HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: CS/CS/HB 1329 Veterans
SPONSOR(S): State Affairs Committee, Local Administration, Federal Affairs & Special Districts
Subcommittee, Redondo, Alvarez and others
TIED BILLS: IDEN./SIM. BILLS: CS/SB 1666
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Local Administration, Federal Affairs & Special 15 Y, 0 N, As CS Mwakyanjala Darden
Districts Subcommittee
2) Appropriations Committee 26 Y, 0 N Aderibigbe Pridgeon
3) State Affairs Committee 20 Y, 0 N, As CS Mwakyanjala Williamson
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) provides statewide outreach to connect veterans with
services, benefits, and support. FDVA utilizes the non-profit corporation Florida is for Veterans, Inc. (Veterans
Florida) to promote Florida as a veteran-friendly state and administers the Veterans Employment and Training
Services Program (program), which connects veterans with employers.
The Advisory Council on Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries (Council) is created within the Department of Health
and administers the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program, whose purpose is to provide all eligible residents
who sustain a brain or spinal cord injury with health care services.
The Department of State’s Division of Arts and Culture (Division) is the state’s arts agency and promotes
access to cultural opportunities through various programs and grants.
The bill revises provisions relating to veterans and the transition of veterans to civilian life by:
Creating the Florida Veterans' History Program within the Division.
Expanding employment outreach, marketing, and support services activities of Veterans Florida.
Revising the appointment process for the governing board of Veterans Florida.
Providing definitions for terms used in law relating to Veterans Florida and the program.
Revising the duties of Veterans Florida relating to the administration of the program.
Allowing an educational stipend for veterans while training at specified locations.
Expanding the role of Veterans Florida in assisting with industry certification.
Prohibiting the Department of State from charging certain veterans various filing fees.
Creating an exemption from fees related to hunting and fishing licenses and permits for certain disabled
veterans.
Requiring middle and high school students to receive instruction on the history and importance of
Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day.
The bill also revises the appointment process for and membership of the Council, and requires the Council to
meet quarterly.
The bill may have an indeterminate negative fiscal impact on the state.
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
SkillBridge Program
The Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge program grants servicemembers 1 an opportunity to “gain
valuable civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships” by
matching civilian opportunities to a servicemember’s job training and work experience. 2 The goal of
providing these opportunities is to enhance the servicemember’s marketability and post-separation
career prospects following separation from duty.3 Servicemembers are eligible for the program
regardless of rank. Military spouses and veterans may also participate in programs with some partners;
however, DoD will not provide pay, allowances, benefits, or other program support to the military
spouse or veteran.4
The servicemember is permitted to use up to the last 180 days of service to train and learn with an
industry partner that best matches that applicant’s job training and work experience. The training must
offer the servicemember a high probability of employment. Throughout the SkillBridge program
partnership, the servicemember continues to receive military compensation and benefits. Eligibility for
the SkillBridge program is mission-dependent and must be authorized by the unit commander prior to
entering into any agreement with interested industry employment partners. 5
Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs
The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) is a constitutionally chartered department 6 with a
budget of $201 million for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24.7 FDVA is required to assist all former, present, and
future members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses and dependents in preparing claims for
and securing such compensation, hospitalization, career training, and other benefits or privileges to
which such persons are entitled to under federal or state law.8 FDVA operates a network of nine state
veterans’ homes and provides statewide outreach to connect veterans and their spouses with services,
benefits, and support.9
Florida is for Veterans, Inc.
Florida is for Veterans, Inc. (Veterans Florida),10 a non-profit corporation within FDVA, was created to
promote Florida as a veteran-friendly state.11 Veterans Florida encourages and assists retired and
recently separated military personnel to keep or make Florida their permanent residence, helps equip
1 The term “servicemember” is generally referred to as being on “active duty.” 10 USC s. 101 defines “active duty” as full -time duty in
the active military service of the United States. The term includes full -time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in
the active military service. The term does not include full-time National Guard duty.
2
Dept. of Defense, SkillBridge, Program Overview, https://skillbridge.osd.mil/program-overview.htm (last visited Jan. 26, 2024).
