ALEC Veterans & Military Affairs Task Force Director Zachary Federico appeared on WEAR News ABC 3 to discuss Florida’s ranking in Serving Those Who Serve: A 50-State Ranking on Veterans and Military Affairs Policy. The report provides states with analyses of the areas where state lawmakers can have the greatest impact, including support for military families, veteran transition, justice-involved veterans, and emerging approaches to treating service-related mental health conditions.
In the news segment, Federico highlighted Florida’s second-place ranking due to its strong support for justice-involved veterans, including its framework for veteran treatment courts and judges to provide treatment for service-related conditions, including PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, instead of jail time when appropriate.
“Florida really leads the nation in supporting justice-involved veterans — supporting veterans in the justice system,” Federico emphasized.
In the interview, Federico expanded on the report’s purpose, explaining how it can help lawmakers identify areas for improvement and guide veterans’ policy priorities in future legislative sessions.
“We designed this publication as a gaps analysis, which would tell state legislators exactly what policies they’ve already implemented and where there might be some gaps in their support,” he noted. “If the Florida legislature wants to pass some laws, we can very easily see Florida become number one in the next edition.”