Senate Bill 0332

    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 332

    By Senator Geller





    29-507-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to collective bargaining;

  3         amending s. 30.53, F.S.; prescribing procedures

  4         by which specified deputy sheriffs may be

  5         designated as public employees who are entitled

  6         to collective bargaining; providing an

  7         effective date.

  8

  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

10

11         Section 1.  Section 30.53, Florida Statutes, is amended

12  to read:

13         30.53  Independence of constitutional officials.--

14         (1)  Except as provided in subsection (2), the

15  independence of the sheriffs shall be preserved concerning the

16  purchase of supplies and equipment, selection of personnel,

17  and the hiring, firing, and setting of salaries of such

18  personnel; provided that nothing herein contained shall

19  restrict the establishment or operation of any civil service

20  system or civil service board created pursuant to s. 14, Art.

21  III, of the Constitution of Florida, provided, further that

22  nothing contained in  ss. 30.48-30.53 shall be construed to

23  alter, modify or change in any manner any civil service system

24  or board, state or local, now in existence or hereafter

25  established.

26         (2)(a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to

27  the contrary, a sheriff may designate full-time deputy

28  sheriffs below the rank of major to be public employees as

29  defined in part II of chapter 447, who thereafter are entitled

30  to all rights, privileges, and obligations granted by law,

31  including the right to organize and collectively bargain under

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 332
    29-507-99




  1  part II of chapter 447. Alternatively by local option,

  2  notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the

  3  contrary, in counties having a population of 100,000 or more,

  4  full-time deputy sheriffs below the rank of major are

  5  designated as public employees as defined in part II of

  6  chapter 447, who thereafter are entitled to all rights,

  7  privileges, and obligations granted by law, including the

  8  right to organize and collectively bargain under part II of

  9  chapter 447, if a majority of those voting in a county-wide

10  referendum vote affirmatively to grant such status to the

11  deputy sheriffs. Once granted through act of the sheriff or

12  referendum of the people, such status as public employees and

13  the right to engage in collective bargaining is irrevocable.

14         (b)  This section may not be construed to limit or

15  otherwise alter the existing status of deputies as public

16  employees and their right to engage in collective bargaining

17  in Broward, Miami-Dade, Duval, Escambia, and Volusia counties;

18  nor does this section limit the right of deputies to secure

19  public-employee status and collective bargaining rights

20  through general or special acts of the Legislature.

21         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

22  law.

23

24            *****************************************

25                          SENATE SUMMARY

26    Grants specified deputy sheriffs the status of public
      employees who are entitled to collective bargaining
27    either through action by a sheriff or by local option
      referendum.
28

29

30

31

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