3 Dept. of Defense, SkillBridge, Military Memb ers, https://skillbridge.osd.mil/military-members.htm (last visited Jan. 26, 2024).
4 Dept. of Defense, SkillBridge, Frequently Asked Questions, https://skillbridge.osd.mil/faq.htm (last visited Jan. 26, 2024).
5 Supra note 3.
6 Art. IV, s. 11, Fla. Const.
7 Ch. 2023-239, Laws of Fla., pg. 143.
8 S. 292.05(1), F.S.
9 Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs – Our Vision and Mission,
https://www.floridavets.org/leadership/ (last visited Jan. 26, 2024).
10 In 2015, the Florida is for Veterans, Inc., Board of Directors approved the fictitious name “Veterans Florida” and rebranded as such.
See http://dos.sunbiz.org/scripts/ficidet.exe?action=DETREG&docnum=G15000027981&rdocnum=G15000027981 (last visited Jan. 26,
2024). See also s. 295.21(5)(e), F.S.
11 S. 295.21(1), F.S.
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veterans for employment opportunities, and promotes the hiring of veterans. 12 In FY 2022-2023,
Veterans Florida assisted 2,307 veterans with career assistance and job placement. 13
Veterans Florida is governed by a nine-member board of directors (Board). The Governor, the
President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives each appoint three
members to the Board. Members serve four-year staggered terms and each member may be
reappointed once to an additional four-year term. Board members are not compensated but may be
reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses.14
Duties of Veterans Florida include:
Contracting with at least one entity to research and identify the target market and the
educational and employment needs of veterans and their spouses.
Advising the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation in certain instances.
Promoting and enhancing the value of military skill sets to businesses.
Implementing and administering the Veterans Employment and Training Services Program.
Managing all appropriated funds to ensure the use of such funds conforms to all applicable
laws, bylaws, or contractual requirements.
Serving as the state’s principal assistance organization under DoD’s SkillBridge program for
employers and transitioning service members.15
Veterans Employment and Training Services Program
Veterans Florida administers the Veterans Employment and Training Services Program (program) to
assist in connecting veterans in search of employment with businesses seeking to hire dedicated, well-
trained workers.16 The purpose of the program is to meet the workforce demands of businesses in the
state by facilitating access to training and education in high-demand fields for veterans or their
spouses.17
Functions of the program include:
Conducting marketing and recruiting efforts directed at veterans or their spouses seeking
employment and who reside in or who have an interest in relocating to Florida, and assisting
such veterans or their spouses.
Assisting Florida businesses in recruiting and hiring veterans and their spouses .
Creating a grant program to provide funding to assist veterans in meeting the workforce-skill
needs of businesses seeking to hire, promote, or generally improve specialized skills of
veterans, establishing criteria for approval of requests for funding, and maximizing the use of
funding for the grant program.18
Contracting with one or more entities to administer an entrepreneur initiative program for
veterans in Florida that connects business leaders with veterans seeking to become
entrepreneurs.19
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
12
S. 295.21(2), F.S.
13 Veterans Florida, Annual Report (2023), 15, https://www.veteransflorida.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/FIFV-Annual-Report-
2023_.pdf (last visited Jan. 26, 2024).
14 S. 295.21(4), F.S.
15 S. 295.21(3), F.S.
16 S. 295.22, F.S.
17 S. 295.22(2), F.S.
18 Costs and expenditures for each veteran trainee is capped at $8,000. Qualified businesses may receive reimbursement equal to 50
percent of the cost to train a permanently, full-time employed veteran, however, the business must cover the entire cost of the training
initially. Eligible costs and expenditures that may be reimbursed include tuition and fees, books and classroom materials, and rental
fees for facilities. Grant funds may only be used in the absence of available veteran -specific federally funded programs. S. 295.22(3)(d),
F.S.
19 S. 295.22(3), F.S.
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Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP).20 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 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. 21
The University of Central Florida (UCF) collects and preserves oral histories from Central Florida
veterans as a part of its UCF Community Veterans History Project.22 These histories, which have been
collected since the fall of 2010, are available through the UCF library and contribute to the Library of
Congress’s VHP.
