2 Key Veterans Bills Pass Florida House Administration and Veteran’s Affairs Subcommittee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – The House Administration and Veteran’s Affairs Subcommittee met on February 16, 2021. The two items on the agenda for the committee were House Memorial (HM) 71, and House Bill (HB) 231.

HM 71, Recognizing Veteran’s Suicide, was presented by Representative Matt Willhite, (D-86). Representative Willhite lives in Wellington, Florida and is a Fire Captain and paramedic. He was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016 and has been reelected since. Representative Willhite serves on the following committees:

• Insurance and Banking Subcommittee – Democratic Ranking Member
• PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee – Democratic Ranking Member
• Appropriations Committee
• Commerce Committee
• Rules Committee

HM 71, Recognizing Veteran Suicide, simply requests that the Florida House send a letter to the US Congress and the President asking them to fully fund programs to help prevent veteran’s suicide, and to send a strong message that Florida supports our veterans in every way possible.

HM 71 passed with 16 yes votes and zero no votes.

HB 231, Services for Veterans and Their Families, was presented by Representative Ardian Zika (R-37). Representative Zika lives in Land O’Lakes, Florida and is a business owner. He was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018 and has been reelected since. Representative Zika serves on the following committees:

• Joint Legislative Auditing Committee – Alternating Chair
• Ways and Means Committee – Vice Chair
• Governement Operations Subcommittee
• Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
• Insurance and Banking Subcommittee
• Pandemics and Public Emergencies Committee
• State Affairs Committee

HB 231 authorizes the Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) to:

• Establish the Florida Veterans Care Coordination Program – which would provide referral and care coordination services for verterans and their families.
• Contract with certain nonprofit entities to enter into agreememts with the Florida 211 Network participants
• Require the DVA to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature

The bill also provides for statewide delivery of special services by program teams and it requires the Florida 211 Network participants to collect program implementation data and subit that data to the DVA.

The bill intends to prevent veteran suicides, increase veteran use of programs and services provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and for them to utilize other community based programs and services.

Representative Zika also told the committee that a pilot program for this bill has already been operating in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Manatee counties since 2014.

HB 231 passed with 17 yes votes and zero no votes. It is now with the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee.

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Lynn DeJarnette is a reporter for Florida National News. | info@floridanationalnews.com