CS/HB 1003

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to veterans; amending s. 496.406, F.S.;
3exempting certain veterans' organizations from
4requirements to file registration statements with the
5Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; amending
6s. 295.187, F.S.; revising the definition of the term
7"service-disabled veteran" for purposes of the Florida
8Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Opportunity
9Act; amending s. 296.06, F.S.; revising eligibility
10requirements for residency in the Veterans' Domiciliary
11Home of Florida; amending s. 296.36, F.S.; revising
12eligibility requirements for admittance into a licensed
13health care facility operated by the Department of
14Veterans' Affairs; providing an effective date.
15
16Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18     Section 1.  Section 496.406, Florida Statutes, is amended
19to read:
20     496.406  Exemption from registration.-The following
21charitable organizations and sponsors are exempt from the
22requirements of s. 496.405:
23     (1)  A person who is soliciting for a named individual,
24provided that all the contributions collected without any
25deductions whatsoever are turned over to the beneficiary for her
26or his use and provided that the person has complied with the
27requirements of s. 496.413.
28     (2)  A charitable organization or sponsor which limits
29solicitation of contributions to the membership of the
30charitable organization or sponsor. For the purposes of this
31paragraph, the term "membership" does not include those persons
32who are granted a membership upon making a contribution as a
33result of a solicitation.
34     (3)  Any division, department, post, or chapter of a
35veterans' service organization granted a federal charter under
36Title 36, U.S.C.
37     Section 2.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
38295.187, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
39     295.187  Florida Service-Disabled Veteran Business
40Enterprise Opportunity Act.-
41     (3)  DEFINITIONS.-For the purpose of this section, the
42term:
43     (b)  "Service-disabled veteran" means a veteran who is a
44permanent Florida resident with a service-connected disability
45of 10 percent or greater as determined by the United States
46Department of Veterans Affairs or who has been terminated from
47military service by reason of disability by the United States
48Department of Defense.
49     Section 3.  Subsection (2) of section 296.06, Florida
50Statutes, is amended to read:
51     296.06  State policy; eligibility requirements.-
52     (2)  To be eligible for residency in the home, a veteran
53must:
54     (a)  Have wartime service as provided in s. 1.01(14) or
55peacetime service as defined in s. ss. 1.01(14) and 296.02.
56     (b)  Have been a resident of the state for 1 year
57immediately preceding application and be a resident of the state
58at the time of application.
59     (c)  Not be mentally ill, habitually inebriated, or
60addicted to drugs.
61     (d)  Not owe money to the department for services rendered
62during any previous stay at a department facility.
63     (e)  Have applied for all financial assistance reasonably
64available through governmental sources.
65     (f)  Have been approved as eligible for care and treatment
66by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
67     Section 4.  Subsection (1) of section 296.36, Florida
68Statutes, is amended to read:
69     296.36  Eligibility and priority of admittance.-
70     (1)  To be eligible for admittance to the home, the person
71must be a veteran as provided defined in s. 1.01(14) or have
72eligible peacetime service as defined in s. 296.02 and must:
73     (a)  Be in need of nursing home care.
74     (b)  Have been a resident of the state for 1 year
75immediately preceding, and at the time of application for,
76admission to the home.
77     (c)  Not owe money to the department for services rendered
78during any previous stay at a department facility.
79     (d)  Have applied for all financial assistance reasonably
80available through governmental sources.
81     (e)  Have been approved as eligible for care and treatment
82by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
83     Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.


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