Florida Senate - 2025                             CS for SB 1172
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Commerce and Tourism; and Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       
       577-02482-25                                          20251172c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to preferences for veterans and
    3         military spouses; amending s. 295.07, F.S.; requiring
    4         the state and its political subdivisions to give
    5         preference in appointment and retention in positions
    6         of employment to the spouses of wartime veterans,
    7         veterans, members of any reserve component of the
    8         United States Armed Forces or the Florida National
    9         Guard, and certain active duty servicemembers;
   10         amending s. 295.187, F.S.; defining the term “veteran
   11         owned or military spouse-owned business”; providing
   12         for contracting preferences for such businesses;
   13         amending s. 295.188, F.S.; authorizing private
   14         employers to adopt employment policies that give
   15         preference in hiring to current members of any reserve
   16         component of the United States Armed Forces or the
   17         Florida National Guard and their spouses and the
   18         spouses of active duty servicemembers serving in the
   19         United States Armed Forces; prohibiting members on
   20         active duty training from being eligible for such
   21         preference; creating s. 295.189, F.S.; providing a
   22         short title; providing definitions; requiring the
   23         Department of State to waive specified fees for
   24         certain businesses; providing eligibility requirements
   25         for the fee waivers; providing applicability;
   26         providing specified tax exemptions for certain
   27         businesses; requiring the Department of Revenue to
   28         develop procedures for such exemptions; providing that
   29         such exemptions apply for a specified period for
   30         certain businesses relocating to this state;
   31         establishing the Veteran and Military Spouse
   32         Entrepreneurship Program in consultation with the
   33         Department of Commerce; providing requirements for the
   34         program; requiring that certain businesses receive
   35         expedited processing for certain certifications;
   36         providing for rulemaking and interagency cooperation;
   37         providing reporting requirements; providing an
   38         effective date.
   39          
   40  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   41  
   42         Section 1. Paragraphs (c), (f), and (g) of subsection (1)
   43  of section 295.07, Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraph
   44  (h) is added to that subsection, to read:
   45         295.07 Preference in appointment and retention.—
   46         (1) The state and its political subdivisions shall give
   47  preference in appointment and retention in positions of
   48  employment to:
   49         (c) A wartime veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14), who has
   50  served at least 1 day during a wartime period, and his or her
   51  spouse. Active duty for training may not be allowed for
   52  eligibility under this paragraph.
   53         (f) A veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14) and his or her
   54  spouse. Active duty for training may not be allowed for
   55  eligibility under this paragraph.
   56         (g) A current member of any reserve component of the United
   57  States Armed Forces or the Florida National Guard and his or her
   58  spouse.
   59         (h)The spouse of an active duty servicemember serving in
   60  the United States Armed Forces. Active duty training may not be
   61  allowed for eligibility under this paragraph.
   62         Section 2. Present paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of
   63  section 295.187, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
   64  (e), a new paragraph (d) is added to that subsection, and
   65  subsection (4) of that section is amended, to read:
   66         295.187 Florida Veteran Business Enterprise Opportunity
   67  Act.—
   68         (3) DEFINITIONS.—For the purpose of this section, the term:
   69         (d)“Veteran-owned or military spouse-owned business” has
   70  the same meaning as in s. 295.189(3).
   71         (4) VENDOR PREFERENCE.—
   72         (a) A state agency, when considering two or more bids,
   73  proposals, or replies for the procurement of commodities or
   74  contractual services, at least one of which is from a certified
   75  veteran business enterprise or veteran-owned or military spouse
   76  owned business, which are equal with respect to all relevant
   77  considerations, including price, quality, and service, shall
   78  award such procurement or contract to the certified veteran
   79  business enterprise or the veteran-owned or military spouse
   80  owned business.
   81         (b) Notwithstanding s. 287.057(12), if a veteran business
   82  enterprise or a veteran-owned or military spouse-owned business
   83  entitled to the vendor preference under this section and one or
   84  more businesses entitled to this preference or another vendor
   85  preference provided by law submit bids, proposals, or replies
   86  for procurement of commodities or contractual services which are
   87  equal with respect to all relevant considerations, including
   88  price, quality, and service, the state agency shall award the
   89  procurement or contract to the business having the smallest net
   90  worth.
   91         (c) Political subdivisions of the state are encouraged to
   92  offer a similar consideration to businesses certified under this
   93  section.
   94         Section 3. Section 295.188, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   95  read:
   96         295.188 Preference in hiring veterans and their spouses for
   97  private employers.—
   98         (1) The Legislature intends to establish a permissive
   99  preference in private employment for certain veterans and their
  100  spouses.
