Title: Military Affairs

Summary: Requires application form for original, renewal, or replacement driver license or identification card to include voluntary checkoff permitting veterans to request written information for federal, state, & local programs; directs DHSMV to report veteran information to DVA; directs DVA to disseminate veteran information to county or city veteran service officers & third-party provider; prohibits third-party provider from selling veteran information; creates Overseas Military Voting Assistance Task Force; requires Division of Elections to provide support staff to task force & Agency for State Technology to assist task force upon request; requires Secretary of State to submit report to Governor & Legislature containing task force recommendations for development & implementation of online voting system; provides for SBE & BOG to work collaboratively to align existing degree programs at state universities & Florida College System institutions, train faculty, coordinate campus disability services, facilitate statewide meetings for personnel, & provide sufficient courses & priority registration to veterans.

Full Text:
An act relating to military affairs; amending s. 322.08, F.S.; requiring the application form for an original, renewal, or replacement driver license or identification card to include a voluntary checkoff authorizing veterans to request written or electronic information on federal, state, and local benefits and services for veterans; requiring that the requested information be delivered by a third-party pr ovider; directing the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to report veteran contact information to the Department of Veterans' Affairs; directing the Department of Veteran' Affairs to disseminate veteran contact information to county or city ve teran service officers and the third-party provider; requiring that the third-party provider be a nonprofit organization; prohibiting a third-party provider from selling veteran contact information; requiring a third-party provider to maintain confidential ity of veteran contact information under specified provisions; providing a penalty; creating the Military and Overseas Voting Assistance Task Force within the Department of State; specifying membership of the task force; authorizing reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses; prescribing duties of the task force; requiring submission of a report to the Governor and CS/HB 1091 2015 the Legislature by a specified date; providing for expiration of the task force; providing for staffing; providing legislative findings rega rding continuing education for veterans; providing legislative intent for the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors of the State University System to work collaboratively to align existing degree programs at state universities and Florida Col lege System institutions, train faculty, incorporate outreach services into existing disability services, facilitate statewide meetings for personnel, and provide sufficient courses and priority registration to veterans; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Subsection (8) of section 322.08, Florida Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (9), and a new subsection (8) is added to that section to read: 322.08 Application for license; requi rements for license and identification card forms.-(8)(a) To support the carrying out of the duties of the Department of Veterans' Affairs prescribed in s. 292.05 and to facilitate outreach to veterans residing in this state, the application form for an original, renewal, or replacement driver license or identification card must include a voluntary checkoff CS/HB 1091 2015 authorizing a veteran of the United States Armed Forces to request written or electronic information on federal, state, and local benefits and servic es available to veterans. The veteran may elect to receive requested information through United States mail or by e-mail. The requested information shall be delivered to the veteran by any third-party provider selected by the Department of Veterans' Affair sto act on its behalf. (b) The department shall collaborate with the Department of Veterans' Affairs to administer this subsection. The department shall report monthly to the Department of Veterans' Affairs the name and mailing address or e-mail address of each veteran who requests information as provided in paragraph (a). Following receipt of the monthly report, the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall disseminate the contact information for each such veteran to the third-party provider acting on its behalf. The third-party provider must be a nonprofit organization with sufficient ability to communicate with veterans residing throughout this state. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "nonprofit organization" means an organization exempt from the federal income tax under s. of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any federal, state, or local governmental entity. (c) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (b), the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall disseminate the contact information fo ra veteran who selects the voluntary checkoff to the appropriate county or city veteran service officer in order CS/HB 1091 2015 to facilitate further outreach to veterans. (d)1. The contact information of a veteran which is obtained by a third-party provider pursuant to this subsection may be used only as authorized by this subsection. The third party provider may not sell such contact information. Except as otherwise provided, the third-party provider must maintain the confidentiality of the contact information in acc ordance with chapter and the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994, U.S.C. ss. 2721 et seq. 2. A person who willfully and knowingly violates this paragraph commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Section 2. Military and Overseas Voting Assistance Task Force.-The Military and Overseas Voting Assistance Task Force, a task force as defined in s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is created within the Department of State. The task force is cre ated for the express purpose of studying issues involving the development and implementation of an online voting system that allows absent uniformed services voters to electronically submit voted ballots. (1) The task force is composed of members, as follows: (a) The Secretary of State or his or her designee, who shall serve as chair of the task force. (b) The Adjutant General or his or her designee. (c) The executive director of the Department of Veterans' Affairs or his or her designee. CS/HB 1091 2015 (d) The executive director of the Agency for State Technology or his or her designee. (e) One member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate. (f) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representati ves. (g) One member of the Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate. (h) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. (i) One member appointed by the Governor. (j) Six supervisors of elections appointed by the Secretary of State. (k) Five individuals appointed by the Secretary of State, with relevant expertise in computers, the Internet, or other associated technologies. (2) Members of the task force shall serve with out compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes. (3) The task force, at a minimum, shall study and report on the following issues: (a) Any factor that limits the ability of ab sent uniformed services voters to request, receive, and return absentee ballots within the current statutory time period for casting absentee ballots. (b) The costs associated with the development and CS/HB 1091 2015 implementation of an online voting system. (c) The feasibility of absent uniformed services voters using an online voting system to electronically submit a voted ballot. (d) The security of electronically submitting a voted ballot through an online voting system. (e) Procedures adopted by other states to facilitate greater electoral participation among absent uniformed services voters. (4) The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by July 1, 2016, containing the task force's recommendation concerning whether the state should pursue the development and implementation of an online voting system that allows absent uniformed services voters to electronically submit voted ballots. If the task force favor ably recommends an online voting system, the report must include recommended steps for developing and implementing such a system. Upon submission of the report, the task force shall expire. (5) The Division of Elections of the Department of State shall provide support staff for the task force. The Agency for State Technology shall assist the task force upon request. Section 3. The Legislature finds that many veterans of the United States Armed Forces in this state have completed training and coursewor kduring their military service, including overseas deployments, resulting in tangible and quantifiable strides in CS/HB 1091 2015 their pursuit of a postsecondary degree. The Legislature further finds that the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors of the St ate University System must work together to ensure that military training and coursework are granted academic credit in order to assist veterans in continuing their education. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors work collaboratively to: (1) Align existing degree programs, including, but not limited to, vocational and technical degrees, at each state university and Florida College System institution with applicable military training an dexperience to maximize academic credit award for such training and experience. (2) Appoint and train specific faculty within each degree program at each state university and Florida College System institution as liaisons and contacts for veterans. (3) Incorporate outreach services tailored to disabled veterans into existing disability services on the campus of each state university and Florida College System institution to make available to such veterans information on disability services provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, other federal and state agencies, and private entities. (4) Facilitate statewide meetings for personnel at state universities and Florida College System institutions who provide student services for veter ans to discuss and develop best practices, exchange ideas and experiences, and attend CS/HB 1091 2015 presentations by individuals with expertise in the unique needs of veterans. (5) Make every effort to provide veterans with sufficient courses required for graduation, including, but not limited to, giving priority registration to veterans. Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.