HB 821 Florida House · 2025 Regular Session

Business Development Incentives for Veterans and Military Spouses

Summary

Business Development Incentives for Veterans and Military Spouses; Requires DOS to waive specified fees for certain businesses established by veteran or military spouse; provides eligibility & registration requirements; provides for rulemaking & interagency cooperation; provides reporting requirements.

Issues: ✓ Veterans

Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Last action Jun 16, 2025

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What changed between versions

H 821 Filed → H 821 c1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to streamline its structure by removing redundant provisions and consolidating definitions into a single new section. The changes clarify eligibility criteria for veterans and military spouses, add specific requirements for fee waivers, and establish new reporting obligations for the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing the vendor preference section that previously required state agencies to award contracts to veteran-owned businesses, and the new section focuses primarily on fee waivers and business development support.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the vendor preference provision that required state agencies to award contracts to certified veteran-owned or military spouse-owned businesses when bids were equal.

DEFINITION

Added detailed definitions for 'military spouse', 'veteran', and 'veteran-owned or military spouse-owned business' including specific criteria like employee count, net worth limits, and ownership percentages.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified fee waiver eligibility to include specific documentation requirements such as DD Form 214 for veterans and verification of military spouse relationships.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new annual reporting requirements for the Department of Veterans' Affairs to track business establishment, economic impact, and demographic data.

TIMELINE

Added specific timeframes for fee waiver eligibility (July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030) and reporting deadlines (December 31 each year starting 2025).

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Now in State Affairs Committee

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Committee

Referred to State Affairs Committee

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported out of Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with CS by Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee

lower

Apr 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

PCS added to Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee agenda

lower

Feb 26, 2025

Lower · Passed

Now in Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee

lower

Feb 26, 2025

Committee

Referred to State Affairs Committee

lower

Feb 26, 2025

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means Committee

lower

Feb 26, 2025

Committee

Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee

lower

2 primary · 2 co-sponsors