Florida Senate - 2026 SB 474
By Senator Wright
8-00657-26 2026474__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to military affairs; amending s.
3 115.01, F.S.; revising the authorization to be granted
4 a leave of absence for military service to include the
5 Coast Guard; deleting the condition that such service
6 be during war between the United States and a foreign
7 government; amending s. 115.07, F.S.; revising the
8 authorization to be granted a leave of absence for
9 reserve or guard training to include members of the
10 Florida State Guard; revising legislative intent;
11 amending s. 115.08, F.S.; revising the definition of
12 the term “active military service”; amending s.
13 115.09, F.S.; specifying that an authorization for a
14 leave of absence for public officials to perform
15 active military service for a specified timeframe is
16 based on a single order; making a technical change;
17 amending s. 115.14, F.S.; specifying that an
18 authorization for a leave of absence for all employees
19 of the state and the counties, municipalities, and
20 political subdivisions of the state to perform active
21 military service for a specified timeframe is based on
22 a single order; amending s. 121.055, F.S.; deleting
23 positions from the Department of Military Affairs from
24 compulsory participation in the Senior Management
25 Service Class; providing that participation in such
26 class for all other members employed with the
27 Department of Military Affairs and the Florida State
28 Guard be governed by a specified provision; amending
29 s. 250.10, F.S.; deleting a requirement that the
30 Adjutant General administer youth About Face Programs
31 and adult Forward March programs; deleting provisions
32 governing the programs; amending s. 250.116, F.S.;
33 revising eligibility for the Soldiers and Airmen
34 Assistance Program to include traditional drilling
35 guardsmen on state active duty or on Title 32 United
36 States Code duty and their eligible beneficiaries
37 experiencing valid financial need; defining the term
38 “beneficiary”; revising the review process for
39 requests of assistance to be reviewed, processed, and
40 approved by the Florida National Guard Foundation’s
41 board of directors; revising the criteria to review
42 and evaluate requests for assistance; requiring the
43 board of directors to review annually the bylaws that
44 govern the program; requiring the board to provide a
45 report to the Department of Military Affairs to be
46 approved by the Adjutant General; deleting provisions
47 requiring the financial committee of the board of
48 directors to review financial transactions quarterly
49 and to provide a report to the department for a
50 certain determination; reenacting s. 115.06, F.S.,
51 relating to resumption of duties for officers
52 returning from the service of the United States, to
53 incorporate the amendment made to s. 115.01, F.S., in
54 a reference thereto; providing an effective date.
55
56 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
57
58 Section 1. Section 115.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to
59 read:
60 115.01 Leave of absence for military service.—Any county or
61 state official of the state, subject to the provisions and
62 conditions hereinafter set forth, may be granted leave of
63 absence from his or her office, to serve in the volunteer forces
64 of the United States, or in the National Guard of any state, or
65 in the regular Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard,
66 or Space Force of the United States, when the same shall be
67 called into active service of the United States during war
68 between the United States and a foreign government.
69 Section 2. Subsections (1) and (4) of section 115.07,
70 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
71 115.07 Officers and employees’ leaves of absence for
72 reserve or guard training.—
73 (1) All officers or employees of the state, of the several
74 counties of the state, and of the municipalities or political
75 subdivisions of the state who are commissioned reserve officers
76 or reserve enlisted personnel in the United States military or
77 naval service or members of the National Guard or the Florida
78 State Guard are entitled to leaves of absence from their
79 respective duties, without loss of vacation leave, pay, time, or
80 efficiency rating, on all days during which they are engaged in
81 training ordered under the provisions of the United States
82 military or naval training regulations or the applicable laws of
83 this state for such personnel when assigned to active or
84 inactive duty.
85 (4) It is the intent of the Legislature that the state, its
86 several counties, and its municipalities and political
87 subdivisions shall grant leaves of absence for active or
88 inactive training to all employees who are members of the United
89 States Reserve Forces, or the National Guard, or the Florida
90 State Guard, to ensure the state and national security at all
91 times through a strong armed force of qualified and
92 mobilization-ready personnel.
