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SB1594 • 2026

Veteran Benefit Payments to Minor Clients

Veteran Benefit Payments to Minor Clients

Children Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Gaetz
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
House - Died in returning Messages
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details on the changes made to other sections of Florida law, only that it allows departments to use veteran benefit payments and prohibits supplanting financial assistance.

Veteran Benefit Payments for Minor Clients

This bill allows certain Florida departments to use veteran benefit payments for specific purposes and stops them from replacing other financial help.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Health, or the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to access veteran benefit payments when a minor client turns 18 or 23 if they are in school.
  • Requires these departments not to replace any other financial assistance given under Florida law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Minor clients who receive veteran benefits and turn 18 or 23 while still in school.
  • The Department of Children and Families, the Department of Health, and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.

Terms To Know

Department
A part of a government that deals with specific areas like health or children's services.
Supplanting
Replacing one thing with another, often in the context of financial assistance.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how these departments will use the veteran benefit payments.
  • It is unclear what happens if a minor client does not have any veteran benefits to access.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

769955

Floor amendment S 1594 Filed • Cross

Senate: Refused to Concur 3/12/2026

Plain English: The amendment changes how the Department of Children and Families handles survivor benefit payments for minor clients in out-of-home care, ensuring these funds are conserved until the client turns 18.

  • Adds a new subsection (3) to section 402.33 of Florida Statutes, requiring the Department of Children and Families to receive, deposit, and conserve survivor benefit payments for minor clients in out-of-home care.
  • Specifies that these funds must be disbursed entirely to the minor client upon reaching 18 years old.
  • Prohibits the Department from using such funds to reimburse the state for the cost of care.
  • The amendment text does not provide details on how the department will manage and report these funds before disbursement.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 House

    • Died in returning Messages

  2. 2026-03-12 Senate

    • Refused to concur, requested House to recede -SJ 854

  3. 2026-03-12 House

    • In Messages

  4. 2026-03-09 House

    • Read 2nd time • Amendment 769955 adopted • Added to Third Reading Calendar • Read 3rd time • Passed as amended; YEAS 112, NAYS 0

  5. 2026-03-09 Senate

    • In returning messages

  6. 2026-03-05 House

    • Bill referred to House Calendar • Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/9/2026) • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  7. 2026-02-25 Senate

    • Read 2nd time -SJ 437 • Read 3rd time -SJ 437 • Passed; YEAS 36 NAYS 0 -SJ 437 • Immediately certified -SJ 437

  8. 2026-02-25 House

    • In Messages

  9. 2026-02-23 Senate

    • Placed on Special Order Calendar, 02/25/26

  10. 2026-02-18 Senate

    • Favorable by- Fiscal Policy; YEAS 19 NAYS 0 • Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading

  11. 2026-02-13 Senate

    • On Committee agenda-- Fiscal Policy, 02/18/26, 1:30 pm, 110 Senate Building

  12. 2026-02-11 Senate

    • Favorable by Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; YEAS 5 NAYS 0 • Now in Fiscal Policy

  13. 2026-02-06 Senate

    • On Committee agenda-- Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security, 02/11/26, 3:00 pm, 301 Senate Building

  14. 2026-01-27 Senate

    • Favorable by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; YEAS 5 NAYS 0 • Now in Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security

  15. 2026-01-22 Senate

    • On Committee agenda-- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, 01/27/26, 1:00 pm, 301 Senate Building • Introduced

  16. 2026-01-16 Senate

    • Referred to Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; Fiscal Policy

  17. 2026-01-09 Senate

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Veteran Benefit Payments to Minor Clients; Authorizing the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Health, or the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to access certain benefit payments for specified purposes; prohibiting the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Health, or the Agency for Persons with Disabilities from supplanting certain financial assistance, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 1594

By
Senator Gaetz

1-01396-26 20261594__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to veteran benefit payments to minor
3 clients; amending s. 402.33, F.S.; authorizing the
4 Department of Children and Families, the Department of
5 Health, or the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to
6 access certain benefit payments for specified
7 purposes; prohibiting the Department of Children and
8 Families, the Department of Health, or the Agency for
9 Persons with Disabilities from supplanting certain
10 financial assistance; providing an effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Present subsections (3) through (9) of section
15 402.33, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4)
16 through (10), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to
17 that section, to read:
18 402.33 Department authority to charge fees for services
19 provided.—
20
(3)

The department may access benefit payments provided by

21
the United States Department of Veterans Affairs which are in a

22
combined account for postsecondary education services and

23
support and aftercare services under s. 409.1451 when a minor

24
client attains 18 years of age or, if enrolled in school, 23

25
years of age; however, the department may not supplant financial

26
assistance provided in 409.1451(2)(b).

27 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.