Veterans

Housing for Veterans; Creating the “Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive Pilot Program Act”; establishing the Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive Pilot Program in certain counties, subject to legislative appropriation; requiring a landlord to submit to the contracted program administrator required documentation within a specified time period to apply for funding; authorizing a landlord to apply for up to a specified dollar amount from the funds, etc.

Business Development Incentives for Veterans and Military Spouses; Authorizing the Department of Revenue to provide specified state tax information to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Department of State under a specified condition; creating the “Florida Veterans and Military Spouses Business Development Act”; requiring the Department of State to waive all fees for certain businesses; requiring the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to establish registration requirements for businesses seeking certain fee waivers and tax exemptions; providing annual reporting requirements, beginning on a specified date, etc.

Department of Law Enforcement; Authorizing the Department of Law Enforcement to adopt rules relating to the Florida Medal of Valor and the Florida Blue/Red Heart Medal; specifying the circumstances under which an appointment or reappointment to the Medical Examiners Commission is considered in force; requiring the commission, rather than the Governor, to appoint district medical examiners for each medical examiner district; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to accept and process fingerprints taken of natural persons who are control persons of a licensee or are applicants for licensure, etc.

SB 96 establishes a Veterans Dental Care Grant Program within Florida's Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide oral health care to eligible veterans. It directly affects Florida veterans with household incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. The bill appropriates $500,000 from the General Revenue Fund for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to fund this program, which will cover dental services for qualifying veterans. The program becomes effective July 1, 2026, and is administered by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.