The bill establishes a new section, 296.415, in the Florida Statutes, which allows certain licensed skilled nursing facilities located on the campus of nonprofit retirement communities to request the designation or alteration of specific beds as veteran and spouse nursing home beds. To qualify, the facilities must meet certain criteria, including compliance with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs Community Nursing Home Program and the admission criteria outlined in section 296.36. The executive director of the Department of Veterans' Affairs is authorized to approve these requests, and the department is empowered to adopt rules for implementation.

Additionally, the bill amends section 408.036 to specify conditions under which state veterans' nursing homes or licensed skilled nursing facilities are exempt from needing a certificate of need from the Agency for Health Care Administration. Notably, it removes the requirement that at least 50 percent of the construction cost be state or federally funded for certain state veterans' nursing homes. It also introduces a new exemption for the consolidation or transfer of beds between licensed skilled nursing facilities designated for veterans and their spouses, provided specific conditions regarding shared controlling interests and proximity are met. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 797 Filed: 408.036
H 797 c1: 408.036
H 797 er: 408.036