Bill Text: FL S7046 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Public Employment
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-14 - Died on Calendar [S7046 Detail]
Download: Florida-2022-S7046-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2022 SB 7046 By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability 585-02931-22 20227046__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to public employment; amending s. 3 110.2035, F.S.; requiring the Department of Management 4 Services to periodically contract for the completion 5 of certain compensation surveys; specifying 6 requirements for the methodology for such surveys; 7 requiring the department to submit a report to the 8 Governor and the legislative presiding officers upon 9 completion of the surveys; amending s. 121.091, F.S.; 10 authorizing Special Risk Class members who are law 11 enforcement officers and meet certain criteria to 12 participate in the deferred retirement option program 13 for an additional time period; amending s. 121.71, 14 F.S.; revising required employer retirement 15 contribution rates for each membership class and 16 subclass of the Florida Retirement System; amending s. 17 121.72, F.S.; revising allocations to investment plan 18 member accounts; providing a declaration of important 19 state interest; providing an effective date. 20 21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22 23 Section 1. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (6) of 24 section 110.2035, Florida Statutes, to read: 25 110.2035 Classification and compensation program.— 26 (6) The department shall establish and maintain an 27 equitable pay plan applicable to all occupations and be 28 responsible for the overall review, coordination, and 29 administration of the pay plan. 30 (c)1. No later than September 1, 2022, and every 10 years 31 thereafter, the department shall contract with a management 32 consulting firm to conduct a compensation survey of positions in 33 the Career Service System, the Senior Management Service Class, 34 and Selected Exempt Service Class to determine the 35 competitiveness of the state’s compensation plan compared to 36 competing employers in the state, including both public sector 37 and private sector employers. The survey methodology must 38 include the following: 39 a. Geographical differentials in cost of living; 40 b. Demand for labor; and 41 c. Compensation plans of regional competitors. 42 2. For the survey of positions in the Career Service 43 System, the department shall select at least 75 benchmark 44 classes and 10 high turnover classes that have at least 50 full 45 time equivalent positions. 46 3. For the survey of positions in the Senior Management 47 Service Class and the Selected Exempt Service Class, the 48 department shall select at least 95 benchmark classes. 49 4. Upon completion of the surveys required under this 50 paragraph, the department shall provide a report detailing the 51 results of the surveys to the Governor, the President of the 52 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 53 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (13) of section 54 121.091, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 55 121.091 Benefits payable under the system.—Benefits may not 56 be paid under this section unless the member has terminated 57 employment as provided in s. 121.021(39)(a) or begun 58 participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program as 59 provided in subsection (13), and a proper application has been 60 filed in the manner prescribed by the department. The department 61 may cancel an application for retirement benefits when the 62 member or beneficiary fails to timely provide the information 63 and documents required by this chapter and the department’s 64 rules. The department shall adopt rules establishing procedures 65 for application for retirement benefits and for the cancellation 66 of such application when the required information or documents 67 are not received. 68 (13) DEFERRED RETIREMENT OPTION PROGRAM.—In general, and 69 subject to this section, the Deferred Retirement Option Program, 70 hereinafter referred to as DROP, is a program under which an 71 eligible member of the Florida Retirement System may elect to 72 participate, deferring receipt of retirement benefits while 73 continuing employment with his or her Florida Retirement System 74 employer. The deferred monthly benefits shall accrue in the 75 Florida Retirement System on behalf of the member, plus interest 76 compounded monthly, for the specified period of the DROP 77 participation, as provided in paragraph (c). Upon termination of 78 employment, the member shall receive the total DROP benefits and 79 begin to receive the previously determined normal retirement 80 benefits. Participation in the DROP does not guarantee 81 employment for the specified period of DROP. Participation in 82 DROP by an eligible member beyond the initial 60-month period as 83 authorized in this subsection shall be on an annual contractual 84 basis for all participants. 