FDVA - Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs

Governor DeSantis’ Freedom First Budget Continues to make Florida the most Veteran Friendly State in the Nation

State Veterans’ Homes Receive Critical Funding to Recruit and Retain Key Health Care Professionals and Expand Access to Eligible Veteran Residents

TALLAHASSEE – Thanks to a budget signed into law June 2 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs continues to be the premier point of ‎entry for Florida’s 1.5 million Veterans to access earned services, benefits and support. The ‎agency’s $172 million budget is a direct investment in Florida Veterans and their families.‎

‎“I’m extremely proud of Governor DeSantis and the State Legislature in recognizing the vital importance of our health care professionals who provide critical and loving care to our veterans’ home residents,” said retired Marine Corps Major General James S. “Hammer” Hartsell, Executive Director of ‎the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. ‎“The budget strengthens our ability to recruit and retain critical care providers in our network of state veterans’ homes, helping us ensure Florida continues ‎to be the most Veteran sought after state in the nation.”‎

FDVA is ‎a nearly 1,500-member ‎constitutionally chartered State Veterans’ Affairs department ‎responsible for serving the nation’s third largest Veteran population. The department operates a ‎‎network of eight state-run veterans’ ‎nursing homes and one assisted living facility, and provides statewide outreach to connect Veterans, their families, and survivors ‎‎with earned services, benefits and support.

Supporting Florida’s Veterans in Their Communities ‎

• The budget supports the daily operations of Florida’s eight state-run veterans’ ‎nursing homes and one assisted living facility. The health care facilities provide essential ‎services and care to eligible Veterans throughout the state.‎ Included in the budget is $55 million to support the costs for the State Veterans’ Nursing Homes to ensure the provision of quality care for our Veterans.  ‎
• The budget also provides $5.6 million for salary incentives for nursing staff involved in ‎the daily operations of FDVA’s veterans’ homes, reflecting Florida’s commitment to recruiting and retaining the highest quality caregivers for our residents.

• $2.4 million ‎for Florida is for Veterans, Inc. (Veterans Florida), which provides Veterans with training for job ‎placement, opportunities for Veteran entrepreneurship, and SkillBridge, which connects active ‎duty service members with jobs in their last six months prior to discharge. ‎

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