Florida Senate - 2009 SB 644
By Senator Fasano
11-00541-09 2009644__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to veterans; amending s. 295.16, F.S.;
3 revising an exemption from license or permit fees
4 required for improvements to a dwelling owned by a
5 disabled veteran if the improvements are for the
6 purpose of making the dwelling safe; removing a
7 provision limiting the exemption to veterans confined
8 to wheelchairs; amending s. 320.089, F.S.; deleting
9 the monetary limitation on the amount of general
10 revenue deposited into the State Homes for Veterans
11 Trust Fund within the Department of Veterans' Affairs;
12 amending s. 1009.27, F.S.; authorizing an eligible
13 student who receives benefits as a veteran who served
14 on active duty in the Armed Forces after September 11,
15 2001, to defer college tuition and fees under certain
16 circumstances; providing effective dates.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Section 295.16, Florida Statutes, is amended to
21 read:
22 295.16 Disabled veterans exempt from certain license or
23 permit fee.—A No totally and permanently disabled veteran who is
24 a resident of Florida and honorably discharged from the Armed
25 Forces, who has been issued a valid identification card by the
26 Department of Veterans' Affairs in accordance with s. 295.17 or
27 has been determined by the United States Department of Veterans
28 Affairs or its predecessor to have a service-connected 100
29 percent disability rating for compensation, or who has been
30 determined to have a service-connected disability rating of 100
31 percent and is in receipt of disability retirement pay from any
32 branch of the uniformed armed services is not shall be required
33 to pay any license or permit fee, by whatever name known, to any
34 county or municipality in order to make improvements upon a
35 dwelling owned by the veteran which is used as the veteran's
36 residence, if provided such improvements are limited to ramps,
37 widening of doors, and similar improvements for the purpose of
38 making the dwelling habitable or safe for the veteran veterans
39 confined to wheelchairs.
40 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
41 320.089, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
42 320.089 Members of National Guard and active United States
43 Armed Forces reservists; former prisoners of war; survivors of
44 Pearl Harbor; Purple Heart medal recipients; Operation Iraqi
45 Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans; special license
46 plates; fee.—
47 (1)
48 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
49 contrary, beginning with fiscal year 2002-2003 and annually
50 thereafter, the first $100,000 in general revenue generated from
51 the sale of license plates issued under this section shall be
52 deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund, as described
53 in s. 296.38(2), to be used for the purposes established by law
54 for that trust fund. Any additional general revenue generated
55 from the sale of such plates, up to $100,000, shall be deposited
56 into the State Homes for Veterans Trust Fund and used solely to
57 construct, operate, and maintain domiciliary and nursing homes
58 for veterans, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
59 Section 3. Effective August 1, 2009, subsection (2) of
60 section 1009.27, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
61 1009.27 Deferral of fees.—
62 (2) Any veteran or other eligible student who receives
63 benefits under chapter 30, chapter 31, chapter 32, chapter 33,
64 chapter 34, or chapter 35 of Title 38, U.S.C., or chapter 106 of
65 Title 10, U.S.C., is entitled to one deferment each academic
66 year and an additional deferment each time there is a delay in
67 the receipt of benefits.
68 Section 4. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
69 act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2009.