  101         (2) A private employer may adopt an employment policy that
  102  gives preference in hiring to an honorably discharged veteran,
  103  as defined in s. 1.01(14); the spouse of a veteran with a
  104  service-connected disability, as described in s. 295.07(1)(b);
  105  the unremarried widow or widower of a veteran who died of a
  106  service-connected disability, as described in s. 295.07(1)(d);
  107  or the unremarried widow or widower of a member of the United
  108  States Armed Forces who died in the line of duty under combat
  109  related conditions; a current member of any reserve component of
  110  the United States Armed Forces or the Florida National Guard or
  111  his or her spouse; or the spouse of an active duty servicemember
  112  serving in the United States Armed Forces. Active duty training
  113  may not be allowed for eligibility under this subsection. Such
  114  policy shall be applied uniformly to employment decisions
  115  regarding hiring and promotion.
  116         (3) These preferences are not considered violations of any
  117  state or local equal employment opportunity law.
  118         Section 4. Section 295.189, Florida Statutes, is created to
  119  read:
  120         295.189Business development incentives for veterans and
  121  military spouses.—
  122         (1)SHORT TITLE.—This act may be cited as the “Florida
  123  Veterans and Military Spouse Business Development Act.”
  124         (2)LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—
  125         (a)The Legislature finds that veterans and military
  126  spouses contribute significantly to this state’s economy through
  127  their skills, expertise, and entrepreneurial efforts.
  128         (b)The Legislature recognizes the challenges of frequent
  129  relocations and economic instability faced by many military
  130  spouses.
  131         (c)It is the intent of the Legislature that this act
  132  attract and support veteran-owned and military spouse-owned
  133  businesses by providing financial and operational incentives.
  134         (3)DEFINITIONS.—For the purpose of this section, the term:
  135         (a)“Military spouse” means the spouse of:
  136         1.An active duty member of the United States Armed Forces;
  137  or
  138         2.A veteran.
  139         (b)“Veteran” has the same meaning as in s. 1.01(14).
  140         (c)“Veteran-owned or military spouse-owned business” means
  141  a business entity that is at least 51 percent owned, controlled,
  142  or managed by one or more veterans or military spouses.
  143         (4)FEE WAIVER.—
  144         (a)The Department of State shall waive all fees for:
  145         1.A new business established by a veteran or military
  146  spouse.
  147         2.An existing veteran-owned or military spouse-owned
  148  business that relocates to this state.
  149         (b)The Department of State shall establish registration
  150  requirements for such fee waivers, which must include:
  151         1.For veterans, a DD Form 214 or another acceptable form
  152  of identification as specified by the Department of Veterans’
  153  Affairs; or
  154         2.For military spouses, verification of a military spouse
  155  relationship with a spouse who is on active duty.
  156         (c)The fee waivers apply to veteran-owned or military
  157  spouse-owned businesses established or certified between July 1,
  158  2025, and December 31, 2030.
  159         (5)TAX EXEMPTIONS.—
  160         (a)Eligible veteran-owned and military spouse-owned
  161  businesses shall receive:
  162         1.A 5-year exemption from the state corporate income tax
  163  and state franchise tax.
  164         2.A one-time sales tax exemption on equipment and supplies
  165  directly related to its business operations.
  166         (b)The Department of Revenue shall establish procedures
  167  for claiming these exemptions.
  168         (c)For businesses relocating to this state, tax exemptions
  169  apply for 5 years after the date of certification.
  170         (6)VETERAN AND MILITARY SPOUSE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM.—
  171         (a)The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in conjunction
  172  with the Department of Commerce, shall establish the Veteran and
  173  Military Spouse Entrepreneurship Program, including an
  174  application process and eligibility criteria. The program must
  175  include:
  176         1.Personalized business mentorship and consulting
  177  services.
  178         2.Assistance with obtaining startup capital through state
  179  and federal funding programs.
  180         3.Educational resources, including workshops on business
  181  planning, marketing, and regulatory compliance.
  182         (b)Priority must be given to applications from businesses
  183  that are veteran-owned or military spouse-owned.
  184         (7)EXPEDITED PROCESSING.—Veteran-owned and military
  185  spouse-owned businesses must receive expedited processing for
  186  certifications.
  187         (8)ADMINISTRATION.—The Department of Veterans’ Affairs,
  188  the Department of Revenue, and the Department of State shall:
  189         (a)Develop rules for administering this section.
  190         (b)Ensure interagency cooperation for seamless
  191  implementation of this section.
  192         (9)ANNUAL REPORTING.—The Department of Veterans’ Affairs
  193  shall submit an annual report to the Governor, the President of
  194  the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that
  195  includes:
  196         (a)The number of veteran-owned or military spouse-owned
  197  businesses that were established in this state or that relocated
  198  to this state.
  199         (b)Economic metrics such as jobs created by and tax
  200  revenue impact of veteran-owned or military spouse-owned
  201  businesses.
  202         (c)Demographic data for the participating veterans and
  203  military spouses.
  204         Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.