Florida Senate - 2025 CS for CS for SB 116
By the Committee on Rules; the Appropriations Committee on
Health and Human Services; and Senators Burgess, Collins, Avila,
and Davis
595-02328-25 2025116c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to veterans; amending s. 265.003,
3 F.S.; revising the maximum number of nominees for the
4 Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame submitted by the
5 Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame Council to the
6 Department of Veterans’ Affairs for submission to the
7 Governor and the Cabinet; amending s. 292.05, F.S.;
8 requiring the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to
9 conduct a study that includes a survey evaluating the
10 extent to which specified persons are aware of certain
11 existing programs or services; requiring that such
12 survey also include specified recommendations;
13 requiring that a certain report include additional
14 actions taken by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
15 and other information and recommendations as the
16 department determines are necessary; requiring that a
17 specified report include an evaluation of the health
18 literacy of veterans in this state and recommendations
19 on how to increase knowledge of programs and services
20 available to such veterans; requiring the department
21 to ensure coordination to the greatest extent possible
22 with the United States Department of Defense for a
23 specified purpose; authorizing the Department of
24 Veterans’ Affairs to engage county and city veteran
25 service officers for assistance; amending s. 292.115,
26 F.S.; revising the purpose of the Veteran Suicide
27 Prevention Training Pilot Program to include
28 specialized mental health training; requiring
29 individuals electing to participate in the pilot
30 program to be trained to identify indicators of mental
31 health conditions; requiring the department to
32 contract with an organization developing and
33 implementing veteran-relevant and evidence-based
34 mental health assistance training; amending s.
35 295.124, F.S.; revising a reference to the United
36 States Code; amending s. 295.21, F.S.; requiring
37 Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to advise the
38 Department of Veterans’ Affairs on specified problems
39 or needs of certain military personnel and their
40 spouses; amending s. 295.22, F.S.; revising the
41 collaborators of the Veterans Employment and Training
42 Services Program to include a specified direct-support
43 organization; amending s. 296.43, F.S.; requiring the
44 Department of Veterans’ Affairs to develop a plan to
45 establish adult day health care facilities across this
46 state to serve veterans and their families; requiring
47 that such plans include specified information;
48 requiring the department to provide a specified report
49 to the Legislature by a specified date; amending s.
50 320.08058, F.S.; authorizing the use of a specified
51 percentage of proceeds from the sale of a specified
52 specialty license plate for the promotion and
53 administrative costs of the plate; providing
54 appropriations; providing an effective date.
55
56 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
57
58 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section
59 265.003, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
60 265.003 Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame.—
61 (4)(a) The Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame Council shall
62 annually accept nominations of persons to be considered for
63 induction into the Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame and shall
64 transmit a list of up to 5 20 nominees to the Department of
65 Veterans’ Affairs for submission to the Governor and the
66 Cabinet, who will select the nominees to be inducted.
67 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) and subsection
68 (6) of section 292.05, Florida Statutes, are amended, and
69 subsection (8) is added to that section, to read:
70 292.05 Duties of Department of Veterans’ Affairs.—
71 (5) The department shall conduct an ongoing study on the
72 problems and needs of those residents of this state who are
73 veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States and the
74 problems and needs of their spouses and dependents. The study
75 shall include, but not be limited to:
76 (b) A survey of the needs of such persons in the areas of
77 social services, health care, education, and employment, and any
78 other areas of determined need, with recommendations regarding
79 federal, state, and community services that would meet those
80 needs. The survey must also evaluate the extent to which such
81 persons are aware of existing federal, state, or community
82 programs or services that meet their areas of need, with
83 recommendations regarding increasing public awareness using
84 administrative or legislative options.
85 (6) The department shall, by December 31 of each year,
86 submit an annual written report to the Governor, the Cabinet,
87 and the Legislature which describes:
88 (a) The expenses incurred in veteran service work in the
89 state; the number, nature, and kind of cases handled by the
90 department and by county and city veteran service officers of
91 the state; the amounts of benefits obtained for veterans; the
92 names and addresses of all certified veteran service officers,
93 including county and city veteran service officers.
94 (b) The report must also describe The actions taken by the
95 department in implementing subsections (4), (5), and (7), and
96 (8) and includes include other information and recommendations
97 as the department determines are necessary to provide
98 information on its annual activities requires.
99 (c)(b) The current status of the department’s domiciliary
100 and nursing homes established pursuant to chapter 296, including
101 all receipts and expenditures, the condition of the homes, the
102 number of residents received and discharged during the preceding
103 year, occupancy rates, staffing, and any other information
104 necessary to provide an understanding of the management,
105 conduct, and operation of the homes.
106 (d) For the report due on December 31, 2025, an evaluation
107 by the department among veterans in this state on the level of
108 health literacy and any recommendations to increase veteran
109 knowledge of available programs and services and maximize their
110 use of such resources.
111 (8) The department shall ensure coordination to the
112 greatest extent possible with the United States Department of
113 Defense to directly engage all servicemembers returning home to,
114 or electing to remain in or move to, this state following their
115 service and during reentry into civilian life, including
116 connecting them with Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., and other
117 relevant resources. The department may engage county and city
118 veteran service officers for assistance with fulfilling this
119 duty.
120 Section 3. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 292.115,
121 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
122 292.115 Veteran Suicide Prevention Training Pilot Program.—
123 (1) The Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall establish the
124 Veteran Suicide Prevention Training Pilot Program. The purpose
125 of the pilot program is to offer to each Department of Veterans’
126 Affairs claims examiner and each county and city veteran service
127 officer, as described in s. 292.11, specialized mental health
128 training and certification in the prevention of veteran suicide.
