Senate Bill 2482

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2482

    By Senator Saunders





    25-884-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to special risk membership in

  3         the Florida Retirement System; amending s.

  4         121.0515, F.S.; extending membership in the

  5         special risk class to certain helicopter pilots

  6         and supervisory personnel of emergency medical

  7         technicians and paramedics; providing a finding

  8         of important state interest; providing an

  9         effective date.

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

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13         Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 121.0515, Florida

14  Statutes, is amended to read:

15         121.0515  Special risk membership; criteria;

16  designation and removal of classification; credits for past

17  service and prior service; retention of special risk normal

18  retirement date.--

19         (2)  CRITERIA.--A member, to be designated as a special

20  risk member, must meet the following criteria:

21         (a)  The member must be employed as a law enforcement

22  officer and be certified, or required to be certified, in

23  compliance with s. 943.1395; however, sheriffs and elected

24  police chiefs shall be excluded from meeting the certification

25  requirements of this paragraph.  In addition, the member's

26  duties and responsibilities must include the pursuit,

27  apprehension, and arrest of law violators or suspected law

28  violators; or the member must be an active member of a bomb

29  disposal unit whose primary responsibility is the location,

30  handling, and disposal of explosive devices; or the member

31  must be the supervisor or command officer of a member or

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2482
    25-884-00




  1  members who have such responsibilities; provided, however,

  2  administrative support personnel, including, but not limited

  3  to, those whose primary duties and responsibilities are in

  4  accounting, purchasing, legal, and personnel, shall not be

  5  included;

  6         (b)  The member must be employed as a firefighter and

  7  be certified, or required to be certified, in compliance with

  8  s. 633.35 and be employed solely within the fire department of

  9  the employer or agency of state government.  In addition, the

10  member's duties and responsibilities must include on-the-scene

11  fighting of fires or direct supervision of firefighting units,

12  or the member must be the supervisor or command officer of a

13  member or members who have such responsibilities; provided,

14  however, administrative support personnel, including, but not

15  limited to, those whose primary duties and responsibilities

16  are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and personnel, shall not

17  be included;

18         (c)  The member must be employed as a correctional

19  officer and be certified, or required to be certified, in

20  compliance with s. 943.1395.  In addition, the member's

21  primary duties and responsibilities must be the custody, and

22  physical restraint when necessary, of prisoners or inmates

23  within a prison, jail, or other criminal detention facility,

24  or while on work detail outside the facility, or while being

25  transported; or the member must be the supervisor or command

26  officer of a member or members who have such responsibilities;

27  provided, however, administrative support personnel,

28  including, but not limited to, those whose primary duties and

29  responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and

30  personnel, shall not be included; however, superintendents and

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2482
    25-884-00




  1  assistant superintendents shall participate in the Special

  2  Risk Class; or

  3         (d)  The member must be employed by a licensed Advance

  4  Life Support (ALS) or Basic Life Support (BLS) employer as an

  5  emergency medical technician or a paramedic and be certified

  6  in compliance with s. 401.27.  In addition, the member's

  7  primary duties and responsibilities must include on-the-scene

  8  emergency medical care or direct supervision of emergency

  9  medical technicians and paramedics, or the member must be the

10  supervisor or command officer of one or more members who have

11  such responsibilities.  However, administrative support

12  personnel, including, but not limited to, those whose primary

13  responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and

14  personnel, shall not be included; or.

15         (e)  The member must be employed as a Federal Aviation

16  Administration-licensed helicopter pilot by a municipal,

17  county, or state agency authorized to provide law enforcement,

18  fire protection, or emergency medical services. In addition,

19  the member's duties must include piloting the aircraft for the

20  purpose of rescue, surveillance, or pursuit or the movement of

21  personnel of any such agency. However, administrative support

22  personnel, including, but not limited to, those whose primary

23  responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and

24  personnel, shall not be included.

25         Section 2.  The Legislature finds that a proper and

26  legitimate state purpose is served when employees and retirees

27  of the state and of its political subdivisions and the

28  dependents, survivors, and beneficiaries of such employees and

29  retirees, are extended the basic protections afforded by

30  governmental retirement systems that are managed,

31  administered, and funded in an actuarially sound manner, as

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2482
    25-884-00




  1  required by s. 14, Article X of the State Constitution and

  2  part VII of chapter 112, Florida Statutes. Therefore, the

  3  Legislature hereby determines and declares that the provisions

  4  of this act fulfill an important state interest.

  5         Section 3.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2000.

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  7            *****************************************

  8                          SENATE SUMMARY

  9    Extends membership in the special risk class of the
      Florida Retirement System to helicopter pilots employed
10    by governmental law enforcement, firefighting, or
      emergency medical agencies and to persons who supervise
11    emergency medical technicians or paramedics or who
      supervise the persons who supervise the emergency medical
12    technicians or paramedics.

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