Rep. Christopher Benjamin

Death Benefits for Active Duty Servicemembers; Revises amount & conditions of payment of death benefits; requires payment be made to beneficiary through process set out by DMA; removes provisions relating to payment when beneficiary is not designated; requires proof of residency or duty post to be provided to DMA; requires DMA to request CFO to draw warrant for payment of benefits from General Revenue Fund.

Veterans' Services and Recognition; Creates Division of Long-term Care within DVA; revises qualifications for county & city veteran service officers; creates "Veterans' Adult Day Health Care of Florida Act"; provides for appointment, qualifications, duties, & responsibilities of program operator; establishes nondiscrimination policy; provides program admittance eligibility & priority; provides for audits, inspections, & operational standards; designates "Veterans Week."

Abandoned and Historic Cemeteries; Creates Historic Cemeteries Program within Division of Historical Resources of DOS; creates Historic Cemeteries Program Advisory Council; authorizes certain entities to acquire conservation easements to preserve cemeteries; provides appropriations & authorizes positions. APPROPRIATION: $1,254,454

Benefits, Training, and Employment for Veterans and Their Spouses; Requires analysis of VETS Program; revises duties of DVA & Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to include assistance to veterans' spouses; revises purpose & duties of VETS Program to include assistance to veterans' spouses; requires Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to assist veterans or their spouses in accessing employment & licensure in health care professions; requires DOH to waive certain fees for veterans & their spouses; requires appropriate board or DOH to expedite health care licensure applications submitted by veterans; establishes Office of Veteran Licensure Services; provides appropriations & authorizes positions. APPROPRIATION: $399,565

Consumer Protection; Authorizes mortgage lenders to transact business from branch offices & remote locations; provides requirement for operating remote locations; provides requirements for organizers of crowd-funding campaigns relating to disasters & crowd-funding platforms; prohibits money services business from cashing corporate checks for payee in excess of workers' compensation policy coverage amounts.

Secondhand Goods; Revises definition of "secondhand goods."

Deceased Individuals ; Defines "next of kin"; requires law enforcement agencies to provide certain information during investigation of death of minor.

Menstrual Hygiene Products in Public Schools; Authorizing school districts to make menstrual hygiene products available, at no charge, in schools within the district and at certain locations within such schools; specifying requirements for the menstrual hygiene products and the dispensers of such products; requiring participating schools to notify students of the availability and locations of such products; encouraging school districts to partner with specified organizations to supply and maintain such menstrual hygiene products, etc.

Required African-American Instruction; Requires each school district to certify & provide certain evidence to DOE regarding certain instruction; authorizes DOE to seek input from & contract with certain educational organizations for specified purposes; requires each school district to submit implementation plan to Commissioner of Education & post plan on its website; provides requirements for plan; requires commissioner or DOE to provide certain notification; provides timeframe within which school district must submit revisions to its plan; authorizes SBE to take certain actions.

Firearm and Destructive Device Offenses; Makes offense of human trafficking during which person possesses firearm or destructive device or specified firearms or accessories subject to specified mandatory minimums; revises maximum time minor who commits unlawful firearm possession may be required to serve in secure detention; provides penalty for second or subsequent offense of grand theft of firearm; requires detention determination & juvenile risk assessment instrument to consider juvenile's unlawful firearm use; requires juvenile charged with offense involving unlawful firearm possession or use to be placed in secure detention.