Bill Text: FL S0554 | 2022 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Educational Opportunities for Disabled Veterans
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-04 - Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 45 [S0554 Detail]
Download: Florida-2022-S0554-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2022 CS for SB 554
By the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
Domestic Security; and Senator Cruz
583-01959-22 2022554c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to educational opportunities for
3 disabled veterans; creating s. 295.011, F.S.; defining
4 the term “disabled veteran”; providing that disabled
5 veterans receiving certain federal educational
6 assistance benefits are eligible to receive a waiver
7 for the remaining cost of tuition and fees at certain
8 institutions; providing a calculation for waiver
9 amounts; requiring the amount awarded by the state to
10 be contingent on the application of specified federal
11 benefits; requiring certain institutions to submit an
12 annual report to the Board of Governors and the State
13 Board of Education; requiring the boards to
14 respectively adopt regulations and rules; specifying
15 applicability of other laws; providing an effective
16 date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Section 295.011, Florida Statutes, is created to
21 read:
22 295.011 Disabled veterans; education.—
23 (1) As used in this section, the term “disabled veteran”
24 means an individual who is a resident of this state pursuant to
25 s. 1009.21 and is:
26 (a) Determined by the United States Department of Veterans
27 Affairs to have a service-connected total and permanent
28 disability rating of 100 percent for compensation;
29 (b) Determined to have a service-connected total and
30 permanent disability rating of 100 percent and is in receipt of
31 disability retirement pay from any branch of the United States
32 Armed Services; or
33 (c) Issued a valid identification card by the Florida
34 Department of Veterans’ Affairs pursuant to s. 295.17.
35 (2) Beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, a disabled
36 veteran enrolled in a program of education approved for
37 educational assistance under 38 U.S.C. s. 3313, at a state
38 university, a Florida College System institution, a career
39 center operated by a school district under s. 1001.44, or a
40 charter technical career center who does not qualify for the 100
41 percent eligibility tier under federal law is eligible to
42 receive a waiver for tuition and fees. The waiver amount is
43 equal to the difference between the portion of tuition and fees
44 paid in accordance with federal law and the full amount of
45 tuition and fees at the institution attended. The amount awarded
46 by the state is not to be determined until after the application
47 of federal benefits under 38 U.S.C. s. 3313.
48 (a) Each state university, Florida College System
49 institution, career center operated by a school district under
50 s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center shall report to
51 the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education,
52 respectively, the number and value of all fee waivers granted
53 annually under this subsection.
54 (b) The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education
55 shall respectively adopt regulations and rules to administer
56 this subsection.
57 (3) Sections 295.03, 295.04, 295.05, and 1009.40 apply to
58 any disabled veteran who receives an award under this section.
59 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.