129 (2) Individuals electing to participate in the pilot
130 program must be trained to identify indicators of mental health
131 conditions and elevated suicide risk and provide emergency
132 crisis referrals for veterans expressing or exhibiting symptoms
133 of emotional or psychological distress. The Department of
134 Veterans’ Affairs shall contract with an organization having
135 proven experience developing and implementing veteran-relevant
136 and evidence-based mental health assistance and suicide
137 prevention training to develop the curriculum for such training.
138 The department shall establish and oversee the process for
139 certifying program participants who successfully complete such
140 training.
141 Section 4. Section 295.124, Florida Statutes, is amended to
142 read:
143 295.124 State approving agency for veterans’ education and
144 training.—The Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall act as the
145 state approving agency for purposes of veterans’ education and
146 training, in accordance with 38 U.S.C. s. 3671 38 U.S.C. s. 1771
147 and the applicable annual contract between the state and the
148 Federal Government.
149 Section 5. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (3) of
150 section 295.21, Florida Statutes, to read:
151 295.21 Florida Is For Veterans, Inc.—
152 (3) DUTIES.—The corporation shall:
153 (h) Advise the Department of Veterans’ Affairs on any
154 problems or needs of retired and recently separated military
155 personnel of this state and any problems or needs of their
156 spouses which the corporation has knowledge of and which may be
157 within the purview of the department in fulfilling its duties.
158 Section 6. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) of section
159 295.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
160 295.22 Veterans Employment and Training Services Program.—
161 (5) COLLABORATION.—
162 (c) The corporation may collaborate with other state
163 agencies and entities for outreach, information exchange,
164 marketing, and referrals regarding programs and initiatives that
165 include, but are not limited to, the program created by this
166 section and those within any of the following:
167 1. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs:
168 a. Access to benefits and assistance programs.
169 b. Hope Navigators Program.
170 2. The Department of Commerce:
171 a. The Disabled Veteran Outreach Program and local veteran
172 employment representatives.
173 b. CareerSource Florida, Inc., and local workforce boards
174 employment and recruitment services.
175 c. The Quick-Response Training Program.
176 d. Efforts of the direct-support organization Florida
177 Defense Support Task Force created under s. 288.987, the Florida
178 Small Business Development Center Network, and the direct
179 support organization established in s. 288.012(6).
180 3. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation,
181 reciprocity and the availability of certain license and fee
182 waivers.
183 4. The Department of Education:
184 a. CAPE industry certifications under s. 1008.44.
185 b. Information related to earning postsecondary credit at
186 public postsecondary educational institutions for college-level
187 training and education acquired in the military under s.
188 1004.096.
189 5. The Department of Health:
190 a. The Office of Veteran Licensure Services.
191 b. The Florida Veterans Application for Licensure Online
192 Response expedited licensing.
193 6. The Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help.
194 Section 7. Section 296.43, Florida Statutes, is amended to
195 read:
196 296.43 Purpose and statewide plan.—
197 (1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this part is to provide for the
198 establishment of basic standards for the operation of veterans’
199 adult day health care programs for eligible veterans in need of
200 such services.
201 (2) STATEWIDE PLAN.—The department shall develop a plan to
202 establish adult day health care facilities across this state to
203 serve veterans and their families.
204 (a) The plan must include:
205 1. Recommendations for locations that will have the most
206 impact on the veteran population. In making such
207 recommendations, the department shall:
208 a. Provide an evaluation of data, including, but not
209 limited to, veteran population and veteran population
210 demographics.
211 b. Provide an assessment of anticipated veteran needs.
212 2. Potential state and federal participation.
213 3. Estimates for the daily cost of running the facilities.
214 4. Estimates for the daily cost of maintenance and general
215 upkeep of the facilities.
216 5. Locations of existing potential infrastructure.
217 6. Potential construction costs.
218 (b) The department shall provide a report detailing the
219 plan required by this subsection to the President of the Senate
220 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by November 1,
221 2025.
222 Section 8. Subsection (92) of section 320.08058, Florida
223 Statutes, is amended to read:
224 320.08058 Specialty license plates.—
225 (92) GADSDEN FLAG LICENSE PLATES.—
226 (a) The department shall develop a Gadsden Flag license
227 plate as provided in this section and s. 320.08053. The design
228 of the license plate must replicate the color, layout, and
229 design of the Gadsden Flag. The word “Florida” must appear at
230 the top of the plate, and the words “Don’t Tread on Me” must
231 appear at the bottom of the plate.
232 (b) The annual use fees shall be distributed to the Florida
233 Veterans Foundation, a direct-support organization of the
234 Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and must be used to benefit
235 veterans. Up to 10 percent of the proceeds may be used for
236 continuing promotion and marketing of the license plate and for
237 administrative costs.
238 Section 9. For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the sum of
239 $50,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
240 appropriated to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to conduct a
241 survey evaluating the extent to which resident veterans and
242 their spouses and dependents are aware of existing federal,
243 state, and local programs and services that meet their areas of
244 need and for the department to develop a plan to establish adult
245 day health care facilities across this state to serve veterans
246 and their families.
247 Section 10. For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the sum of
248 $300,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
249 appropriated to the contracted services category to the
250 Department of Veterans’ Affairs to implement the Veteran Suicide
251 Prevention Training Pilot Program, as amended by this act.
252 Section 11. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.