Florida Senate - 2016 CS for SB 184
By the Committee on Appropriations; and Senator Bean
576-01542-16 2016184c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to military and veterans affairs;
3 amending s. 322.08, F.S.; requiring the application
4 form for an original, renewal, or replacement driver
5 license or identification card to include a voluntary
6 checkoff authorizing veterans to request written or
7 electronic information on federal, state, and local
8 benefits and services for veterans; requiring the
9 requested information to be delivered by a third-party
10 provider; requiring the Department of Highway Safety
11 and Motor Vehicles to report monthly to the Department
12 of Veterans’ Affairs the names and mailing or e-mail
13 addresses of veterans who request information;
14 requiring the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to
15 disseminate veteran contact information to the third
16 party provider; requiring that the third-party
17 provider be a nonprofit organization; defining the
18 term “nonprofit organization”; requiring that the
19 Department of Veterans’ Affairs provide veteran
20 contact information to the appropriate county or city
21 veteran service officer; specifying that a third-party
22 provider may use veteran contact information only as
23 authorized; prohibiting a third-party provider from
24 selling veteran contact information; requiring a
25 third-party provider to maintain confidentiality of
26 veteran contact information under specified
27 provisions; providing a penalty; creating the Military
28 and Overseas Voting Assistance Task Force within the
29 Department of State; specifying membership of the task
30 force; authorizing reimbursement for per diem and
31 travel expenses; prescribing duties of the task force;
32 requiring submission of a report to the Governor and
33 the Legislature by a specified date; providing for
34 expiration of the task force; providing for staffing;
35 providing legislative findings and intent regarding
36 continuing education for veterans of the United States
37 Armed Forces; providing legislative intent to require
38 collaboration between the State Board of Education and
39 the Board of Governors of the State University System
40 in achieving specified goals regarding educational
41 opportunities for veterans; providing an effective
42 date.
43
44 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
45
46 Section 1. Present subsection (9) of section 322.08,
47 Florida Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (10), and a new
48 subsection (9) is added to that section, to read:
49 322.08 Application for license; requirements for license
50 and identification card forms.—
51 (9)(a) To support the carrying out of the duties of the
52 Department of Veterans’ Affairs prescribed in s. 292.05 and to
53 facilitate its outreach to veterans residing in this state, the
54 application form for an original, a renewal, or a replacement
55 driver license or identification card must include a voluntary
56 checkoff authorizing a veteran of the United States Armed Forces
57 to request written or electronic information on federal, state,
58 and local benefits and services available to veterans. The
59 veteran may elect to receive requested information through
60 United States mail or by e-mail. The requested information shall
61 be delivered to the veteran by any third-party provider selected
62 by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to act on its behalf.
63 (b) The department shall collaborate with the Department of
64 Veterans’ Affairs to administer this subsection. The department
65 shall report monthly to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs the
66 name and mailing address or e-mail address of each veteran who
67 requests information as provided in paragraph (a). Following
68 receipt of the monthly report, the Department of Veterans’
69 Affairs shall disseminate the contact information for each such
70 veteran to the third-party provider acting on its behalf. The
71 third-party provider must be a nonprofit organization with
72 sufficient ability to communicate with veterans residing
73 throughout this state. For purposes of this paragraph, the term
74 “nonprofit organization” means an organization exempt from the
75 federal income tax under s. 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of
76 1986 or any federal, state, or local governmental entity.
77 (c) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (b), the
78 Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall disseminate the contact
79 information for a veteran who selects the voluntary checkoff to
80 the appropriate county or city veteran service officer in order
81 to facilitate further outreach to veterans.
82 (d)1. The contact information of a veteran which is
83 obtained by a third-party provider pursuant to this subsection
84 may be used only as authorized by this subsection. The third
85 party provider may not sell such contact information. Except as
86 otherwise provided, the third-party provider must maintain the
87 confidentiality of the contact information in accordance with
88 chapter 119 and the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of
89 1994, 18 U.S.C. ss. 2721 et seq.
