(The Center Square) – Spouses and children of Florida National Guard members could take advantage of an expanded tuition assistance program in a new bill that was reported favorably by a Senate committee on Tuesday.
The Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security approved Senate Bill 336 by a 5-0 vote.
Sen. Kristen Aston Arrington, D-Kissimmee, is the sponsor of SB336, known as the Educational Dollars for Duty Program Expansion Act. The measure would transfer the existing tuition assistance program for National Guard members to a new section of state code and expand the program to include spouses and children. They would be eligible for assistance up to 50% of tuition.
National Guard members can receive 100% tuition assistance toward a technical certificate or a bachelor’s degree under the existing program.
The expanded program would be managed by the state Department of Military Affairs and an annual appropriation of $500,000 would be required to expand the program to spouses and dependents.
Last budget year, lawmakers appropriated $5.17 million for the existing tuition assistance program and several committee members said an additional appropriation will be necessary since the funds for expansion will come from the existing outlay.
Committee Chairman and Sen. Tom Wright, R-Port Orange, said the $5 million outlay tends to run out quickly and asked Arrington if another appropriation would make sense for the program.
“We don’t want to take that away from them to provide for the spouses,” Arrington said. “We want that to be in addition.”
There is an identical measure, House Bill 135, in the lower chamber as well.
The committee approved unanimously SB884, which would mandate leaves of absence for training for members of the Florida State Guard and allow them to receive discounted admission at state parks.
The State Guard is a separate, state-chartered volunteer organization dedicated to disaster relief and other in-state missions and not subject to federal callup.
SB402 would also extend the state’s stolen valor law to the U.S. Space Force. Under state law, it is a third-degree felony for a person to misrepresent themselves as a member or a veteran of the armed forces and wear the uniform or insignia of that service. It was approved unanimously.
