House Bill hb0439e1
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HB 439, First Engrossed
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to educational benefits for
3 dependent children of military personnel;
4 creating s. 295.0185, F.S.; providing
5 educational opportunity at state expense for
6 dependent children of military personnel who
7 died or suffered a service-connected
8 100-percent total and permanent disability in
9 Operation Enduring Freedom; specifying
10 documentation which constitutes proof of
11 eligibility for such benefits; amending s.
12 295.02, F.S.; revising the eligibility age for
13 dependent children of certain military
14 personnel to receive educational benefits;
15 providing an effective date.
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17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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19 Section 1. Section 295.0185, Florida Statutes, is
20 created to read:
21 295.0185 Children of deceased or disabled military
22 personnel who died or became disabled in Operation Enduring
23 Freedom; educational opportunity.--
24 (1) It is hereby declared to be the policy of the
25 state to provide educational opportunity at state expense for
26 the dependent children of those military personnel who died or
27 suffered a service-connected 100-percent total and permanent
28 disability rating for compensation as determined by the United
29 States Department of Veterans Affairs, or who have been
30 determined to have a service-connected total and permanent
31 disability rating of 100 percent and are in receipt of
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HB 439, First Engrossed
1 disability retirement pay from any branch of the United States
2 Armed Services, while participating in Operation Enduring
3 Freedom, which began on October 7, 2001, if such military
4 personnel were residents of the the state during the period of
5 military action. A certified copy of a death certificate, a
6 valid identification card issued in accordance with the
7 provisions of s. 295.17, a letter certifying the
8 service-connected 100-percent total and permanent disability
9 rating for compensation from the United States Department of
10 Veterans Affairs, or a letter certifying the service-connected
11 total and permanent disability rating of 100 percent for
12 retirement pay from any branch of the United States Armed
13 Services shall be prima facie evidence of the fact that the
14 dependent children of such military personnel are eligible for
15 educational benefits.
16 (2) The provisions of ss. 240.404, 295.03, 295.04, and
17 295.05 shall apply.
18 Section 2. Section 295.02, Florida Statutes, is
19 amended to read:
20 295.02 Use of funds; age, etc.--All sums appropriated
21 and expended under this chapter shall be used to pay tuition
22 and registration fees, board, and room rent and to buy books
23 and supplies for the children of deceased or disabled veterans
24 or service members, as defined and limited in s. 295.01, s.
25 295.016, s. 295.017, s. 295.018, s. 295.0185, or s. 295.0195,
26 or of parents classified as prisoners of war or missing in
27 action, as defined and limited in s. 295.015, who are between
28 the ages of 12 16 and 22 years and who are in attendance at a
29 state-supported institution of higher learning, including a
30 community college or vocational-technical school. Any child
31 having entered upon a course of training or education under
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HB 439, First Engrossed
1 the provisions of this chapter, consisting of a course of not
2 more than 4 years, and arriving at the age of 22 years before
3 the completion of such course may continue the course and
4 receive all benefits of the provisions of this chapter until
5 the course is completed. The Department of Education shall
6 administer this educational program subject to regulations of
7 the department.
8 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.
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