Advisory Council on Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
The Advisory Council on Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries (Council) is created within the Department of
Health (DOH) and administers the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program (BSCIP). BSCIP’s purpose is
to provide all eligible residents 23 who sustain a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury the opportunity to
obtain the necessary services that will enable them to return to an appropriate level of functioning in
their community.24
The Council is a 16-member body appointed by the state Surgeon General, comprised of:
Four members who must have a brain injury or are family members of individuals who have a
brain injury.
Four members who must have a spinal cord injury or are family members of individuals who
have a spinal cord injury.
Two members who represent the special needs children who have a brain or spinal cord injury.
Six members who are physicians, other allied health professionals, administrators of brain and
spinal cord injury programs, or representatives from support groups that have expertise in areas
related to the rehabilitation of individuals who have brain or spinal cord injuries.25
Members of the Council serve four-year terms and may not serve more than two terms; however, if a
vacancy occurs for a member with less than 18 months remaining in his or her term, the member
appointed to fill the vacancy may be reappointed twice.26 The Council meets at least twice annually and
provides advice and expertise to DOH in the preparation, implementation, and periodic review of the
BSCIP.27 Members of the Council are not compensated but may be reimbursed for per diem and travel
expenses.28
Department of State
The Department of State (DOS),29 is composed of six divisions, including the Division of Arts and
Culture (Division).30 The head of DOS is the Secretary of State (Secretary), who is appointed by the
Governor, subject to Senate confirmation. The functions of the Secretary including performing the
20 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 Prog ram, Our
Mission, https://oral.history.ufl.edu/welcome/mission/ (last visited Feb. 14, 2024).
21 Univ. of Fla., Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, Veterans History Project, https://oral.history.ufl.edu/projects/vhp/ (last visited
Feb. 14, 2024).
22 Univ of Central Fla, UCF Community Veterans History Project, https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteranshistoryproject/ (last visited Feb.
14, 2024).
23
All hospitals, attending physicians, public, private, or social agencies must refer all new traumatic moderate -to-severe brain or spinal
cord injuries to DOH’s Central Registry. S. 381.74, F.S. Caseworkers within the Central Registry work with affected individua ls and their
families and determine which individuals meet the eligibility criteria and require services and sup ports to sustain their health and safety.
Fla. Dept. of Health, Central Registry, https://www.floridahealth.gov/provider-and-partner-resources/brain-and-spinal-cord-injury-
program/applicants/central-registry.html (last visited Jan. 26, 2024).
24 Fla. Dept. of Health, Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program , https://www.floridahealth.gov/provider-and-partner-resources/brain-and-
spinal-cord-injury-program/index.html (last visited Jan. 26, 2024).
25 S. 381.78(1), F.S.
26 S. 381.78(2), F.S.
27 S. 381.78(3)-(4), F.S.
28 S. 381.78(5), F.S.
29 S. 20.10, F.S.
30 S. 20.10(2), F.S.
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duties of the custodian of state records set in the Florida Constitution 31 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. 32
Division of Arts and Culture
The Division is the state’s arts agency and it promotes access to cultural opportunities through various
programs and grants. The Division provides funding, programs, and resources for arts in education,
local arts agencies, state service organizations, museums, theater, dance folk art, literature, media arts,
multidisciplinary projects, music, and visual arts programs and projects.33
The Division is also responsible for operating the Florida Folklife Program (Folklife Program).34
Established in 1979, the Folklife Program documents, presents, and preserves Florida’s vibrant folklife
and traditional culture.35 This task is accomplished by identifying, researching, interpreting, and
presenting folk arts, performers, folklore, traditions, customs, and cultural heritages. 36 The Division is
responsible for publishing written materials to disseminate information about the folk cultural resources
of the state. The Division may enter into contracts and agreements with other entities to carry out its
duties and to accept donations.37
The Division employs a state folklorist to organize activities of the Folklife Program.38 The state
folklorist is advised by the Florida Folklife Council, a seven-member body appointed by the Secretary.39
The council is responsible for helping to stimulate public interest in folklife, recommending potential
projects, and assisting in developing proposals and grant applications.40
Incorporation and Business Filings
DOS is responsible for receiving