 N Mwakyanjala Darden
Districts Subcommittee
2) Infrastructure & Tourism Appropriations
Subcommittee
3) State Affairs Committee
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
The Department of State’s Division of Arts and Culture (Division) is the state’s arts agency. The Division
promotes access to cultural opportunities through various programs and grants. The University of Florida
conducts the Veterans History Project, in conjunction with the Library of Congress, in order to collect the oral
histories of veterans for the Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project.
The bill creates the Florida Veterans’ History Program within the Division. The program will collect and
preserve the stories and experiences of Florida’s veterans and the State of Florida’s military contributions
throughout the nation’s history. The Division may request assistance with the program from the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs.
The bill may require the Division to incur additional expenses in meeting the requirement to seek out and
identify veterans to share their experiences
This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives .
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FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Present Situation
Department of State
The Department of State (DOS),1 is composed of six divisions: Elections, Historical Resources,
Corporations, Library and Information Services, Arts and Culture, and Administration. 2 The head of the
department is the Secretary of State (Secretary). The Secretary is appointed by Governor, subject to
Senate confirmation. The functions of the Secretary including performing the duties of the custodian of
state records set in the Florida Constitution.3 The Secretary also serves as the state protocol officer
and, in consultation with the Governor and other governmental officials, develops, maintains, publishes,
and distributes the state protocol manual.4
Division of Arts and Culture
The DOS’s Division of Arts and Culture (Division) is the state’s arts agency. The Division promotes
access to cultural opportunities through various programs and grants. The Division provides funding
for:
Arts in education;
Local arts agencies;
State service organizations;
Museums;
Theater;
Dance;
Folk art;
Literature;
Media arts;
Multidisciplinary;
Music; and
Visual arts programs and projects. 5
One of the duties of the Division is to operate the Florida Folklife Program (Program). 6 Established in
1979, the Program documents, presents, and preserves Florida’s vibrant folklife and traditional culture. 7
This task is accomplished by identifying, researching, interpreting, and presenting folk arts, performers,
folklore, traditions, customs, and cultural heritages.8 The Division is responsible for publishing written
materials to disseminate information about the folk cultural resources of the state. The Division is
authorized to enter contracts and agreements with other entities to carry out its duties and to accept
donations.9
The Division employs a state folklorist to organize activities of the program. 10 The state folklorist is
advised by the Florida Folklife Council, a seven-member body appointed by the Secretary.11 The
1 S. 20.10, F.S.
2 S. 20.10(2), F.S.
3 S. 20.10(1), F.S.
4 S. 15.01(1), F.S.
5 Fla. Dept. of State, Division of Arts and Culture, Mission, https://dos.fl.gov/cultural/about-us/mission/ (last visited Jan. 13, 2024).
6 S. 265.802, F.S.
7 Fla. Dept. of State, Florida Folklife Program , https://dos.fl.gov/historical/folklife/ (last visited Jan. 13, 2024).
8 S. 265.802(1), F.S.
9 S. 265.802(2), F.S.
10 S. 265.802(4), F.S.
11 S. 265.803, F.S.
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council is responsible for helping to stimulate public interest in folklife, recommending potential projects,
and assisting in developing proposals and grant applications. 12
Folklife informants and participants may be advanced or reimbursed travel and per diem expenses for
in the manner provided for state employees.13
Veterans Oral History Projects
Several research institutions in the state have active programs that gather oral history from our nation’s
veterans. The University of Florida organizes the Veterans History Project (VHP) within the university’s
Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP).14 The VHP, founded in 2000, is a collection of over
300 oral history interviews with veterans from military conflicts ranging from the Civil War to the present
day. The VHP came into existence after the Library of Congress approached SPOHP for assistance in
collecting oral histories from World War II veterans for the nationwide Veteran’s History Project. 15 The
University of Central Florida collects and preserves oral histories from Central Florida veterans as a
part of its UCF Community Veterans History Project.16 These histories, which have been collected
since the fall of 2010, are available through the UCF library and will also contribute to the Library of
Congress’s VHP.
Effect of Proposed Changes
The bill establishes the Florida Veterans’ History Program (FVHP) within the Division as a Florida
Folklife Program. The FVHP will collect and preserve the stories and experiences of Florida’s veterans
and the State of Florida’s military contributions throughout the nation’s history. 17 The bill authorizes the
Division to request assistance with the FVHP from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
The bill requires the Division’s folklorists to seek out and identify veterans who are willing to share their
experiences to collect and preserve the stories and experiences of Florida’s veterans and the State of
Florida’s military contributions. The bill authorizes the Division to adopt rules to implement the FVHP
and to contract with a third-party vendor to fulfil these responsibilities.
B. SECTION DIRECTORY:
Section 1: Creates s. 265.8021, F.S., creating the Florida Veterans’ History Program.
Section 2: Provides an effective date of July 1, 2024.
II. FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT
A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT:
1. Revenues:
None.
12 S. 265.803(2), F.S.
13 S. 265.802(3), F.S.
14 The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program is an oral history program within the University of Florida whose mission is to gathe r,
preserve, and promote living histories of individuals from all walks of life. Univ. of Fla., Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, Our
Mission, https://oral.history.ufl.edu/welcome/mission/ (last visited Jan. 12, 2024).
15 Univ. of Fla., Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, Veterans History Project, https://oral.history.ufl.edu/projects/vhp/ (last visited Jan.
12, 2024).
16 Univ of Central Fla, UCF Community Veterans History Project, https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteranshistoryproject/ (last visited Jan.
12, 2024).
17 The term “veteran” means a person who served in the active military, naval , or air service and who was discharged or released under
honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges. S. 1.01(14),
F.S.
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2. Expenditures:
The Division may incur additional expenses to meet the requirement to seek out and identify
veterans to share their experiences.
B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
None.
C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR:
None.
D. FISCAL COMMENTS:
None.
III. COMMENTS
A. CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES:
1. Applicability of Municipality/County Mandates Provision:
Not applicable. This bill does not appear to require counties or municipalities to spend funds or take
action requiring the expenditures of funds; reduce the authority that counties or municipalities have
to raise revenues in the aggregate; or reduce the percentage of state tax shared with counties or
municipalities.
2. Other:
None.
B. RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY:
The bill authorizes the Division of Arts and Culture in the Department of State to adopt rules to
implement the program created by the bill.
C. DRAFTING ISSUES OR OTHER COMMENTS:
None.
IV. AMENDMENTS/COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE CHANGES
None.
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