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HB 3403

Relating to education.

2025 Regular Session

HB 3403 creates a Veterans Bill of Rights Act establishing targets and programs to improve veterans’ credit, licenses, education credit, health access, homelessness prevention, and

In committee upon adjournment.
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Bill Summary · HB 3403

Summary — HB 3403 (Veterans Bill of Rights Act)

Status and procedural history
- Bill number: HB 3403 (companion: SB 472)
- Introduced: February 18–26, 2025 (filed by Rep. Joyce Mason)
- Latest status: In committee upon adjournment (6/28/2025). Recommended “Do pass with amendments” (6/10/2025) and referred to Ways and Means. Read first time 3/21/2025.
- Classification: New Act concerning veterans; short title: Veterans Bill of Rights Act.

Purpose / intent
- Establish a set of duties and benchmarks for State agencies to improve employment, licensing recognition, education access, health care access, suicide prevention, and homelessness outcomes for veterans and service‑disabled veterans.

Key provisions and requirements
1. Loans to veteran‑owned businesses
- The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) may target its loan programs toward small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans or service‑disabled veterans, with a stated goal that 7% of annually loaned funds reach such businesses.

  1. Workforce reporting and job‑placement mapping

    • DVA must produce monthly electronic workforce‑need reports (by industry, job type, geography, credentials) comparing demand to existing/prospective credential availability and mapping in‑demand jobs to outplacement offices, education centers, nonprofits, and State agencies that assist veterans.

  2. Licensing recognition for military training/experience

    • Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (DFPR) must review all State licenses for which military training/experience may be relevant and issue a report within 1 year with recommended steps to increase recognition. DFPR must implement steps that require no further legislation “as soon as practicable,” but no later than 1 year after the report and annually request any needed legislative changes.
    • Department of Public Health must immediately review EMS licensing practices and, within 1 year, take steps to increase recognition of military EMS training and request legislation if required.

  3. Support for motor carrier licensing

    • DVA must annually increase veterans’ utilization of the FMCSA Military Skills Test Waiver Program through outreach and coordination (includes information dissemination and coordination with credentialing portals/programs).

  4. Higher education accommodations

    • Public institutions must grant academic credit (without fees) for military training/services that meet American Council on Education (ACE) standards or equivalent.
    • Early course registration processes must be extended to veterans and National Guard members where applicable; veterans may begin classes pending completion of admissions in certain cases.
    • Students called to active duty after attending ≥13 weeks (or completing 85% via acceleration): full credit for courses with C or better; otherwise entitled to 100% tuition/fee refund. Returning veterans may register after normal periods without late fees/penalties.
    • Institutions must adopt procedures to implement these provisions.

  5. Training, apprenticeship, and vocational program review

    • Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) must annually review veteran‑focused apprenticeship, training, and vocational programs, evaluate costs/results, recommend programs for State expansion, and provide an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly each January 1 for 5 years after the Act’s effective date.

  6. Health care access and suicide prevention (partially truncated)

    • The bill requires DVA to develop and operate veteran health navigator services and take steps to increase access to coverage and services and to work on suicide-prevention measures and a strategy to end veteran homelessness within 3 years (these goals appear in the bill synopsis; the health‑section text in provided document is truncated).

Who is affected
- Primary: veterans and service‑disabled veterans (including returning service members and National Guard members).
- Secondary: public institutions of higher education, State agencies (DVA, DPH, DFPR, DCEO), licensing boards, employers, training providers, and veteran‑serving nonprofits.

Potential impacts and implementation notes
- Sets measurable targets (e.g., 7% loan goal) and concrete timelines (DFPR report within 1 year; DCEO annual reports for 5 years; homelessness strategy goal within 3 years per synopsis).
- Likely to require administrative resources within agencies for reporting, outreach, navigator programs, and implementation; potential budgetary/appropriation needs are not specified in the text provided.
- Some sections (notably portions of the health‑care/access section) are truncated in the provided document; final language could change obligations and timelines.

For further review
- Consider full bill text for the truncated health‑care section and any amendments adopted during committee work (the bill was recommended “Do pass with amendments” 6/10/2025).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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