Senate Bill sb0496

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                   SB 496

    By Senator Mitchell





    4-646-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to educational benefits for

  3         dependent children of military personnel who

  4         die or incur total and permanent disability

  5         while participating in Operation Enduring

  6         Freedom; creating s. 295.0185, F.S.; providing

  7         educational opportunity at state expense for

  8         dependent children of military personnel who

  9         die or suffer a specified disability in

10         Operation Enduring Freedom; specifying

11         documentation that constitutes proof of

12         eligibility for such benefits; providing an

13         effective date.

14

15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

16

17         Section 1.  Section 295.0185, Florida Statutes, is

18  created to read:

19         295.0185  Children of deceased or disabled military

20  personnel who die or become disabled in Operation Enduring

21  Freedom; educational opportunity.--

22         (1)  It is declared to be the policy of the state to

23  provide educational opportunity at state expense for the

24  dependent children of those military personnel who die or

25  suffer a service-connected 100-percent total and permanent

26  disability rating for compensation as determined by the United

27  States Department of Veterans Affairs, or who are determined

28  to have a service-connected total and permanent disability

29  rating of 100 percent and are in receipt of disability

30  retirement pay from any branch of the United States Armed

31  Services, while participating in Operation Enduring Freedom,

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                   SB 496
    4-646-02




  1  which began on October 7, 2001, if such military personnel

  2  have been residents of the state during the period of military

  3  action.  A certified copy of a death certificate, a valid

  4  identification card issued in accordance with the provisions

  5  of s. 295.17, a letter certifying the service-connected

  6  100-percent total and permanent disability rating for

  7  compensation from the United States Department of Veterans

  8  Affairs, or a letter certifying the service-connected total

  9  and permanent disability rating of 100 percent for retirement

10  pay from any branch of the United States Armed Services is

11  prima facie evidence that the dependent children of such

12  military personnel are eligible for educational benefits.

13         (2)  The provisions of ss. 240.404, 295.03, 295.04, and

14  295.05 apply.

15         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

16  law.

17

18            *****************************************

19                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

20
      Provides educational opportunity at state expense for
21    dependent children of military personnel who die or
      suffer a service-connected 100-percent total and
22    permanent disability in Operation Enduring Freedom, that
      began on October 7, 2001. Specifies documentation that
23    constitutes proof of eligibility for such benefits.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.