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
HB 139 2023
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to benefits, training, and employment
3 for veterans and their spouses; amending s. 288.0001,
4 F.S.; requiring the Economic Development Programs
5 Evaluation to include a periodic analysis of the
6 administration of the Veterans Employment and Training
7 Services Program; amending ss. 292.05 and 295.21,
8 F.S.; revising the duties of the Department of
9 Veterans' Affairs and Florida Is For Veterans, Inc.,
10 respectively, to include provision of certain
11 assistance to veterans' spouses; creating s. 295.215,
12 F.S.; requiring the department to create a grant
13 program for the creation or expansion of nursing
14 degree programs for certain veterans; providing grant
15 program requirements; requiring the department to
16 establish performance and accountability criteria;
17 amending s. 295.22, F.S.; revising legislative
18 findings and intent; providing definitions; revising
19 the purpose and duties of the Veterans Employment and
20 Training Services Program to include provision of
21 certain assistance to veterans' spouses and to apply
22 solely to target industry and supplemental industry
23 businesses; removing provisions authorizing grant
24 administration by CareerSource Florida, Inc.;
25 requiring Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to assist
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26 veterans or their spouses in accessing employment in
27 health care professions; amending s. 456.013, F.S.;
28 removing provisions relating to the waiver of certain
29 fees for veterans or their spouses; amending s.
30 456.024, F.S.; defining the term "health care
31 practitioner"; removing a limitation on the period in
32 which a member of the United States Armed Forces must
33 receive an honorable discharge from service in order
34 to be issued a license to practice a health care
35 profession in this state; requiring the appropriate
36 board or the Department of Health to expedite health
37 care licensure applications submitted by veterans and
38 to issue a license within a specified period;
39 requiring the department to waive certain fees for
40 veterans or their spouses under certain circumstances;
41 providing requirements for application for such
42 waiver; amending s. 456.0241, F.S.; removing
43 provisions relating to application and renewal fees
44 for temporary certification of an active duty military
45 health care practitioner to practice in a regulated
46 profession in this state; requiring the Department of
47 Health to waive the temporary certification fee;
48 creating s. 456.0242, F.S.; establishing the Office of
49 Veteran Licensure Services within the Division of
50 Medical Quality Assurance; requiring an executive
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51 director to be appointed by the department; providing
52 duties of the office; requiring an annual report to
53 the Governor and Legislature; providing report
54 requirements; authorizing the department to adopt
55 rules; providing an effective date.
56
57 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
58
59 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section
60 288.0001, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
61 288.0001 Economic Development Programs Evaluation. —The
62 Office of Economic and Demographic Research and the Office of
63 Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA)
64 shall develop and present to the Governor, the President of the
65 Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
66 chairs of the legislative appropriations committees the Economic
67 Development Programs Evaluation.
68 (2) The Office of Economic and Demographic Research and
69 OPPAGA shall provide a detailed analysis of economic development
70 programs as provided in the following schedule:
71 (d) By January 1, 2019, and every 3 years thereafter, an
72 analysis of the administration of the Veterans Employment and
73 Training Services Program under s. 295.22(3) grant and
74 entrepreneur initiative programs established under s.
75 295.22(3)(d) and (e).
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76 Section 2. Subsections (1) and (5) of section 292.05,
77 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
78 292.05 Duties of Department of Veterans' Affairs. —
79 (1) The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall provide
80 assistance to all former, present, and future members of the
81 Armed Forces of the United States and their spouses and
82 dependents in preparing claims for and securing such
83 compensation, hospitalization, career training, and other
84 benefits or privileges to which such persons or any of them are
85 or may become entitled under any federal or state law or
86 regulation by reason of their service in the Armed Forc es of the
87 United States. All services rendered under this subsection shall
88 be without charge to the claimant.
89 (5) The department shall conduct an ongoing study on the
90 problems and needs of those residents of this state who are
91 veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States and the
92 problems and needs of their spouses and dependents. The study
93 shall include, but not be limited to:
94 (a) A survey of existing state and federal programs
95 available for such persons that specifies the extent to which
96 such programs presently are being implemented, with
97 recommendations for the improved implementation, extension, or
98 improvement of such programs.
99 (b) A survey of the needs of such persons in the areas of
100 social services, health care, education, and employment, and any
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101 other areas of determined need, with recommendations regarding
102 federal, state, and community services that would meet those
103 needs.
104 (c) A survey of federal, state, public, and private moneys
105 available that could be used to defray the costs of state or
106 community services needed for such persons.
