House Bill 0863

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 863

        By Representative Fasano






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to state law enforcement

  3         officers; providing a short title; declaring

  4         public policy; requiring the Department of

  5         Management Services to develop a plan to

  6         increase the salary ranges for all law

  7         enforcement classes; providing guidelines;

  8         providing an appropriation; providing an

  9         effective date.

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11         WHEREAS, the protection of persons and property is

12  among the highest responsibilities of government, and

13         WHEREAS, the encouragement of public safety

14  professionalism provides for the long-term respect for and

15  stability of our public institutions, and

16         WHEREAS, the recruitment and retention of sworn law

17  enforcement professionals is a responsibility that this state

18  should not shirk, and

19         WHEREAS, this state has not kept pace with other public

20  employers in recognizing the valuable service such officers

21  provide their communities, and

22         WHEREAS, this state's residents and visitors reap the

23  rewards of a sustained reduction in reported crime rates for

24  which a tangible recognition is appropriate, NOW, THEREFORE,

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

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28         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Law

29  Enforcement Dignity 2000 Act."

30         Section 2.  It is the public policy of this state to

31  provide a market-based, continuously competitive salary for

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 863

    565-183A-00






  1  full-time certified law enforcement officers who are employed

  2  in public safety occupations by the state and certified under

  3  section 943.10(1), Florida Statutes.

  4         Section 3.  The Department of Management Services shall

  5  develop a plan to invest additional resources in upgrading the

  6  minimum and maximum salary ranges for all certified law

  7  enforcement classes, beginning July 1, 2000, as follows:

  8         (1)  The minimum and maximum salary ranges for all

  9  certified law enforcement classes shall be adjusted, for

10  Fiscal Year 2000-2001, in an amount consistent with the

11  recommendations contained in the Law Enforcement Advisory

12  Committee Salary Recommendation Final Report, dated December

13  8, 1999, issued pursuant to the requirements of Line Item

14  1933A of the Fiscal Year 1999-2000 General Appropriations Act.

15         (2)  For Fiscal Year 2001-2002 and thereafter, the

16  Department of Management Services shall develop a compensation

17  package sufficient to grant the cash equivalent of a one-step

18  increase to the covered classes.

19         (3)  Funds to implement this act shall be supplemental

20  to additional salary provided to state employees in the

21  General Appropriations Act or other legislation implementing

22  that act.

23         (4)  In calculating the amounts required to fund this

24  act, the Department of Management Services shall continuously

25  require that the salary of law enforcement officers employed

26  by the state be equal to the average salary of the equivalent

27  positions in the ten most populous municipalities in this

28  state.

29         Section 4.  There is appropriated from the General

30  Revenue Fund the sum of $25,850,000 to provide a $5,000

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 863

    565-183A-00






  1  adjustment to the salaries of state certified law enforcement

  2  officers, and associated benefits, beginning July 1, 2000.

  3         Section 5.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  4  law.

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  6            *****************************************

  7                          SENATE SUMMARY

  8    Requires the Department of Management Services to develop
      a plan to upgrade salary ranges for law enforcement
  9    classes, consistent with the Law Enforcement Advisory
      Committee Salary Recommendation Final Report for Fiscal
10    Year 2000-2001. Requires the department to develop a
      compensation package sufficient to grant a one-step
11    increase to covered classes thereafter. Sets guidelines
      and provides a $25,850,000 appropriation to give state
12    law enforcement officers a $5,000 salary adjustment,
      beginning July 1, 2000.
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