Bill Text: FL S1050 | 2020 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Disaster Volunteer Leave for State Employees

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2020-06-19 - Chapter No. 2020-36 [S1050 Detail]

Download: Florida-2020-S1050-Comm_Sub.html

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       Florida Senate - 2020                             CS for SB 1050
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability;
       and Senator Diaz
       
       
       
       
       585-02221-20                                          20201050c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to disaster volunteer leave for state
    3         employees; amending s. 110.120, F.S.; reordering,
    4         revising, and providing definitions; revising
    5         conditions under which an employee may be granted
    6         leave under the Florida Disaster Volunteer Leave Act;
    7         specifying requirements and limitations; providing an
    8         effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Section 110.120, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   13  read:
   14         110.120 Administrative leave for disaster service
   15  volunteers.—
   16         (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section shall be known and may be
   17  cited as the “Florida Disaster Volunteer Leave Act.”
   18         (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term
   19  following terms shall apply:
   20         (c)(a) “State agency” means any official, officer,
   21  commission, board, authority, council, committee, or department
   22  of the executive branch of state government.
   23         (a)(b) “Disaster” means an event that results in a state of
   24  emergency, as declared by executive order or proclamation issued
   25  by the Governor of this state or any other state or territory of
   26  the United States includes disasters designated at level II and
   27  above in the American National Red Cross regulations and
   28  procedures.
   29         (b) “Disaster area” means a location covered under a state
   30  of emergency, as declared by executive order or proclamation
   31  issued by the Governor of this state or any other state or
   32  territory of the United States.
   33         (d) “Volunteer” means an individual who has entered into an
   34  agreement with a tax-exempt nonprofit organization under s.
   35  501(c)(3) or s. 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code to
   36  provide nonpaid services to a disaster area for disaster
   37  response or recovery.
   38         (3) LEAVE OF ABSENCE.—An employee of a state agency who is
   39  a certified disaster service volunteer of the American Red Cross
   40  may be granted a leave of absence with pay for no not more than
   41  120 working hours 15 working days in any 12-month period to
   42  serve as a volunteer participate in specialized disaster relief
   43  services for the American Red Cross. Such leave of absence may
   44  be granted upon the request of the employee American Red Cross
   45  and upon the approval of the employee’s employing agency after
   46  verifying the employee’s volunteer status. An employee granted
   47  leave under this section is shall not be deemed to be an
   48  employee of the state for purposes of workers’ compensation.
   49  Leave under this section act may be granted only for providing
   50  volunteer for services related to a disaster occurring within
   51  the boundaries of this the state of Florida, except that, with
   52  the approval of the Governor and Cabinet, leave may be granted
   53  to an employee to provide volunteer for services in response to
   54  a disaster occurring within the states or territories boundaries
   55  of the United States upon approval of the head of the employee’s
   56  employing agency. An employee who is granted leave under this
   57  section must attest to his or her employing agency that he or
   58  she has completed his or her volunteer service for a disaster,
   59  and must also specify the period of time for which he or she
   60  served as a volunteer for that event and a description of the
   61  disaster response or recovery services that the employee
   62  provided.
   63         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.