90 2. A person who willfully and knowingly violates this
91 paragraph commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable
92 as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
93 Section 2. Military and Overseas Voting Assistance Task
94 Force.—The Military and Overseas Voting Assistance Task Force, a
95 task force as defined in s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is created
96 within the Department of State. The task force is created for
97 the express purpose of studying issues involving the development
98 and implementation of an online voting system that allows absent
99 uniformed services voters who are overseas to electronically
100 submit voted ballots.
101 (1) The task force is composed of 11 members, as follows:
102 (a) The Secretary of State or his or her designee, who
103 shall serve as chair of the task force.
104 (b) The Adjutant General or his or her designee.
105 (c) The executive director of the Agency for State
106 Technology or his or her designee.
107 (d) One member of the Senate appointed by the President of
108 the Senate.
109 (e) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by
110 the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
111 (f) Three supervisors of elections appointed by the Florida
112 State Association of Supervisors of Elections.
113 (g) Three individuals appointed by the Secretary of State,
114 with relevant expertise in computers, the Internet, or other
115 associated technologies.
116 (2) Members of the task force shall serve without
117 compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
118 travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
119 (3) The task force, at a minimum, shall study and report on
120 the following issues:
121 (a) Any factor that limits the ability of absent uniformed
122 services voters who are overseas to request, receive, and return
123 absentee ballots within the current statutory time period for
124 casting absentee ballots.
125 (b) The costs associated with the development and
126 implementation of an online voting system.
127 (c) The feasibility of absent uniformed services voters who
128 are overseas using an online voting system to electronically
129 submit a voted ballot.
130 (d) The security of electronically submitting a voted
131 ballot through an online voting system.
132 (e) Procedures adopted by other states to facilitate
133 greater electoral participation among absent uniformed services
134 voters who are overseas.
135 (4) The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the
136 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
137 House of Representatives by July 1, 2017, containing the task
138 force’s recommendation concerning whether the state should
139 pursue the development and implementation of an online voting
140 system that allows absent uniformed services voters who are
141 overseas to electronically submit voted ballots. If the task
142 force favorably recommends an online voting system, the report
143 must include recommended steps for developing and implementing
144 such a system. Upon submission of the report, the task force
145 shall expire.
146 (5) The Division of Elections of the Department of State
147 shall provide support staff for the task force. The Agency for
148 State Technology shall assist the task force upon request.
149 Section 3. Legislative findings and intent; continuing
150 education of veterans of the United States Armed Forces.—The
151 Legislature finds that many veterans of the United States Armed
152 Forces in this state have completed training and coursework
153 during their military service, including overseas deployments,
154 resulting in tangible and quantifiable strides in their pursuit
155 of a postsecondary degree. The Legislature further finds that
156 the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors of the
157 State University System must work together to ensure that
158 military training and coursework are granted academic credit in
159 order to assist veterans in continuing their education.
160 Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that the State
161 Board of Education and the Board of Governors work
162 collaboratively to:
163 (1) Align existing degree programs, including, but not
164 limited to, vocational and technical degrees, at each state
165 university and Florida College System institution with
166 applicable military training and experience to maximize academic
167 credit awarded for such training and experience.
168 (2) Appoint and train specific faculty within each degree
169 program at each state university and Florida College System
170 institution as liaisons and contacts for veterans.
171 (3) Incorporate outreach services tailored to disabled
172 veterans into existing disability services on the campus of each
173 state university and Florida College System institution to make
174 available to such veterans information on disability services
175 provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs,
176 other federal and state agencies, and private entities.
177 (4) Facilitate statewide meetings for personnel at state
178 universities and Florida College System institutions who provide
179 student services for veterans to discuss and develop best
180 practices, exchange ideas and experiences, and attend
181 presentations by individuals with expertise in the unique needs
182 of veterans.
183 (5) Make every effort to provide veterans with sufficient
184 courses required for graduation, including, but not limited to,
185 giving priority registration to veterans.
186 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.