| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the education of children of deceased |
| 3 | or disabled veterans; amending s. 295.01, F.S.; extending |
| 4 | the opportunity to receive postsecondary educational |
| 5 | benefits at state expense to the dependent children of |
| 6 | certain dead or disabled veterans who were Florida |
| 7 | residents when the death or disability occurred; |
| 8 | decreasing the minimum required length of the parent's |
| 9 | residency; amending s. 295.0185, F.S.; providing |
| 10 | educational opportunity at state expense for dependent |
| 11 | children of military personnel who die or suffer a |
| 12 | specified disability in Operation Iraqi Freedom; amending |
| 13 | s. 295.02, F.S.; authorizing the use of funds for |
| 14 | educational opportunities for the children of certain |
| 15 | deceased and disabled veterans; providing an effective |
| 16 | date. |
| 17 |
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| 18 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 19 |
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| 20 | Section 1. Section 295.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to |
| 21 | read: |
| 22 | 295.01 Children of deceased or disabled veterans; |
| 23 | education.-- |
| 24 | (1) It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to |
| 25 | provide educational opportunity at state expense for dependent |
| 26 | children either of whose parents was a resident of the state at |
| 27 | the time such parent entered the Armed Forces and: |
| 28 | (a) Died as a result of service-connected injuries, |
| 29 | disease, or disability sustained while on active duty; or |
| 30 | (b) Has been: |
| 31 | 1. Determined by the United States Department of Veterans |
| 32 | Affairs or its predecessor to have a service-connected 100- |
| 33 | percent total and permanent disability rating for compensation; |
| 34 | 2. Determined to have a service-connected total and |
| 35 | permanent disability rating of 100 percent and is in receipt of |
| 36 | disability retirement pay from any branch of the United States |
| 37 | Armed Services; or |
| 38 | 3. Issued a valid identification card by the Department of |
| 39 | Veterans' Affairs in accordance with s. 295.17, |
| 40 |
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| 41 | when the parents of such children have been bona fide residents |
| 42 | of the state for 1 year immediately 5 years next preceding the |
| 43 | death or occurrence of such disability their application for the |
| 44 | benefits hereof, and subject to the rules, restrictions, and |
| 45 | limitations set forth in this section hereof. |
| 46 | (2) Sections The provisions of ss. 295.03, 295.04, 295.05, |
| 47 | and 1009.40 shall apply. |
| 48 | (3) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for |
| 49 | administering this section. |
| 50 | Section 2. Section 295.0185, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 51 | to read: |
| 52 | 295.0185 Children of deceased or disabled military |
| 53 | personnel who die or become disabled in Operation Enduring |
| 54 | Freedom; or Operation Iraqi Freedom; educational opportunity.-- |
| 55 | (1) It is declared to be the policy of the state to |
| 56 | provide educational opportunity at state expense for the |
| 57 | dependent children of those military personnel who die or suffer |
| 58 | a service-connected 100-percent total and permanent disability |
| 59 | rating for compensation as determined by the United States |
| 60 | Department of Veterans Affairs, or who are determined |
| 61 | to have a service-connected total and permanent disability |
| 62 | rating of 100 percent and are in receipt of disability |
| 63 | retirement pay from any branch of the United States Armed |
| 64 | Services, while participating in Operation Enduring Freedom, |
| 65 | which began on October 7, 2001, or while participating in |
| 66 | Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began on March 19, 2003, if such |
| 67 | military personnel have been residents of the state during the |
| 68 | period of military action. A certified copy of a death |
| 69 | certificate, a valid identification card issued in accordance |
| 70 | with the provisions of s. 295.17, a letter certifying the |
| 71 | service-connected 100-percent total and permanent disability |
| 72 | rating for compensation from the United States Department of |
| 73 | Veterans Affairs, or a letter certifying the service-connected |
| 74 | total and permanent disability rating of 100 percent for |
| 75 | retirement pay from any branch of the United States Armed |
| 76 | Services is prima facie evidence that the dependent children of |
| 77 | such military personnel are eligible for educational benefits. |
| 78 | (2) Sections The provisions of ss. 295.03, 295.04, 295.05, |
| 79 | and 1009.40 apply. |
| 80 | Section 3. Section 295.02, Florida Statutes, is amended to |
| 81 | read: |
| 82 | 295.02 Use of funds; age, etc.--All sums appropriated and |
| 83 | expended under this chapter shall be used to pay tuition and |
| 84 | registration fees, board, and room rent and to buy books and |
| 85 | supplies for the children of deceased or disabled veterans or |
| 86 | service members, as defined and limited in s. 295.01, s. |
| 87 | 295.016, s. 295.017, s. 295.018, s. 295.0185, or s. 295.0195, or |
| 88 | of parents classified as prisoners of war or missing in action, |
| 89 | as defined and limited in s. 295.015, who are between the ages |
| 90 | of 16 and 22 years and who are in attendance at a state- |
| 91 | supported institution of higher learning, including a community |
| 92 | college or career center. Any child having entered upon a course |
| 93 | of training or education under the provisions of this chapter, |
| 94 | consisting of a course of not more than 4 years, and arriving at |
| 95 | the age of 22 years before the completion of such course may |
| 96 | continue the course and receive all benefits of the provisions |
| 97 | of this chapter until the course is completed. The Department of |
| 98 | Education shall administer this educational program subject to |
| 99 | regulations of the department. |
| 100 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |