Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security

>>Chair Wright: GOOD AFTERNOON, THE COMMITTEE ON MILITARY VETERANS AFFAIRS SPACE AND DOMESTIC SECURITY WILL COME TO ORDER, LOIS WILL YOU CALL THE ROLL. >>Chair Wright: HERE. >>Vice Chair Truenow: >>Sen. Burgess: >>Sen. Jones: >>Sen. Sharief: >> QUORUM PRESENT. >>Chair Wright: THANK YOU, LET'S ALL PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY ME. >> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. >>Chair Wright: PLEASE REMEMBER TO SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK BEFORE THE COMMITTEE SHOULD COMPLETE AN APPEARANCE FORM, HAND IT TO A MEMBER OF THE SERGEANTS OFFICE. SHOULD YOU WAIVE YOUR SPEAKING TIME YOUR POSITION WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE COMMITTEE MINUTES. MEMBERS WE WILL SLIP FORWARD AND GO TO TAB 2. AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT 94, VETERAN BENEFIT PAYMENTS TO MINOR CLIENTS BY SENATOR GAETZ. >>Sen. Gaetz: THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN IN OUR MILITARY INTENSIVE STATE THERE ARE SOMETHING FOSTER CARE WHO ARE BENEFICIARIES OF MILITARY BENEFITS. FOSTER CARE AGENCIES CAN APPLY FOR THESE BENEFITS ON BEHALF OF FOSTER YOUTH AND ANY MONEY RECEIVED IS USED BY THE AGENCY AS REIMBURSEMENT FOR MINOR CARE. SENATE BILL 1594 WOULD ENSURE VETERANS BENEFITS THAT ARE ACCESSED BY A FOSTER CARE AGENCY ARE NOT USED TO REPLACE EXISTING ASSISTANCE BUT RATHER ARE SET ASIDE FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION OR AFTERCARE SERVICES WHEN THE MINOR TRANSITIONS OUT OF FOSTER CARE, THAT IS THE BILL THERE ARE NO AMENDMENTS. >>Chair Wright: ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BILL. SEEING NONE ARE THERE ANY APPEARANCE FORMS? ALL RIGHT, WHO COULD THIS BE? VICTORIA ZEPP WAIVING IN SUPPORT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY, FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES, THANK YOU VICTORIA. ALL RIGHT, ANY DEBATE ON THE BILL? SEEING NONE SEN. GAETZ YOU ARE RECOGNIZED CLOSE ON YOUR BILL. >>Sen. Gaetz: WAIVE CLOSE. >>Chair Wright: PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON SB 5094. >>Sen. Burgess: >>Sen. Jones: >>Sen. Sharief: >>Vice Chair Truenow: >>Chair Wright: YES, BY YOUR VOTE SB 94 IS REPORTED FAVORABLY. >>Sen. Gaetz: THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. >>Chair Wright: YOU ARE WELCOME. MOVING RIGHT ALONG. WE ARE NOW GOING TO GO TO TAB 1 AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SB 1182 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES FOR MILITARY SPOUSES BY OUR OWN SENATOR JONES, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. >>Sen. Jones: THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS YOU SAW THIS BILL LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR IT'S SB 1182 WHICH CREATES THE VETERANS AND MILITARY SPOUSES DEVELOPMENT ACT. DESIGNED TO PROVIDE OUR VETERANS AND MILITARY SPOUSE OWNED BUSINESSES WITH FEE RELIEF AND TAX INCENTIVES IN FLORIDA AND MEMBERS WE UNDERSTAND MILITARY FAMILIES FACE UNIQUE ECONOMIC DISRUPTIONS, FREQUENTLY RELOCATIONS CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO BUILD STABLE CAREERS AND FOR VETERANS TRANSITIONING TO CIVILIAN LIFE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CAN BE A PATH TO INDEPENDENCE. IF THE ADMINISTRATIVE HURDLES DON'T STAND IN THE WAY WE HAD SB 1182 ADDRESSES THOSE BARRIERS BY REDUCING THESE AND PROVIDING RELIEF AND THAT IS THE BILL BUT I ALSO HAVE A STRIKE ALL. >>Chair Wright: DO WE WANT TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BILL OR SHOULD WE GET TO THE AMENDMENT. LET'S GO TO THE AMENDMENT, BARCODE 17 2602 BY SENATOR JONES, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THE AMENDMENT. >>Sen. Jones: THIS ADDS INFORMATION SHARING PROVISIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TO SHARE LIMITED TAX INFORMATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND SHIFTS REGISTRATION FROM DEPARTMENT OF STATE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND CREATES A VERIFICATION PROCESS BUSINESSES USE TO CLAIM THE FEE WAIVERS AND TAX BENEFITS. LASTLY REFINES THE TAX BENEFITS BY CONVERTING THE CORPORATE TAX COMPONENT INTO A CAPPED $100,000 PER YEAR EXEMPTION FOR FIVE YEARS BASED ON OWNERSHIP OF THOSE YEARS IN BUSINESS AND ACTS CLEAR ELIGIBILITY RULES FOR THAT SALES TAX EXEMPTION AND THE AMENDMENT BROADENS THE FEE WAIVER TO APPLY NOT JUST TO RELOCATIONS BUT TO ELIGIBLE EXISTING VETERANS OR MILITARY SPOUSE OWNED BUSINESSES IN FLORIDA, THE STRIKE ALL MAINTAINS THE SAME ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SPOUSES AND BUSINESSES AND CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A DEPARTMENT OF STATE FEE WAIVER ANY SALES TAX EXEMPTION NEEDED TO BUSINESS EQUIPMENT AND STILL REQUIRES ANNUAL REPORTING TO THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO PUT THIS IN THE SAME POSTURE AS THE HOUSE. >>Chair Wright: THANK YOU, QUESTIONS ON THE AMENDMENT? SEEING NONE ARE THERE APPEARANCE FORMS, IS THERE ANY DEBATE ON THE AMENDMENT? NO DEBATE, SENATOR JONES YOU ARE RECOGNIZED TO CLOSE ON THE AMENDMENT. THANK YOU SIR AND ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDED SAY YEA, OPPOSED NAY, THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED. BACK ON THE BILL AS AMENDED, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BILL AS AMENDED? ROLLING RIGHT ALONG SIR. ARE THERE ANY APPEARANCE FORMS. ANY DEBATE ON THE BILL AS AMENDED. SEEING NONE, SENATOR JONES YOU ARE RECOGNIZED TO CLOSE ON YOUR BILL. >>Sen. Jones: I WAS WAITING FOR KEITH TRUENOW TO DEBATE MY BILL, YOU LET ME DOWN. BUT MEMBERS REALLY QUICKLY THIS LEGISLATION BENEFITS THE WORKFORCE AS A WHOLE CREATING JOBS FOR ALL FLORIDIANS BY ENCOURAGING MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES TO CALL FLORIDA HOME WHEN THEY TRANSITION INTO CIVILIAN LIFE AND THAT IS THE BILL. >>Chair Wright: THANK YOU SENATOR JONES, LOIS PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON CS FOR SB 1182. >>Sen. Burgess: >>Sen. Jones: >>Sen. Sharief: YES. >>Vice Chair Truenow: >>Chair Wright: YES AND BY YOUR VOTE CS FOR SB 1182 IS REPORTED FAVORABLY. >>Sen. Jones: THANK YOU MEMBERS. >>Chair Wright: DON'T GO AWAY, WE HAVE MORE TO DO. PRETTY EASY MEETING TODAY. WE DO HAVE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR SOME APPOINTMENTS UNLESS THE SENATOR REQUESTS A SEPARATE VOTE FOR ALL THESE APPOINTEES. APPOINTEES OF COURSE WERE NOT REQUIRED TO ATTEND TODAY'S CONFIRMATION BUT AN INVITATION WAS EXTENDED TO EACH. SO YOU CAN SEE THE THREE APPOINTEES. TIM THOMAS AND BELINDA KAISER. IS THERE ANYONE THAT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT ANY ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS SEPARATELY. >>Sen. Jones: IT'S JUST A CONGRATULATIONS TO BELINDA KAISER WHO'S BEEN A LONG TIME FRIEND SO CONGRATULATIONS TO HER. >>Chair Wright: WE HAVEN'T APPROVED HER YET. >>Chair Wright: NO APPEARANCE FORMS, IS THERE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND CONFIRMATION. THERE WE GO. THANK YOU GENTLEMEN. SO SENATOR TRUENOW RECOMMENDS WE CONFIRM ALL APPOINTEES. LOIS PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >>Sen. Burgess: YES. >>Sen. Jones: YES. >>Sen. Sharief: YES. >>Vice Chair Truenow: YES. >>Chair Wright: YES, BY YOUR VOTE CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTEES ON TABS ONE THROUGH THREE IS RECOMMENDED FAVORABLY. DOES ANY SENATOR WISH TO BE RECORDED AS VOTING ON BILLS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, SEN. SHARIEF. >>Sen. Sharief: I WOULD LIKE TO BE RECORDED AS A YES ON TAB TWO WHICH IS SB 5094. >>Chair Wright: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SEEING NO OBJECTION, SEEING NONE MOTION IS ADOPTED, ANY OTHER BUSINESS? OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT TODAY IS PROBABLY OUR LAST MEETING, APPRECIATE ALL YOUR SUPPORT HELPING US WITH THIS MEETING, THIS IS MY EIGHTH YEAR OF RUNNING THE SAME COMMITTEE, THAT'S WHY I LOOK SO TIRED. IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL, WE HAVE A GREAT STAFF WITH TIM AND LOIS AND ALL THE MEMBERS HERE SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO MAKE US LOOK GOOD ON CAMERA. IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS, NONE, SENATOR BURGESS. >>Sen. Burgess: ALIBI AS WE SAY. I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO SERVING VETERANS THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE TENURE IN THE FLORIDA SENATE. TYPICAL PATH IS CERTAINLY ONE IN WHICH SENATORS REQUEST DIFFERENT COMMITTEES EVERY TWO YEARS AND DIVERSIFY EXPERIENCE AND IN THEORY GET INTO DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY GROW AND GO UP THROUGH THE PROCESS TO SENIORITY AND IT SHOULD NOT BE MISSED ON ANYBODY IN THIS PROCESS YOUR COMMITMENT TO SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE US IS SO DEEP THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE YOU EVER WANT TO BE AND IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DIDN'T HAVE A LOT TO OFFER IN OTHER SPACES, IT JUST MEANS THIS IS WHERE YOUR HEART AND SOUL IS AND I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE YOU A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR BEING THE LONGEST-SERVING CHAIR OF MILITARY AFFAIRS PROBABLY IN THE HISTORY OF FLORIDA. AT LEAST BEFORE TERM LIMITS. >>Chair Wright: IT'S REALLY BEEN MY HONOR AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS IN THIS COMMITTEE AND PASSED A LOT OF BILLS THAT HELP ALL OUR MILITARY, OUR VETERANS, DOMESTIC SECURITY, SPACE INDUSTRY SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK HERE, YES SEN. SHARIEF. >>Sen. Sharief: FIRST OF ALL I WILL TELL YOU FROM THE MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE THE REASON YOU LOOK SO YOUNG IS BECAUSE EVERY DAY YOU GET A YES. [LAUGHTER] YOU WILL NEVER GET OLD HERE AND I WANTED TO SAY THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE COMMITTEE TO SERVE ON AND I KNOW I JUST GOT HERE. MAYBE DOWN THE LINE I WILL FIND SOMETHING ELSE BUT WHEN I LOOK FORWARD TO SESSION COMING HERE BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP. I'VE ADMIRED YOU FROM THE MOMENT I MET YOU AND YOU HAD ME AT HELLO. BUT I WANTED TO SAY THE WORK YOU PUT IN NOT JUST ON THIS COMMITTEE BUT ALSO OUTSIDE WHEN YOU GO TO VISIT VETERANS, WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT PROJECTS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL MAKE US BETTER, NO ONE EVER KNOWS THAT UNLESS YOU BRING IT UP BECAUSE YOU NEVER SPEAK ABOUT THAT SO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SILENT LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS COMMITTEE AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU DO NEXT. >>Chair Wright: YOU ARE ALL TOO KIND, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SENATOR JONES. >>Sen. Jones: THAT'S A FACT BUT CHAIR BEFORE I THANK YOU, TO YOU SENATOR BURGESS AND SENATOR TRUENOW THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN OUR MILITARY AND THE FACT THE THREE OF YOU SITTING ON THIS COMMITTEE AND THE WAY YOU SERVE THAT YOU SERVE OUR COUNTRY IS LUCKY TO HAVE THE THREE OF YOU ON THIS COMMITTEE AND TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVED WHO ARE PRESENT OR PROBABLY WATCHING ON THE FLORIDA CHANNEL THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. YOU HAVE RAN THIS COMMITTEE JUST LIKE THE WAY SEN. SHARIEF MENTIONED WHERE IT'S HARD TO SAY WORKING ANY BILL BUT THAT LEADS TO SHOWING HOW VETERAN FRIENDLY OUR STATE IS WHICH I AM PROUD TO SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE AND THANK YOU TO TIM AND THE ENTIRE STAFF FOR THE SUPPORT YOU ALL GIVE US SO THANK YOU. >>Chair Wright: THANK YOU SENATOR JONES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>Sen. Burgess: YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE WE DON'T OVERLOOK OUR MILITARY AND OTHER THINGS. THIS COMMITTEE IS A LOT BROADER THAN JUST THE MILITARY BUT YOU ARE A STATESMAN AND I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP AND I HOPE WE CONTINUE TO FILL YOUR SHOES. >>Chair Wright: THANK YOU, VERY KIND. IT'S A SAD DAY IN A SENSE THAT THIS IS THE LAST DAY I WILL BE DOING THIS COMMITTEE SO WITH THAT WE WILL SAY SENATOR BURGESS WILL MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN AND SEEING NO OBJECTION WE ARE GOING TO BE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.