| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to periods of wartime service for |
| 3 | veterans; amending s. 1.01, F.S.; redefining the term |
| 4 | "veteran" for purposes of construction of the Florida |
| 5 | Statutes to include a person who served in the active |
| 6 | military, naval, or air service in Operation Enduring |
| 7 | Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom; providing an effective |
| 8 | date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. Paragraphs (h) and (i) are added to subsection |
| 13 | (14) of section 1.01, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 14 | 1.01 Definitions.--In construing these statutes and each |
| 15 | and every word, phrase, or part hereof, where the context will |
| 16 | permit: |
| 17 | (14) The term "veteran" means a person who served in the |
| 18 | active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or |
| 19 | released therefrom under honorable conditions only or who later |
| 20 | received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, |
| 21 | notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of |
| 22 | Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with |
| 23 | other than honorable discharges. To receive benefits as a |
| 24 | wartime veteran, a veteran must have served in a campaign or |
| 25 | expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or a |
| 26 | veteran must have served during one of the following periods of |
| 27 | wartime service: |
| 28 | (h) Operation Enduring Freedom: Beginning October 7, 2001, |
| 29 | and ending on the date thereafter prescribed by presidential |
| 30 | proclamation or by law. |
| 31 | (i) Operation Iraqi Freedom: Beginning March 19, 2003, and |
| 32 | ending on the date thereafter prescribed by presidential |
| 33 | proclamation or by law. |
| 34 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |