Florida Veterans' Benefits Guide 2022

Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guide 2022

Benefits, Veteran Benefits / By

New Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guide 2022

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Thank you for reading the 2022 edition of the Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guide. At the end of World War II, the State of Florida recognized the need to provide services to returning service members and created a division within state government to connect veterans with their earned benefits. To better serve Veterans and their families, Florida voters in 1988 overwhelmingly approved a Constitutional Amendment to create a Cabinet Agency to “Honor Those Who Served U.S.” Today, the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs is the premier point of entry for Florida Veterans to access earned services, benefits and support.

FDVA operates a network of seven State Veterans’ Homes and
provides statewide outreach to connect Veterans, their families and
survivors with earned services, benefits and support. Two additional
state veterans’ homes will open in the first half of 2022.


Our Veterans’ Claims Examiners, who are often the first-line contact
with our state’s Veterans, can be reached by calling (727) 319-7440.
You may also contact them via e-mail at VSO@fdva.state.fl.us. You’ll
also find our claims examiners in all VA Medical Centers and most VA
Outpatient Clinics. All outreach services are free to the Veteran.

We encourage you to learn more about your earned services, benefits
and support. Follow us online at www.FloridaVets.org and on our
many social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Working together to ensure a positive future for Florida Veterans
and their families, we’ll ensure the Sunshine State continues to be
the most Veteran sought after state in the nation. We are honored to
serve you.

James S. “Hammer” Hartsell
Executive Director
Florida Department of Veterans’ Affair

Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guide 2022 Read More »

LT Collin VanMeter Ceremony

Collin VanMeter is Promoted to 1st LT

Special News / By

I’m happy to inform our Chapter members that 2LT Collin VanMeter is being promoted to 1LT this Friday 4th Feb at 10:30am at Walter Reed.  He sent this link and said you don’t have to be a Facebook member to watch the ceremony.  On behalf of our members, we all congratulate Collin and wish him well as a new Commander! 

https://www.facebook.com/srbatwalterreed/

Once into the site, scroll down until you see this picture for the ceremony.  Many thanks! 

POST: SRB at Walter Reed was live
Lt VanMeter Promotion Ceremony

Collin VanMeter is Promoted to 1st LT Read More »

Chaplain's Corner

Chaplain’s Corner January 2022

Chaplain's Corner / By

God’s New Thing This Year

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

As we enter into this new year, it’s only natural to want to reflect back over the previous year and consider what was accomplished. That’s true in our professional life as well as our personal life. It’s also true in our spiritual life. How much time did I spend in God’s Word? How consistent was I in my prayer life? Did my giving reflect my heart for God? Was Sunday School/Worship a priority?

So? How was your spiritual life last year? And what changes are necessary to take it to the next level this year? What did you see God do this year? Not only in you and through you, but around you?

It is good to reflect on the last year. We can learn much from it. But if you continue dwelling on the old things God has done, you’re not going to see the new things God has planned for you in 2022. Focusing on the past tends to blur our focus on the future. In other words, it’s hard to see in front of you when you’re constantly looking behind you!

That’s what Paul was talking about in Philippians 3:13-14, ”Brethren, I do not count myself to have attained; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

So let us not live in the past but look to the future. The key is to know God has “a new thing” for you in 2022. A ”new thing” that’s bigger, that’s better, that’s greater, that’s mightier than what you saw Him do last year in you, through you and around you.
Chaplain Tom Love

Chaplain’s Corner January 2022 Read More »

State of Florida

2022 Pending State Legislation

Legislative Update / By

2022 Pending State Legislation Affecting Service members and their Families who Reside in Florida

By Lt Col Bob Bienvenue, USAF, Ret., Legislative Chair

This legislation has been introduced during the preliminary work sessions of the Florida Legislature. The bills are to be considered by the assigned committees and voted on in the regular session of 2022: January 11th -March 11th.
The FCoC strategy for supporting these bills will be discussed at the Leadership Conference in January 2022.

SB 0358 Professional Counselors Licensure Compact Ana Maria Rodriguez; R-39
Creating the Professional Counselors Licensure Compact; providing for recognition of the privilege to practice licensed professional counseling in member states; specifying that licensees practicing in a remote state under the compact must adhere to the laws and rules of the remote state.

HB 0559 Occupational Licensure of Military Spouses Christine Hunschofsky; D-96 SB 0562 Military Occupational Licensure Janet Cruz; D-18
Requires DBPR or applicable board to expedite professional license applications submitted by spouses of active duty members of Armed Forces; requires DPBR to issue temporary professional licenses under certain circumstances; requires DOH or applicable board to issue professional license to spouses of active duty members of Armed Forces if certain requirements are met

SB 0430 Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children Tom Wright; R-14
HB 0153 Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children Thad Altman; R-52
Extends the scheduled repeal of the compact and related provisions (affecting Military Children enrolled in Florida schools)

SB 0896 Educator Certification Pathways for Veterans Danny Burgess; R-20
HB 0573 Educator Certification Pathways for Veterans John Snyder; R-82
Expands eligibility to seek educator certification to specified military servicemembers who have completed a specified education requirement; authorizing the Department of Education to issue a temporary certificate to specified military servicemembers who have completed a specified education requirement; specifying the duration of a temporary certificate for specified military servicemembers.

2022 Pending State Legislation Read More »

Department of Veterans Affairs

Newly Enacted Service-Connected Benefits

Veteran Benefits / By

Dear Veteran,
You may be eligible for newly enacted service-connected benefits.

Over the course of the last six months, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun processing service-connected disability claims for six new presumptive conditions related to environmental exposures during military service. We request your help in making more Veterans aware of these newly added presumptive conditions to help them file a claim and obtain any earned benefits.

In May 2021, VA started implementing provisions of the William M. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA), adding bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinsonism to the list of medical conditions presumptively associated with exposure to Agent Orange. A few months later VA added asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis (to include rhinosinusitis) on a presumptive basis based on particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia and certain other areas.

Any Veteran who was previously denied service-connection for any of these six conditions but had symptoms manifest within
10 years of military service would need to file a supplemental claim. Be sure to use VA Form 20-0995, Decision Review Request: Supplemental Claim when filing. The claim form should include the name of the condition and specify that the condition is being claimed due to in-service exposure to environmental hazards.

VA is committed to assisting Veterans who may have been exposed to hazardous materials during their military service.

Be sure to stay plugged in to www.va.gov for the most recent developments around environmental exposures during military service, as VA is constantly conducting research and surveillance as well as reviewing scientific literature for conditions that may be related to exposure during military service.

For more information about VA benefits and eligibility, or how to file a claim, Veterans and survivors can visit VA’s website at www.va.gov or call toll-free at 1-800-827-1000.

Newly Enacted Service-Connected Benefits Read More »

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