TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- State Sen. Mike Bennett knows how veterans' benefits helped him to get started in life and he wants other vets to have some of those advantages.

The Florida Senate unanimously passed Bennett's bill (SB 922) Tuesday to help veterans. The measure would provide tax credits for some businesses who hire vets and creates a program for some active duty personnel and veterans who suffer from mental illness as a result of their military service.

The 67-year-old Bradenton Republican went into the Navy out of high school in 1963 and spent most of his next four years in Vietnam. Then he got an education with help from the GI bill.

Bennett's bill also would require certain colleges and universities to provide priority course registration to veterans returning to school.