CS/SB 1050 — Disaster Volunteer Leave for State Employees
by Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee and Senator Diaz
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee (GO)
The bill amends the Florida Disaster Volunteer Leave Act (the Act). The bill broadens the definition of “disaster” to mean an event that results in a state of emergency as declared by the governor of this state or any other state or territory in the United States. The bill adds the terms “disaster area” and “volunteer” to the Act.
The bill requires a request for disaster leave be made by the employee and specifies an employing agency must verify the employee’s volunteer status before granting leave. Leave for disasters occurring outside the boundaries of this state but within the United States requires the approval of the head of the employee’s employing agency. An employee receiving disaster leave must attest to his or her employing agency that he or she has completed his or her volunteer service and must specify the period of time served as a volunteer for that event and a description of the disaster response or recovery services provided.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect on July 1, 2020.
Vote: Senate 38-0; House 118-0