As most of us celebrated Memorial Day on Monday, I would like to personally thank every member of the military and their families for their service to our great state and our great country. Freedom is not free, it is paid for by military members and their families. Some pay the ultimate sacrifice of a military death. There have been over 600,000 war military deaths since World War I and even thousands more who have been injured by their commitment to serve this great nation. Every military member and their families pay a very heavy price for their commitment to providing us with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and freedom.
Jackson County is home to over 3,500 veterans. Florida has the third largest veteran population in the county with nearly 1.5 million veterans calling Florida home. With this commitment, the Florida Legislature and Governor passed 8 bills that would not only provide resources while in an active-duty position but provide resources once their active duty status has been fulfilled.
Senate Bill (SB) 732 – The Collegiate Purple Star Campuses Program provides support to military members, veterans, and their families while they are attending a Florida college or university. Institutions interested in becoming a Collegiate Purple Star Campus must designate a staff member as a military liaison, offer staff member professional training opportunities to better serve the military students, implement and maintain a student-led transition program to assist the military student’s transition to the college or university and provide priority course registration to the military students.
SB 274 – “Pathway for Military Combat Medics Act.” This gives military combat veterans post-secondary course credit for their military combat medic training in a nursing education program. This allows veterans to earn their nursing education degree quicker and at a discounted cost.
House Bill (HB) 139 – Office of Veteran Licensure Services within the Department of Health – This newly established office will provide information and assistance with healthcare licensure processes for veterans and their families. This bill also requires Veterans Florida (a non-profit created by the State of Florida) to assist military families with access, training, education, and employment in Florida’s healthcare professions.
HB 485 – Division of Long-term Care within the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA) – This newly created office will oversee the operations of veterans’ adult day health care programs and expands eligibility requirement for veterans who wish to enter an adult day health care program. The bill also designated the week of November 11th of each year as “Veterans Week”.
HB 635 – Veterans Dental Care Grant Program – This newly created office within the FDVA is to provide dental care to Florida’s veterans. Approximately only 15% of veterans are eligible for dental services through the VA. This program will issue grants to eligible nonprofits to provide veterans in Florida with dental care.
SB 574- Termination of Agreements By A Service Member – This bill enables service members to terminate private rental agreements early if they become eligible for “government quarters”. The bill defines the term “government quarters to include privately owned military housing”.
HB 621 – Death Benefits For Active Duty Service Members – The bill provides a uniform death benefit of $75,000 for active duty service members who are killed while on active duty performing their official duties and those killed while on active duty who were killed but not performing their office duties.
HB 1285 – The Florida State Guard – This bill creates the Florida State Guard as a permanent component in Florida’s state militia and creates the Division of the State Guard within the Department of Military Affairs. There has been $108 million appropriated for the Florida State Guard.
So many of our veterans fall in between the requirements of large file folders of Big Brother’s programs in Washington. So many never find opportunities or the resources needed to transition into civilian life. That is why it is important that our state identifies and enacts legislation that will provide better opportunities and resources for our veterans and their families. These actions not only provide services to our citizens but also strengthen and unify Florida. These bills showcase Florida as a veteran-friendly state. That concludes this week’s issue of The Straight Truth With Mary Ann Hutton.