93 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 115.08, Florida
94 Statutes, is amended to read:
95 115.08 Definitions.—
96 (1) The term “active military service” as used in this
97 chapter means shall signify active duty in the Florida State
98 Guard defense force or federal service in training or on active
99 duty with any branch of the Armed Forces or Reservists of the
100 Armed Forces, the Florida National Guard, the Coast Guard of the
101 United States, and service of all officers of the United States
102 Public Health Service detailed by proper authority for duty with
103 the Armed Forces, and includes shall include the period during
104 which a person in military service is absent from duty on
105 account of sickness, wounds, leave, or other lawful cause.
106 Section 4. Section 115.09, Florida Statutes, is amended to
107 read:
108 115.09 Leave to public officials for military service.—All
109 officials of the state, the several counties of the state, and
110 the municipalities or political subdivisions of the state,
111 including district school and Florida community College System
112 officers, which officials are also servicemembers in the
113 National Guard or a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the
114 United States, must be granted leave of absence from their
115 respective offices and duties to perform active military
116 service, with the first 30 days of any such leave of absence to
117 be with full pay for active federal military service that is
118 equal to or greater than 90 consecutive days on a single order.
119 Section 5. Section 115.14, Florida Statutes, is amended to
120 read:
121 115.14 Employees.—All employees of the state, the several
122 counties of the state, and the municipalities or political
123 subdivisions of the state must be granted leave of absence under
124 the terms of this law; upon such leave of absence being granted,
125 such employee must enjoy the same rights and privileges as are
126 granted to officials under this law, including, without
127 limitation, receiving full pay for the first 30 days for federal
128 military service that is equal to or greater than 90 consecutive
129 days on a single order. Notwithstanding s. 115.09, the employing
130 authority may supplement the military pay of its officials and
131 employees who are reservists called to active military service
132 after the first 30 days in an amount necessary to bring their
133 total salary, inclusive of their base military pay, to the level
134 earned at the time they were called to active military duty. The
135 employing authority shall continue to provide all health
136 insurance and other existing benefits to such officials and
137 employees as required by the Uniformed Services Employment and
138 Reemployment Rights Act, chapter 43 of Title 38 U.S.C.
139 Section 6. Paragraph (g) of subsection (1) of section
140 121.055, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
141 121.055 Senior Management Service Class.—There is hereby
142 established a separate class of membership within the Florida
143 Retirement System to be known as the “Senior Management Service
144 Class,” which shall become effective February 1, 1987.
145 (1)
146 (g) Effective July 1, 1996, participation in the Senior
147 Management Service Class shall be compulsory for any member of
148 the Florida Retirement System employed with the Department of
149 Military Affairs in the positions of the Adjutant General,
150 Assistant Adjutant General-Army, Assistant Adjutant General-Air,
151 and State Quartermaster, Director of Human Resources, Director
152 of Legislative Affairs, Inspector General, Executive Officer,
153 and additional directors as designated by the agency head, not
154 to exceed a total of 10 positions. In lieu of participation in
155 the Senior Management Service Class, such members may
156 participate in the Senior Management Service Optional Annuity
157 Program as established in subsection (6). Eligibility for
158 participation in the Senior Management Service Class for all
159 other members of the Florida Retirement System employed within
160 the Department of Military Affairs or within the Division of the
161 State Guard is separately governed by s. 110.205.
162 Section 7. Paragraph (m) of subsection (2) of section
163 250.10, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
164 250.10 Appointment and duties of the Adjutant General.—
165 (2) The Adjutant General shall:
166 (m) Subject to annual appropriations, administer youth
167 About Face programs and adult Forward March programs at sites to
168 be selected by the Adjutant General. Both programs must provide
169 schoolwork assistance, focusing on the skills needed to master
170 basic high school competencies and functional life skills,
171 including teaching students to work effectively in groups;
172 providing basic instruction in computer skills; teaching basic
173 problem-solving, decisionmaking, and reasoning skills; teaching
174 how the business world and free enterprise work through computer
175 simulations; and teaching home finance and budgeting and other
176 daily living skills.
177 1. About Face is a summer and year-round after-school life
178 preparation program for economically disadvantaged and at-risk
179 youths from 13 through 17 years of age. The program must provide
180 training in academic study skills, and the basic skills that
181 businesses require for employment consideration.
