The mission of the Department of Veterans' Affairs is to advocate with purpose and passion for Florida veterans and link them to superior services, benefits, and support. The Cabinet agency is responsible for providing quality benefit information, advocacy, education, and long-term health care in order to improve the well-being of Florida veterans and their families.

The department has a main administrative office in Largo, a capitol office in Tallahassee, and a division in Bay Pines.  The department provides services through two organizational units: the Division of Benefits and Assistance and the State Veterans' Homes Program.
The Division of Veterans' Benefits and Assistance assists Florida veterans with obtaining health and financial benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The State Veterans' Homes Program operates six veterans' nursing homes and one veterans' assisted living facility that provides both long-term skilled care services and assisted living services to eligible Florida veterans.
In addition, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs operates seven medical centers and eleven full-care outpatient clinics in Florida.

The department assists veterans to obtain financial and health benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  The department assists veterans in many components such as receiving medical treatment, prescriptions, prosthetic devices, benefit checks, and school program approval. The department also employs Veterans' Claims Examiners who work with veterans to receive benefits. Additionally, the department provides long-term skilled nursing care and assisted living services.

Florida is home to approximately than 1.5 million veterans, the third largest veteran population in the nation. Among those veterans are 506,393 Vietnam-era veterans; 187,568 Gulf War to Pre-9/11 veterans; 187,498 Post-9/11 veterans; 124,950 Korean War veterans; 49,400 World War II veterans; and more than 343,362 peacetime veterans.

Postsecondary Education for Certain Military Personnel.  Chapter 2020-80, Laws of Florida, requires the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, to create a process for the uniform award of postsecondary credit or career education clock hours to certain servicemembers and veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs is responding to COVID-19, and as of June 2020, its response to the global pandemic has included the following:

• Suspending visitor access to State Veterans' Nursing Homes and Domiciliary effective March 11, 2020. Exceptions have been made for essential visitors, such as family members of residents undergoing end-of-life care.
• Suspending admissions in the network of state veterans' homes effective March 11, 2020.
• All individuals entering state veterans' homes directed to sanitize their hands at entry and follow the facility's enhances screening protocols.

Other Reports
Annual Reports, Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs.
The Auditor General reports on department operations are available on its website.
Websites of Interest
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Board of Veterans' Appeals
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Benefits
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration
Performance Information

Performance measures and standards for the department may be found in its Long Range Program Plan.

Chapters 292, 295, and 296, and s. 20.37, Florida Statutes.

Florida Veterans Support Line: 1-800-273-8255

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