Bill Text: FL S0836 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Education/Training Opportunities Public Employees

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-24 - Withdrawn from Community Affairs; Higher Education; Budget -SJ 285 [S0836 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-S0836-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2011                                     SB 836
       
       
       
       By Senator Margolis
       
       
       
       
       35-00728-11                                            2011836__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to education and training
    3         opportunities for public employees; amending s.
    4         110.1099, F.S.; providing certain educational
    5         opportunities for specified local government
    6         employees; amending s. 1009.265, F.S.; authorizing the
    7         use of fee waivers for specified local government
    8         employees; providing an effective date.
    9  
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Section 110.1099, Florida Statutes, is amended
   13  to read:
   14         110.1099 Education and training opportunities for state and
   15  local government employees.—
   16         (1) Education and training are an integral component in
   17  improving the delivery of services to the public. Recognizing
   18  that the application of productivity-enhancing technology and
   19  practice demands continuous educational and training
   20  opportunities, a state or local government employee may be
   21  authorized, if space is available, to receive a voucher or
   22  grant, for matriculation fees, to attend work-related courses at
   23  public community colleges, public career centers, or public
   24  universities. The department may implement the provisions of
   25  this section from funds appropriated to the department for this
   26  purpose. If In the event insufficient funds are appropriated to
   27  the department, each state or local government agency may
   28  supplement these funds to support the training and education
   29  needs of its employees from funds appropriated to the agency.
   30         (2) The department, in conjunction with the state and local
   31  government agencies, shall request that public universities
   32  provide evening and weekend programs for state and local
   33  government employees. When evening and weekend training and
   34  educational programs are not available, a state or local
   35  government an employee may be authorized to take paid time off
   36  during his or her regular working hours for training and career
   37  development, as provided in s. 110.105(1), if such training
   38  benefits the employer as determined by that employee’s agency
   39  head.
   40         (3) A state or local government An employee who exhibits
   41  superior aptitude and performance may be authorized by that
   42  employee’s agency head to take a paid educational leave of
   43  absence for up to 1 academic year at a time, for specific
   44  approved work-related education and training. That employee must
   45  enter into a contract to return to state or local government
   46  employment for a period of time equal to the length of the leave
   47  of absence or refund salary and benefits paid during his or her
   48  educational leave of absence.
   49         (4) As a precondition to approving a state or local
   50  government an employee’s training request, the state or local
   51  government an agency or the judicial branch may require the an
   52  employee to enter into an agreement that requires the employee
   53  to reimburse the agency or judicial branch for the registration
   54  fee or similar expense for any training or training series when
   55  the cost of the fee or similar expense exceeds $1,000 if the
   56  employee voluntarily terminates employment or is discharged for
   57  cause from the agency or judicial branch within a specified
   58  period of time not to exceed 4 years after the conclusion of the
   59  training. This subsection does not apply to any training program
   60  that a state or local government an agency or the judicial
   61  branch requires an employee to attend. A state or local
   62  government An agency or the judicial branch may pay the
   63  outstanding balance then due and owing on behalf of a state or
   64  local government employee under this subsection in connection
   65  with the recruitment and hiring of that such state employee.
   66         (5) As used in this section, the term:
   67         (a) “State employee” means an employee of the executive or
   68  judicial branch of state government, except for a person
   69  employed by a state university.
   70         (b) “Local government employee” means a full-time employee
   71  of a county or municipality who is a law enforcement officer as
   72  defined in s. 943.10(1), a correctional officer as defined in s.
   73  943.10(2), a firefighter as defined in s. 633.30(1), or an
   74  emergency medical technician or paramedic as defined in s.
   75  401.23.
   76         (6)(5) The Department of Management Services, in
   77  consultation with the state and local government agencies and,
   78  to the extent applicable, with Florida’s public community
   79  colleges, public career centers, and public universities, shall
   80  adopt rules to administer this section.
   81         Section 2. Section 1009.265, Florida Statutes, is amended
   82  to read:
   83         1009.265 State employee Fee waivers.—
   84         (1) As a benefit to the employers employer and employees of
   85  the state and local government, subject to approval by an
   86  employee’s agency head or the equivalent, each state university
   87  and community college shall waive tuition and fees for state and
   88  local government employees to enroll for up to 6 credit hours of
   89  courses per term only if space is available on a space-available
   90  basis.
   91         (2) The Chief Financial Officer, in cooperation with the
   92  community colleges and state universities, shall identify and
   93  implement ways to ease the administrative burden to community
   94  colleges and state universities, including, but not limited to,
   95  providing easier access to verify state and local government
   96  employment.
   97         (3) From funds appropriated by the Legislature for
   98  administrative costs to implement this section, community
   99  colleges and state universities shall be reimbursed on a pro
  100  rata basis according to the cost assessment data developed by
  101  the Department of Education.
  102         (4) The Auditor General shall include a review of the cost
  103  assessment data in conjunction with his or her audit
  104  responsibilities for community colleges, state universities, and
  105  the Department of Education.
  106         (5) As used in For purposes of this section, the term:
  107         (a) “State employee” means an employee employees of the
  108  state include employees of the executive, legislative, or and
  109  judicial branch branches of state government, except for a
  110  person persons employed by a state university.
  111         (b) “Local government employee” means a full-time employee
  112  of a county or municipality who is a law enforcement officer as
  113  defined in s. 943.10(1), a correctional officer as defined in s.
  114  943.10(2), a firefighter as defined in s. 633.30(1), or an
  115  emergency medical technician or paramedic as defined in s.
  116  401.23.
  117         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.