Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 788
       
       
        
       By Senator Truenow
       
       
       
       
       
       13-01578-25                                            2025788__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to veterans’ nursing homes; amending
    3         s. 296.33, F.S.; defining the term “veteran- and
    4         spouse-designated nursing home beds”; creating s.
    5         296.411, F.S.; authorizing the executive director of
    6         the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to approve
    7         requests to create or modify veteran- and spouse
    8         designated nursing home beds if certain conditions are
    9         met; authorizing the department to adopt rules;
   10         amending s. 408.036, F.S.; revising exemptions from
   11         certificate of need requirements for certain projects
   12         relating to veterans’ nursing homes; providing an
   13         effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Subsection (7) is added to section 296.33,
   18  Florida Statutes, to read:
   19         296.33 Definitions.—As used in this part, the term:
   20         (7) “Veteran- and spouse-designated nursing home beds”
   21  means beds that are designated only for residents admitted in
   22  accordance with s. 296.36 to a licensed skilled nursing facility
   23  on the campus of a retirement community qualified for nonprofit
   24  status under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code which
   25  provides housing for only veterans, their spouses, and surviving
   26  spouses.
   27         Section 2. Section 296.411, Florida Statutes, is created to
   28  read:
   29         296.411 Approval; veteran- and spouse-designated nursing
   30  home beds.—The director may approve requests to create or modify
   31  veteran- and spouse-designated nursing home beds at a facility
   32  so long as any such beds operate in the United States Department
   33  of Veterans Affairs Community Nursing Home Program and are in
   34  accordance with the requirements of ss. 296.35, 296.36, 296.37,
   35  and 296.41. The department may adopt rules to administer this
   36  section.
   37         Section 3. Paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of section
   38  408.036, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (n) is
   39  added to that subsection, to read:
   40         408.036 Projects subject to review; exemptions.—
   41         (3) EXEMPTIONS.—Upon request, the following projects are
   42  subject to exemption from subsection (1):
   43         (f) For state veterans’ nursing homes operated by or on
   44  behalf of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs in
   45  accordance with part II of chapter 296 for which at least 50
   46  percent of the construction cost is federally funded by the
   47  state or the Federal Government and for which the Federal
   48  Government pays a per diem rate not to exceed one-half of the
   49  cost of the veterans’ care in such state nursing homes. These
   50  beds may shall not be included in the nursing home bed
   51  inventory.
   52         (n) For the consolidation or combination of licensed
   53  nursing homes or the transfer of beds between licensed nursing
   54  homes that are for the sole use of veterans, their spouses, or
   55  surviving spouses in accordance with part II of chapter 296, by
   56  nursing homes with any shared controlled interest and if the
   57  site of the relocation is not more than 100 miles from the
   58  original location.
   59         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.