Florida Senate - 2015 SB 1296
By Senator Bean
4-00425B-15 20151296__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to military and veterans affairs;
3 creating the Military and Overseas Voting Assistance
4 Task Force within the Department of State; specifying
5 membership of the task force; authorizing
6 reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses;
7 prescribing duties of the task force; requiring
8 submission of a report to the Governor and the
9 Legislature by a specified date; providing for
10 expiration of the task force; providing for staffing;
11 providing legislative findings regarding continuing
12 education for veterans of the United States Armed
13 Forces; providing legislative intent for the State
14 Board of Education and the Board of Governors of the
15 State University System to work collaboratively to
16 establish degree programs at state universities and
17 Florida College System institutions, train faculty,
18 coordinate campus disability services, facilitate
19 statewide meetings for personnel, and provide
20 sufficient courses and priority registration to
21 veterans; amending s. 322.08, F.S.; requiring the
22 application form for an original, renewal, or
23 replacement driver license or identification card to
24 include a voluntary checkoff permitting certain
25 veterans to request written information for federal,
26 state, and local veteran services programs; directing
27 the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to
28 report specified information to the department;
29 directing the department to assist veterans with
30 preparing certain claims and securing certain
31 services; providing an effective date.
32
33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35 Section 1. Military and Overseas Voting Assistance Task
36 Force.—The Military and Overseas Voting Assistance Task Force, a
37 task force as defined in s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is created
38 within the Department of State. The task force is created for
39 the express purpose of studying issues involving the development
40 and implementation of an online voting system that allows absent
41 uniformed services voters to electronically submit voted
42 ballots.
43 (1) The task force is composed of 20 members, as follows:
44 (a) The Secretary of State or his or her designee, who
45 shall serve as chair of the task force.
46 (b) The Adjutant General or his or her designee.
47 (c) The executive director of the Department of Veterans’
48 Affairs or his or her designee.
49 (d) The executive director of the Agency for State
50 Technology or his or her designee.
51 (e) One member of the Senate appointed by the President of
52 the Senate.
53 (f) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by
54 the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
55 (g) One member of the Senate appointed by the Minority
56 Leader of the Senate.
57 (h) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by
58 the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
59 (i) One member appointed by the Governor.
60 (j) Six supervisors of elections appointed by the Secretary
61 of State.
62 (k) Five individuals appointed by the Secretary of State,
63 with relevant expertise in computers, the Internet, or other
64 associated technologies.
65 (2) Members of the task force shall serve without
66 compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
67 travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
68 (3) The task force, at a minimum, shall study and report on
69 the following issues:
70 (a) Any factor that limits the ability of absent uniformed
71 services voters to request, receive, and return absentee ballots
72 within the current statutory time period for casting absentee
73 ballots.
74 (b) The costs associated with the development and
75 implementation of an online voting system.
76 (c) The feasibility of absent uniformed services voters
77 using an online voting system to electronically submit a voted
78 ballot.
79 (d) The security of electronically submitting a voted
80 ballot through an online voting system.
81 (e) Procedures adopted by other states to facilitate
82 greater electoral participation among absent uniformed services
83 voters.
84 (4) The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the
85 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
86 House of Representatives by July 1, 2016, containing the task
87 force’s recommendation concerning whether the state should
88 pursue the development and implementation of an online voting
89 system that allows absent uniformed services voters to
90 electronically submit voted ballots. If the task force favorably
91 recommends an online voting system, the report must include
92 recommended steps for developing and implementing such a system.
93 Upon submission of the report, the task force shall expire.
94 (5) The Division of Elections of the Department of State
95 shall provide support staff for the task force. The Agency for
96 State Technology shall assist the task force upon request.
97 Section 2. The Legislature finds that many veterans of the
98 United States Armed Forces in this state have completed training
99 and coursework during their military service, including overseas
100 deployments, resulting in tangible and quantifiable strides in
101 their pursuit of a postsecondary degree. The Legislature further
102 finds that the State Board of Education and the Board of
103 Governors of the State University System must work together to
104 ensure that military training and coursework are granted
105 academic credit in order to assist veterans in continuing their
106 education. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that
107 the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors work
108 collaboratively to:
109 (1) Establish degree programs, including, but not limited
110 to, vocational and technical degrees, at each state university
111 and Florida College System institution that awards academic
112 credit for military training and experience.
113 (2) Appoint and train specific faculty within each degree
114 program at each state university and Florida College System
115 institution as liaisons and contacts for veterans.
116 (3) Coordinate existing disability services on the campus
117 of each state university and Florida College System institution
118 with veteran disability services provided by the United States
119 Department of Veterans Affairs, other federal and state
120 agencies, and private entities.
121 (4) Facilitate statewide meetings for personnel at state
122 universities and Florida College System institutions who provide
123 student services for veterans to discuss and develop best
124 practices, exchange ideas and experiences, and hear
125 presentations by individuals with expertise in the unique needs
126 of veterans.
127 (5) Make every effort to provide veterans with sufficient
128 courses required for graduation, including, but not limited to,
129 giving priority registration to veterans.
130 Section 3. Present subsection (8) of section 322.08,
131 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (9), and a new
132 subsection (8) is added to that section, to read:
133 322.08 Application for license; requirements for license
134 and identification card forms.—
135 (8)(a) To facilitate outreach by the Department of
136 Veterans’ Affairs, the application form for an original,
137 renewal, or replacement driver license or identification card
138 must include a voluntary checkoff permitting an honorably
139 discharged member of the United States Armed Forces to request
140 written information for federal, state, and local veteran
141 services programs from a county or city veteran service officer
142 through a direct-support organization or, if the veteran is not
143 under the jurisdiction of a county or city veteran service
144 officer, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
145 (b) The department shall work with the Department of
146 Veterans’ Affairs to administer this subsection. The department
147 shall report quarterly to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
148 the legal name, sex, date of birth, social security number, and
149 address of each honorably discharged member of the United States
150 Armed Forces who provides a DD Form 214 issued by the United
151 States Department of Defense or another acceptable form
152 specified by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and who selects
153 the voluntary checkoff to receive written information for
154 federal, state, and local programs pursuant to paragraph (a).
155 Information for such programs shall be sent by United States
156 mail.
157 (c) The Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall provide
158 assistance to veterans who select the voluntary checkoff
159 pursuant to paragraph (a) with preparing claims for and securing
160 compensation, hospitalization, career training, and other
161 benefits or privileges that such veterans are or may become
162 entitled to under any federal or state law or regulation by
163 reason of their service in the United States Armed Forces. The
164 Department of Veterans’ Affairs may apply for and administer any
165 federal veteran services programs and develop and coordinate
166 such state and local programs as may be beneficial to the
167 particular interests of veterans, including, but not limited to,
168 social services, health care, education, employment, and any
169 other areas of determined need. Programs developed,
170 administered, and coordinated pursuant to this subsection are
171 subject to chapters 215 and 216 and services secured pursuant to
172 this subsection shall be without charge to the veteran.
173 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.