Florida HB 1211: Military Affairs

Bill Text

CS/CS/CS/HB 1211 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1211-03-c3
Page 1 of 12
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to military affairs; amending s. 2
115.01, F.S.; revising the authorization to be granted 3
a leave of absence for military service to include the 4
Coast Guard; removing the condition that such service 5
be during war between the United States and a foreign 6
government; amending s. 115.07, F.S.; clarifying a 7
provision relating to leaves of absence for all 8
officers and employees of the state and the counties, 9
municipalities, and political subdivisions of the 10
state for reserve or guard training; authorizing local 11
governments to provide additional paid leave for 12
officers and employees for reserve or guard training; 13
amending s. 115.08, F.S.; revising the definition of 14
the term "active military service"; amending s. 15
115.09, F.S.; specifying that an authorization for a 16
leave of absence for public officials to perform 17
active military service for a specified timeframe is 18
based on a single order; amending s. 115.14, F.S.; 19
specifying that an authorization for a leave of 20
absence for all employees of the state and the 21
counties, municipalities, and political subdivisions 22
of the state to perform active military service for a 23
specified timeframe is based on a single order; 24
amending s. 121.055, F.S.; revising military positions 25

CS/CS/CS/HB 1211 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1211-03-c3
Page 2 of 12
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

required to participate in the Senior Management 26
Service Class of the Florida Retirement System; 27
amending s. 250.10, F.S.; removing a requirement that 28
the Adjutant General administer youth About Face 29
Programs and adult Forward March programs; removing 30
provisions governing the programs; amending s. 31
250.116, F.S.; revising eligibility for the Soldiers 32
and Airmen Assistance Program to include traditional 33
drilling guardsmen on state active duty or on Title 32 34
United States Code duty and their eligible 35
beneficiaries demonstrating valid financial need; 36
defining the term "beneficiary"; requiring requests 37
for assistance to be reviewed, processed, and approved 38
by the Florida National Guard Foundation's board of 39
directors; requiring requests for assistance to be 40
reviewed and evaluated based on specified criteria; 41
requiring an annual external audit of the program; 42
requiring the board to annually review the bylaws that 43
govern the program; requiring the board to provide a 44
report to the Department of Military Affairs to be 45
approved by the Adjutant General; reenacting s. 46
115.06, F.S., relating to reassumption of duties for 47
officers returning from the service of the United 48
States, to incorporate the amendment made to s. 49
115.01, F.S., in a reference thereto; providing an 50

CS/CS/CS/HB 1211 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1211-03-c3
Page 3 of 12
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

effective date. 51
52
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 53
54
Section 1. Section 115.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to 55
read: 56
115.01 Leave of absence for military service.—Any county 57
or state official of the state, subject to the provisions and 58
conditions hereinafter set forth, may be granted leave of 59
absence from his or her office, to serve in the volunteer forces 60
of the United States, or in the National Guard of any state, or 61
in the regular Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, 62
or Space Force of the United States, when the same shall be 63
called into active service of the United States during war 64
between the United States and a foreign government. 65
Section 2. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 115.07, 66
Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (4) and (5), 67
respectively, subsections (1) and (2) are amended, and a new 68
subsection (3) is added to that section, to read: 69
115.07 Officers and employees' leaves of absence for 70
reserve or guard training.— 71
(1) All officers or employees of the state, of the several 72
counties of the state, and of the municipalities or political 73
subdivisions of the state who are commissioned reserve officers 74
or reserve enlisted personnel in the United States military or 75

CS/CS/CS/HB 1211 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1211-03-c3
Page 4 of 12
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

naval service or members of the National Guard are entitled to 76
leaves of absence from their respective duties, without loss of 77
vacation leave, pay, time, or efficiency rating, on all days 78
during which they are engaged in training ordered under the 79
provisions of the United States mili