Florida Senate - 2015 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 1296
Ì690730ÃÎ690730
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
04/16/2015 .
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The Committee on Appropriations (Flores) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Military and Overseas Voting Assistance Task
6 Force.—The Military and Overseas Voting Assistance Task Force, a
7 task force as defined in s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is created
8 within the Department of State. The task force is created for
9 the express purpose of studying issues involving the development
10 and implementation of an online voting system that allows absent
11 uniformed services voters who are overseas to electronically
12 submit voted ballots.
13 (1) The task force is composed of 20 members, as follows:
14 (a) The Secretary of State or his or her designee, who
15 shall serve as chair of the task force.
16 (b) The Adjutant General or his or her designee.
17 (c) The executive director of the Department of Veterans’
18 Affairs or his or her designee.
19 (d) The executive director of the Agency for State
20 Technology or his or her designee.
21 (e) One member of the Senate appointed by the President of
22 the Senate.
23 (f) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by
24 the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
25 (g) One member of the Senate appointed by the Minority
26 Leader of the Senate.
27 (h) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by
28 the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
29 (i) One member appointed by the Governor.
30 (j) Six supervisors of elections appointed by the Secretary
31 of State.
32 (k) Five individuals appointed by the Secretary of State,
33 with relevant expertise in computers, the Internet, or other
34 associated technologies.
35 (2) Members of the task force shall serve without
36 compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
37 travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
38 (3) The task force, at a minimum, shall study and report on
39 the following issues:
40 (a) Any factor that limits the ability of absent uniformed
41 services voters who are overseas to request, receive, and return
42 absentee ballots within the current statutory time period for
43 casting absentee ballots.
44 (b) The costs associated with the development and
45 implementation of an online voting system.
46 (c) The feasibility of absent uniformed services voters who
47 are overseas using an online voting system to electronically
48 submit a voted ballot.
49 (d) The security of electronically submitting a voted
50 ballot through an online voting system.
51 (e) Procedures adopted by other states to facilitate
52 greater electoral participation among absent uniformed services
53 voters who are overseas.
54 (4) The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the
55 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
56 House of Representatives by July 1, 2016, containing the task
57 force’s recommendation concerning whether the state should
58 pursue the development and implementation of an online voting
59 system that allows absent uniformed services voters who are
60 overseas to electronically submit voted ballots. If the task
61 force favorably recommends an online voting system, the report
62 must include recommended steps for developing and implementing
63 such a system. Upon submission of the report, the task force
64 shall expire.
65 (5) The Division of Elections of the Department of State
66 shall provide support staff for the task force. The Agency for
67 State Technology shall assist the task force upon request.
68 Section 2. The Legislature finds that many veterans of the
69 United States Armed Forces in this state have completed training
70 and coursework during their military service, including overseas
71 deployments, resulting in tangible and quantifiable strides in
72 their pursuit of a postsecondary degree. The Legislature further
73 finds that the State Board of Education and the Board of
74 Governors of the State University System must work together to
75 ensure that military training and coursework are granted
76 academic credit in order to assist veterans in continuing their
77 education. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that
78 the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors work
79 collaboratively to:
80 (1) Align existing degree programs, including, but not
81 limited to, vocational and technical degrees, at each state
82 university and Florida College System institution with
83 applicable military training and experience to maximize academic
84 credit awarded for such training and experience.
85 (2) Appoint and train specific faculty within each degree
86 program at each state university and Florida College System
87 institution as liaisons and contacts for veterans.
88 (3) Incorporate outreach services tailored to disabled
89 veterans into existing disability services on the campus of each
90 state university and Florida College System institution to make
91 available to such veterans information on disability services
92 provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs,
93 other federal and state agencies, and private entities.
94 (4) Facilitate statewide meetings for personnel at state
95 universities and Florida College System institutions who provide
96 student services for veterans to discuss and develop best
97 practices, exchange ideas and experiences, and attend
98 presentations by individuals with expertise in the unique needs
99 of veterans.
100 (5) Make every effort to provide veterans with sufficient
101 courses required for graduation, including, but not limited to,
102 giving priority registration to veterans.
