Senate Bill sb1744c1
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 1744
By the Committee on Community Affairs; and Senators Justice,
Rich, Wilson, Baker, Jones and King
578-2283-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the homestead exemption for
3 persons certified as totally and permanently
4 disabled; amending s. 196.101, F.S.;
5 authorizing a licensed optometrist to certify
6 that a person is totally and permanently
7 disabled solely as a result of legal blindness
8 and therefore entitled to the exemption;
9 specifying a certification form; providing an
10 effective date.
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12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Subsections (6) and (7) are added to
15 section 196.101, Florida Statutes, to read:
16 196.101 Exemption for totally and permanently disabled
17 persons.--
18 (6) An optometrist licensed under chapter 463 may
19 certify a person to be totally and permanently disabled solely
20 as a result of legal blindness by issuing a certification in
21 accordance with subsection (7). Certification of total and
22 permanent disability due to legal blindness by a physician and
23 an optometrist licensed in this state may be deemed to meet
24 the requirements of subsection (3).
25 (7) The optometrist's certification shall read as
26 follows:
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28 OPTOMETRIST'S CERTIFICATION OF
29 TOTAL AND PERMANENT DISABILITY
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 1744
578-2283-07
1 I, (name of optometrist), an optometrist licensed pursuant to
2 chapter 463, Florida Statutes, hereby certify that Mr.__
3 Mrs.__ Miss__ Ms.__ (name of totally and permanently disabled
4 person), social security number ________, is totally and
5 permanently disabled as of January 1, (year), due to legal
6 blindness.
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8 It is my professional belief that the above-named condition
9 renders Mr.__ Mrs.__ Miss__ Ms.__ (name of totally and
10 permanently disabled person) totally and permanently disabled
11 and that the foregoing statements are true, correct, and
12 complete to the best of my knowledge and professional belief.
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14 Signature ________
15 Address (print) ________
16 Date _______
17 Florida Board of Optometry license number ________
18 Issued on _________
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20 NOTICE TO TAXPAYER: Each Florida resident applying for a total
21 and permanent disability exemption must present to the county
22 property appraiser, on or before March 1 of each year, a copy
23 of this form or a letter from the United States Department of
24 Veterans Affairs or its predecessor. Each form is to be
25 completed by a licensed Florida optometrist.
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27 NOTICE TO TAXPAYER AND OPTOMETRIST: Section 196.131(2),
28 Florida Statutes, provides that any person who knowingly and
29 willfully gives false information for the purpose of claiming
30 homestead exemption commits a misdemeanor of the first degree,
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 1744
578-2283-07
1 punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a
2 fine not exceeding $5,000, or both.
3 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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5 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
6 Senate Bill 1744
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8 The committee substitute provides a form for the
"optometrist's certification of total and permanent
9 disability." It changes the effective date to July 1, 2007.
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