182 2. Forward March is a job-readiness program for
183 economically disadvantaged participants who are directed to
184 Forward March by the local workforce development boards. The
185 Forward March program shall provide training on topics that
186 directly relate to the skills required for real-world success.
187 The program shall emphasize functional life skills, computer
188 literacy, interpersonal relationships, critical-thinking skills,
189 business skills, preemployment and work maturity skills, job
190 search skills, exploring careers activities, how to be a
191 successful and effective employee, and some job-specific skills.
192 The program also shall provide extensive opportunities for
193 participants to practice generic job skills in a supervised work
194 setting. Upon completion of the program, Forward March shall
195 return participants to the local workforce development boards
196 for placement in a job placement pool.
197 Section 8. Subsections (4), (5), and (6) of section
198 250.116, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
199 250.116 Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Program.—
200 (4) ELIGIBILITY.—Persons eligible for assistance from the
201 program include:
202 (a) Servicemembers who are members of the Florida National
203 Guard who are:
204 1. traditional drilling guardsmen on state active duty or
205 on Title 32 United States Code duty, who otherwise do not
206 qualify for the assistance programs available to servicemembers
207 serving under Title 10 United States Code, and who demonstrate
208 valid financial need, and their eligible beneficiaries, are
209 authorized to apply for and receive financial assistance from
210 the program, as administered by the Florida National Guard
211 Foundation’s board of directors and its governing bylaws,
212 contingent upon the availability of funds serving in the Global
213 War on Terrorism or Overseas Contingency Operation or who
214 request assistance within 120 days after the termination of
215 orders for such service and return to their home of record.
216 2. Deployed by the Federal Government and participating in
217 state operations for homeland defense or request assistance
218 within 120 days after the termination of orders for such service
219 and return to their home of record.
220 (b)1. As used in this subsection, the term “beneficiary”
221 means the current spouse, dependent children, or other
222 designated beneficiaries as determined by the Adjutant General
223 Beneficiaries of an eligible servicemember designated on United
224 States Department of Defense Form 93.
225 2. Individuals demonstrating a financial need for
226 authorized assistance who are dependents or family members of an
227 eligible servicemember.
228 (5) REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE; REVIEW; AWARDS.—
229 (a) A request for assistance must shall be reviewed, and
230 processed, and approved by the Florida National Guard
231 Foundation’s board of directors at the local level by an
232 official designated by the Adjutant General. During the initial
233 review and processing of the request, the Department of Military
234 Affairs may accept assistance from the direct-support
235 organization. Final review and approval of requests for
236 assistance shall be made by the Department of Military Affairs.
237 (b) Requests for assistance must shall be reviewed and
238 evaluated based on the following criteria:
239 1. The impact of a servicemember’s financial situation
240 absence and inability to provide quality of life and other
241 qualifying life-impacting assist in home and vehicle repairs or
242 meet other family needs;
243 2. The economic impact of deployment;
244 3. The overall financial situation of the applicant;
245 4. The assistance authorized under the program; and
246 3.5. Any other consideration dictated in the bylaws of the
247 Florida National Guard Foundation Other relevant information.
248 (6) ANNUAL BYLAW QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REVIEW.—The board of
249 directors of the Florida National Guard Foundation shall review
250 annually the bylaws that govern the program. The board shall
251 provide a report of such review to the Department of Military
252 Affairs to be approved by the Adjutant General financial
253 committee of the board of directors of the direct-support
254 organization shall review financial transactions of the program
255 each quarter. This review shall be provided to the Department of
256 Military Affairs in order to determine whether the direct
257 support organization is being operated in a manner that is
258 consistent with the purposes of the Soldiers and Airmen
259 Assistance Fund, and in the best interests of the department.
260 The financial committee may request the Office of Inspector
261 General to conduct additional reviews.
262 Section 9. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
263 made by this act to section 115.01, Florida Statutes, in a
264 reference thereto, section 115.06, Florida Statutes, is
265 reenacted to read:
266 115.06 Reassumption of duties.—Upon being mustered out of
267 the service of the United States, such officer granted leave
268 under s. 115.01 shall immediately enter into the duties of his
269 or her office for the remainder of the term for which he or she
270 was elected.
271 Section 10. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.