DeSantis signs military-friendly bills

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills Friday aimed at helping veterans transition to the civilian workforce and a third that helps children of active military members adjust to a new school.

One of the bills expands an exemption for qualified veterans to get government jobs even if they don’t have a required post-secondary degree.

Another designates Veterans Florida, a non-profit corporation within the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, to be Florida’s principal organization that works with the U.S. Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program.

SkillBridge provides job training for members of the military who are 180 days from returning to civilian life and helps match them with employers.

The third bill creates a Purple Star Campus program for schools that designate a staff member as a military liaison and maintain a webpage that includes resources for military students and families. The program would help children of military members transition to a new school and offer training for school staff on issues related to military students.