107 Section 3. Subsection (2), paragraph (b) of subsection
108 (3), paragraph (g) of subsection (4), paragraph (b) of
109 subsection (7), and paragraph (a) of subsection (8) of section
110 295.21, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
111 295.21 Florida Is For Veterans, Inc.—
112 (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the corporation is to promote
113 Florida as a veteran-friendly state that seeks to provide
114 veterans and their spouses with employment opportunities and
115 that promotes the hiring of veterans and their spouses by the
116 business community. The corporation shall encourage retired and
117 recently separated military personnel and their spouses to
118 remain in the state or to make the state their permanent
119 residence. The corporation shall promote the value of military
120 skill sets to businesses in the state, assist in tailoring the
121 training of veterans and their spouses to match the needs of the
122 employment marketplace, and enhance the entrepreneurial skills
123 of veterans and their spouses.
124 (3) DUTIES.—The corporation shall:
125 (b) Advise the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing
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126 Corporation, pursuant to s. 295.23, on:
127 1. The target market as identified in paragraph (a).
128 2. Development and implementation of a marketing campaign
129 to encourage members of the target market to remain in the state
130 or to make the state their permanent residence.
131 3. Methods for disseminating information to the target
132 market that relates to the interests and needs of veterans of
133 all ages and their spouses and facilitates their veterans'
134 knowledge of and access to benefits.
135 (4) GOVERNANCE.—
136 (g) A majority of the members of the board of directors
137 constitutes a quorum. Board Council meetings may be held via
138 teleconference or other electronic means.
139 (7) STAFFING AND ASSISTANCE.—
140 (b) All agencies of the state are authorized and directed
141 to provide such technical assistance as the corporation may
142 require to identify programs within each agency which provide
143 assistance or benefits to veterans and their spouses who are
144 located in this state or who are considering relocation to this
145 state.
146 (8) ANNUAL REPORT.—The corporation shall submit an annual
147 progress report and work plan by December 1 to the Governor, the
148 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
149 Representatives. The report must include:
150 (a) Status and summary of findings regarding the target
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151 market, veteran and spouse benefits, and any identified gaps in
152 services.
153 Section 4. Section 295.215, Florida Statutes, is created
154 to read:
155 295.215 Nursing degree programs for veterans who have
156 armed services health care training.—The Department of Veterans'
157 Affairs shall create a grant program to provide funding to an
158 institution, as defined in s. 1009.8962(3), to create or expand
159 nursing degree programs for veterans who have armed services
160 health care training. The grant program must provide academic
161 support services to all students enrolled in a nursing degree
162 program at the institution and must include, at a minimum, a
163 dedicated academic advisor. The department must establish
164 performance and accountability criteria for an institution that
165 receives a grant, including, but not limited to:
166 (1) Measurable criteria for achieving grant objectives.
167 (2) Tracking each institution's achievement of grant
168 objectives and compliance with grant requirements.
169 (3) Routine reporting by the institution to the Department
170 of Veterans' Affairs.
171 Section 5. Section 295.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to
172 read:
173 295.22 Veterans Employment and Training Services Program. —
174 (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature finds
175 that the state has a compelling interest in ensuring that each
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176 veteran or his or her spouse who is a resident of the state
177 finds employment that meets his or her professional goals and
178 receives the training or education necessary to meet those
179 goals. The Legislature also finds that connecting dedicated,
180 well-trained veterans or their spouses with businesses that need
181 a dedicated, well-trained workforce is of paramount importance.
182 The Legislature recognizes that veterans or their spouses may
183 not currently have the skills to meet the workforce needs of
184 Florida employers and may require assistance in obtaining
185 additional workforce training or in transitioning their skills
186 to meet the demands of the marketplace. It is the intent of the
187 Legislature that the Veterans Employment and Training Services
188 Program coordinate and meet the needs of veterans, their
189 spouses, and the business community to enhance the economy of
190 this state.
191 (2) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section, the
192 term:
193 (a) "Spouse" means a person who is married to a veteran or
194 a person who was married to a veteran killed in action and is
195 not remarried.
196 (b) "Supplemental industry" means the health care, law
197 enforcement, commercial construction, or education industry.
198 (c) "Target industry" means a target industry identified
199 pursuant to s. 288.106(2)(q) or the defense supply, cloud
200 virtualization, or aviation manufacturing industry.
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201 (d) "Veteran" means a member or former member of the
202 United States Armed Forces, the United States Reserve Forces,
203 the National Guard, or the United States Coast Guard or its
204 reserves.
205 (3)(2) CREATION.—The Veterans Employment and Training
206 Services Program is created within the Department of Veterans'
207 Affairs to assist in linking veterans or their spouses in search
208 of employment with businesses seeking to hire dedicated, well -
209 trained workers. The purpose of the program is to meet the
210 workforce demands of target industry and supplemental industry
211 businesses in the state by facilitating access to training and
212 education in high-demand fields for veterans or their spouses.
213 (4)(3) ADMINIST