TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans Florida, and Aspire Technologies announced Sept. 9 the Veterans Florida Military Families License Portability Program, which will ensure that military spouses and Veterans can transfer their out-of-state professional licenses to Florida right away. This no-cost service available to Veterans, active-duty service members, and military spouses will guide participants through Florida’s expedited professional-licensing process with a combination of cutting-edge technology to help participants map out-of-state licenses to Florida equivalents and fill in paperwork gaps and live, one-on-one human support to work through issues.
Florida has one of the strongest license portability laws in the nation. Under legislation signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, licensing agencies must issue a license to a qualifying military spouse within seven days of receiving a complete application, and Florida offers Veterans streamlined pathways to transfer valid out-of-state licenses. The new program helps the state deliver on these commitments at scale.
For program details, visit here.
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WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 9 that will reduce by weeks the average time it takes Veterans to secure U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.
The order, “Accelerating Access to Veterans’ Benefits and Employment Opportunities,” calls on VA and the Department of War to work together to ensure that service members’ Military Personnel Files and Service Treatment Records are shared with VA from the day they join the military.
Immediate VA access to these records is critical to enabling Veterans to quickly access the VA benefits they’ve earned when they leave military service, such as healthcare, disability compensation, GI Bill and home loan benefits.
During the second Trump Administration, VA has already reduced the average time it takes to process disability benefits claims by 46%, from 141.5 days to 76.1 days. Sharing of military records between DoW and VA could reduce processing times for recently separated service members by another 20 to 30 days on average.
President Trump’s order calls on VA and DoW to update all related information technology systems to allow this information sharing to take place, leverage artificial intelligence to make the benefits process more convenient for Veterans, and adjust all related technology contacts to ensure the goals of the order are met.
Additionally, it calls on VA and the Department of Labor to work with DoW as it updates the Transition Assistance Program and other programs aimed at helping Veterans quickly find jobs after they leave the military.
 Nearly 3,500 service members, Veterans, spouses, entrepreneurs, executives, and community leaders from around the nation came together for four days of access, ideas, opportunity, and connection at the Military Influencer National Conference in Tampa, Fla. on Sept. 23-26.
From left, Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and FDVA Executive Director James S. Hartsell join VA Secretary Doug Collins in conversation on the morning of Sept. 25.
Center, FDVA Executive Director James S. Hartsell joins State Veterans’ Service Officers Anthony Hamilton and Duncan Ratcliff at the Veterans Action Center, part of the conference that supported direct contact with local Veterans and their families seeking one-stop support for all VA services.
Right, FDVA Executive Director James S. Hartsell, a retired Marine Corps Major General, meets with Todd Nicely, a former Marine who served with the general in Afghanistan in 2010. Nicely serves as a speaker, author, and mentor with FOCUS Marines Foundation and is one of only five surviving quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
FDVA Executive Director James S. Hartsell briefs Veterans’ issues to a capacity crowd at the 3rd Annual International Summit on Repetitive Brain Trauma, Sept. 16, in Tampa, Fla. The two-day summit focused on repetitive head impacts in youth athletics to repeated blast exposure in military service, and advanced the national conversation on prevention, diagnosis, treatment innovation, and systems reform.
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FDVA State Veterans’ Service Officer Osmany Peralta provides a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer with information about earned Veterans benefits, services and support during the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Veterans Resource Expo at Port Everglades, Aug. 25. Many CBP officers are former military members with earned Veterans’ benefits.
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FDVA State Veterans’ Service Officer Supervisor Andrea Casseus assists a Veteran at the Suicide Prevention Resource Fair at the Lake Nona campus of the Orlando VA Medical Center, Sept. 18. The resource fair helped Veterans file disability claims and appeals, answered questions about earned benefits, and provided information about available federal and state programs and services.
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 The Veterans Florida Entrepreneur Program is expanding its reach across the state with 17 training partners selected for fiscal 2026–2027. The Partner Network connects Florida-based Veterans, military members and spouses with training, mentorship, networking, and resources to launch, strengthen and grow their businesses. The expanded network creates more opportunities to access resources and build connections within their communities. Read more about the Entrepreneur Program Partners by clicking here.
LAKELAND, Fla. — On Sept. 14, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Florida’s Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday is back for a second year, providing tax relief on firearms, ammunition and a wide range of hunting, fishing and camping supplies through Dec. 31. The Governor also broke ground on the new Florida Archery Center at Tenoroc in Lakeland, expanding opportunities for Floridians to participate in shooting sports and enjoy the outdoors. To read more, click here.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will save Veterans nearly $150 million in insurance premium payments starting in November, when VA implements the first-ever premium holiday for the Veterans’ Group Life Insurance program (VGLI). Under this initiative, VGLI enrollees will not have to pay insurance premiums for three months, starting in November 2026 and ending in January 2027.
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This month we honor Dr. Peter M. Tan, an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, healthcare executive, and U.S. Army veteran who retired as Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army after nearly 40 years of service. He is the Founder of TANARM, LLC and creator of The Humble Command Method℠, an executive leadership philosophy built on service, humility, and purpose-driven command. Dr. Tan currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital and is honored to be part of the FDVA community as a fellow Veteran committed to leading with integrity. He was inducted into the Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame in 2025. For more information on the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame Society, please visit https://fvhofsociety.org/. |
 We’ve printed an additional 50,000 copies of the 2026 edition of the Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guides to help Veterans and their families better understand the benefits, services, and resources they have earned. Request a guide today. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4g6lIzF
The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs operates a network of State Veterans’ Homes and provides statewide outreach to connect Veterans with earned services, benefits and support. In addition, we offer various bonuses to eligible direct-care staff. Click on the graphic (above) to join our award-winning team by visiting bit.ly/48g5lLy.
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