85 (b) Participation in DROP.—Except as provided in this 86 paragraph, an eligible member may elect to participate in DROP 87 for a period not to exceed a maximum of 60 calendar months. 88 1.a.An eligible member may elect to participate in DROP89for a period not to exceed a maximum of 60 calendar months.90However,Members who are instructional personnel employed by the 91 Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and authorized by the 92 Board of Trustees of the Florida School for the Deaf and the 93 Blind, who are instructional personnel as defined in s. 94 1012.01(2)(a)-(d) in grades K-12 and authorized by the district 95 school superintendent, or who are instructional personnel as 96 defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a) employed by a developmental research 97 school and authorized by the school’s director, or if the school 98 has no director, by the school’s principal, may participate in 99 DROP for up to 36 calendar months beyond the 60-month period. 100 Effective July 1, 2018, instructional personnel who are 101 authorized to extend DROP participation beyond the 60-month 102 period must have a termination date that is the last day of the 103 last calendar month of the school year within the DROP extension 104 granted by the employer. If, on July 1, 2018, the member’s DROP 105 participation has already been extended for the maximum 36 106 calendar months and the extension period concludes before the 107 end of the school year, the member’s DROP participation may be 108 extended through the last day of the last calendar month of that 109 school year. The employer shall notify the division of the 110 change in termination date and the additional period of DROP 111 participation for the affected instructional personnel. 112 b. Administrative personnel in grades K-12, as defined in 113 s. 1012.01(3), who have a DROP termination date on or after July 114 1, 2018, may be authorized to extend DROP participation beyond 115 the initial 60 calendar month period if the administrative 116 personnel’s termination date is before the end of the school 117 year. Such administrative personnel may have DROP participation 118 extended until the last day of the last calendar month of the 119 school year in which their original DROP termination date 120 occurred if a date other than the last day of the last calendar 121 month of the school year is designated. The employer shall 122 notify the division of the change in termination date and the 123 additional period of DROP participation for the affected 124 administrative personnel. 125 c. Effective July 1, 2022, a member of the Special Risk 126 Class who is a law enforcement officer who meets the criteria in 127 s. 121.0515(3)(a) may participate in DROP for up to 36 calendar 128 months beyond the 60-month period if he or she enters DROP on or 129 before June 30, 2028. 130 2. Upon deciding to participate in DROP, the member shall 131 submit, on forms required by the division: 132 a. A written election to participate in DROP; 133 b. Selection of DROP participation and termination dates 134 that satisfy the limitations stated in paragraph (a) and 135 subparagraph 1. The termination date must be in a binding letter 136 of resignation to the employer establishing a deferred 137 termination date. The member may change the termination date 138 within the limitations of subparagraph 1., but only with the 139 written approval of the employer; 140 c. A properly completed DROP application for service 141 retirement as provided in this section; and 142 d. Any other information required by the division. 143 3. The DROP participant is a retiree under the Florida 144 Retirement System for all purposes, except for paragraph (5)(f) 145 and subsection (9) and ss. 112.3173, 112.363, 121.053, and 146 121.122. DROP participation is final and may not be canceled by 147 the participant after the first payment is credited during the 148 DROP participation period. However, participation in DROP does 149 not alter the participant’s employment status, and the member is 150 not deemed retired from employment until his or her deferred 151 resignation is effective and termination occurs as defined in s. 152 121.021. 153 4. Elected officers are eligible to participate in DROP 154 subject to the following: 155 a. An elected officer who reaches normal retirement date 156 during a term of office may defer the election to participate 157 until the next succeeding term in that office. An elected 158 officer who exercises this option may participate in DROP for up 159 to 60 calendar months or no longer than the succeeding term of 160 office, whichever is less. 161 b. An elected or a nonelected participant may run for a 162 term of office while participating in DROP and, if elected, 163 extend the DROP termination date accordingly; however, if such 164 additional term of office exceeds the 60-month limitation 165 established in subparagraph 1., and the officer does not resign 166 from office within such 60-month