103 Section 3. Present subsection (8) of section 322.08,
104 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (9), and a new
105 subsection (8) is added to that section, to read:
106 322.08 Application for license; requirements for license
107 and identification card forms.—
108 (8)(a) To support the carrying out of the duties of the
109 Department of Veterans’ Affairs prescribed in s. 292.05 and to
110 facilitate outreach to veterans residing in this state, the
111 application form for an original, renewal, or replacement driver
112 license or identification card must include a voluntary checkoff
113 authorizing a veteran of the United States Armed Forces to
114 request written or electronic information on federal, state, and
115 local benefits and services available to veterans. The veteran
116 may elect to receive requested information through United States
117 mail or by e-mail. The requested information shall be delivered
118 to the veteran by any third party provider selected by the
119 Department of Veterans’ Affairs to act on its behalf.
120 (b) The department shall collaborate with the Department of
121 Veterans’ Affairs to administer this subsection. The department
122 shall report monthly to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs the
123 name and mailing address or e-mail address of each veteran who
124 requests information as provided in paragraph (a). Following
125 receipt of the monthly report, the Department of Veterans’
126 Affairs shall disseminate the contact information for each such
127 veteran to the third-party provider acting on its behalf. The
128 third-party provider must be a nonprofit organization with
129 sufficient ability to communicate with veterans residing
130 throughout this state. For purposes of this paragraph, the term
131 “nonprofit organization” means an organization exempt from the
132 federal income tax under s. 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of
133 1986 or any federal, state, or local governmental entity.
134 (c) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (b), the
135 Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall disseminate the contact
136 information for a veteran who selects the voluntary checkoff to
137 the appropriate county or city veteran service officer in order
138 to facilitate further outreach to veterans.
139 (d)1. The contact information of a veteran which is
140 obtained by a third-party provider pursuant to this subsection
141 may be used only as authorized by this subsection. The third
142 party provider may not sell such contact information. Except as
143 otherwise provided, the third-party provider must maintain the
144 confidentiality of the contact information in accordance with
145 chapter 119 and the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of
146 1994, 18 U.S.C. ss. 2721 et seq.
147 2. A person who willfully and knowingly violates this
148 paragraph commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable
149 as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
150 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.
151
152 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
153 And the title is amended as follows:
154 Delete everything before the enacting clause
155 and insert:
156 A bill to be entitled
157 An act relating to military and veterans affairs;
158 creating the Military and Overseas Voting Assistance
159 Task Force within the Department of State; specifying
160 membership of the task force; authorizing
161 reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses;
162 prescribing duties of the task force; requiring
163 submission of a report to the Governor and the
164 Legislature by a specified date; providing for
165 expiration of the task force; providing for staffing;
166 providing legislative findings regarding continuing
167 education for veterans of the United States Armed
168 Forces; providing legislative intent for the State
169 Board of Education and the Board of Governors of the
170 State University System to work collaboratively to
171 align existing degree programs at state universities
172 and Florida College System institutions, train
173 faculty, incorporate outreach services into existing
174 disability services, facilitate statewide meetings for
175 personnel, and provide sufficient courses and priority
176 registration to veterans; amending s. 322.08, F.S.;
177 requiring the application form for an original,
178 renewal, or replacement driver license or
179 identification card to include a voluntary checkoff
180 authorizing veterans to request written or electronic
181 information on federal, state, and local benefits and
182 services for veterans; requiring the requested
183 information to be delivered by a third-party provider;
184 requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
185 Vehicles to report monthly to the Department of
186 Veterans’ Affairs the names and mailing or e-mail
187 addresses of veterans who request information;
188 requiring the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to
189 disseminate veteran contact information to the third
190 party provider; requiring that the third-party
191 provider be a nonprofit organization; defining the
192 term “nonprofit organization”; requiring that the
193 Department of Veterans’ Affairs provide veteran
194 contact information to the appropriate county or city
195 veteran service officer; specifying that a third-party
196 provider may use veteran contact information only as
197 authorized; prohibiting a third-party provider from
198 selling veteran contact information; requiring a
199 third-party provider to maintain confidentiality of
200 veteran contact information under specified
201 provisions; providing a penalty; providing an
202 effective date.