limitation, the retirement and 167 the participant’s DROP is null and void as provided in sub 168 subparagraph (c)5.d. 169 c. An elected officer who is dually employed and elects to 170 participate in DROP must terminate all employment relationships 171 as provided in s. 121.021(39) for the nonelected position within 172 the original 60-month period or maximum participation period as 173 provided in subparagraph 1. For DROP participation ending: 174 (I) Before July 1, 2010, the officer may continue 175 employment as an elected officer as provided in s. 121.053. The 176 elected officer shall be enrolled as a renewed member in the 177 Elected Officers’ Class or the Regular Class, as provided in ss. 178 121.053 and 121.122, on the first day of the month after 179 termination of employment in the nonelected position and 180 termination of DROP. Distribution of the DROP benefits shall be 181 made as provided in paragraph (c). 182 (II) On or after July 1, 2010, the officer may continue 183 employment as an elected officer but must defer termination as 184 provided in s. 121.053. 185 Section 3. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 121.71, 186 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 187 121.71 Uniform rates; process; calculations; levy.— 188 (4) Required employer retirement contribution rates for 189 each membership class and subclass of the Florida Retirement 190 System for both retirement plans are as follows: 191 192 Membership Class Percentage ofGrossCompensation,EffectiveJuly 1, 20222021193 194 Regular Class 5.96%4.91%195 Special Risk Class 16.44%15.27%196 Special Risk Administrative Support Class 10.77%9.73%197 Elected Officers’ Class— Legislators, Governor, Lt. Governor, Cabinet Officers, State Attorneys, Public Defenders 9.31%8.49%198 Elected Officers’ Class— Justices, Judges 14.41%13.38%199 Elected Officers’ Class— County Elected Officers 11.30%10.28%200 Senior Management Service Class 7.70%6.49%201 DROP 7.79%7.23%202 (5) In order to address unfunded actuarial liabilities of 203 the system, the required employer retirement contribution rates 204 for each membership class and subclass of the Florida Retirement 205 System for both retirement plans are as follows: 206 207 Membership Class Percentage ofGrossCompensation,EffectiveJuly 1, 20222021208 209 Regular Class 4.23%4.19%210 Special Risk Class 9.67%8.90%211 Special Risk Administrative Support Class 26.16%26.31%212 Elected Officers’ Class— Legislators, Governor, Lt. Governor, Cabinet Officers, State Attorneys, Public Defenders 56.76%53.52%213 Elected Officers’ Class— Justices, Judges 27.64%25.81%214 Elected Officers’ Class— County Elected Officers 43.98%39.42%215 Senior Management Service Class 22.15%20.80%216 DROP 9.15%9.45%217 Section 4. Subsection (5) of section 121.72, Florida 218 Statutes, is amended, and subsection (6) is added to that 219 section, to read: 220 121.72 Allocations to investment plan member accounts; 221 percentage amounts.— 222 (5) Effective July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2022, 223 allocations from the Florida Retirement System Contributions 224 Clearing Trust Fund to investment plan member accounts are as 225 follows: 226 227 Membership Class Percentage of Gross Compensation 228 229 Regular Class 6.30% 230 Special Risk Class 14.00% 231 Special Risk Administrative Support Class 7.95% 232 Elected Officers’ Class— Legislators, Governor, Lt. Governor, Cabinet Officers, State Attorneys, Public Defenders 9.38% 233 Elected Officers’ Class— Justices, Judges 13.23% 234 Elected Officers’ Class— County Elected Officers 11.34% 235 Senior Management Service Class 7.67% 236 (6) Effective July 1, 2022, allocations from the Florida 237 Retirement System Contributions Clearing Trust Fund to 238 investment plan member accounts are as follows: 239 240 Membership Class Percentage of Gross Compensation 241 242 Regular Class 9.30% 243 Special Risk Class 17.00% 244 Special Risk Administrative Support Class 10.95% 245 Elected Officers’ Class— Legislators, Governor, Lt. Governor, Cabinet Officers, State Attorneys, Public Defenders 12.38% 246 Elected Officers’ Class— Justices, Judges 16.23% 247 Elected Officers’ Class— County Elected Officers 14.34% 248 Senior Management Service Class 10.67% 249 Section 5. The Legislature finds that a proper and 250 legitimate state purpose is served when employees, officers, and 251 retirees of the state and its political subdivisions, and the 252 dependents, survivors, and beneficiaries of such employees, 253 officers, and retirees, are extended the basic protections 254 afforded by governmental retirement systems. These persons must 255 be provided benefits that are fair and adequate and that are 256 managed, administered, and funded in an actuarially sound manner 257 as required by s. 14, Article X of the State Constitution and 258 part VII of chapter 112, Florida Statutes. Therefore, the 259 Legislature determines and declares that this act fulfills an 260 important state interest. 261 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.