Senate Bill sb1356c1
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Florida Senate - 2002 CS for SB 1356
By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Productivity;
and Senator Lawson
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1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education and training
3 opportunities for state employees; amending s.
4 110.1099, F.S.; authorizing certain state
5 employees to enroll in courses without paying
6 matriculation fees on a space-available basis;
7 providing for appropriation of funds to
8 reimburse education institutions for
9 administrative costs; providing duties of the
10 Department of Education, the Auditor General
11 and the State Comptroller; providing that the
12 department shall request community colleges to
13 provide evening and weekend programs;
14 clarifying provisions and deleting obsolete
15 provisions; providing an effective date.
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17 WHEREAS, space-available tuition waivers have been
18 offered to Florida's state employees as an important benefit
19 to allow productive employees an opportunity to enhance their
20 education, and
21 WHEREAS, valued and valuable employees, and potential
22 employees, have always considered space-available tuition
23 waivers to be of tremendous benefit, and
24 WHEREAS, one of the most effective methods for
25 accomplishing tasks more efficiently is to provide access to
26 education and training, and
27 WHEREAS, with fewer employees handling more tasks,
28 education and training provide avenues to meet these
29 challenges, enhance performance, and reward outstanding
30 productivity, and
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Florida Senate - 2002 CS for SB 1356
302-1852-02
1 WHEREAS, the results of this benefit will be a more
2 educated, well-rounded, productive, driven, appreciative, and
3 efficient workforce, NOW, THEREFORE,
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5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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7 Section 1. Subsections (1), (2), and (5) of section
8 110.1099, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
9 110.1099 Education and training opportunities for
10 state employees.--
11 (1)(a) Education and training are an integral
12 component in improving the delivery of services to the public.
13 Recognizing that the application of productivity-enhancing
14 technology and practice demands continuous educational and
15 training opportunities, a state employee may be authorized to
16 receive a voucher or grant, for matriculation fees, to attend
17 work-related courses at public community colleges, public
18 technical centers, or public universities or colleges. Student
19 credit hours generated by state employee fee waivers shall be
20 fundable credit hours. The department may implement the
21 provisions of this paragraph section from funds appropriated
22 to the department for this purpose. In the event insufficient
23 funds are appropriated to the department, each state agency
24 may supplement these funds to support the training and
25 education needs of its employees from funds appropriated to
26 the agency.
27 (b)1. As a benefit to employers and employees of the
28 state, subject to the approval of an employee's agency head, a
29 state employee who is not employed by a public university or
30 college may enroll without paying matriculation fees for up to
31 6 hours credit hours of courses per term on a space-available
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Florida Senate - 2002 CS for SB 1356
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1 basis at a public community college or public university or
2 college. In order to be eligible for this benefit, the state
3 employee must comply with the minimum requirements of the
4 institution attended, both as to discipline and scholarship.
5 From funds appropriated by the Legislature for implementation
6 of this paragraph, public community colleges and public
7 universities and colleges shall be reimbursed for
8 administrative costs on a pro rata basis according to
9 cost-assessment data developed by the Department of Education.
10 2. The State Comptroller, or his or her successor, in
11 cooperation with the public community colleges and public
12 universities and colleges, shall ease the administrative
13 burden on the individual institutions by facilitating the
14 verification of state employment.
15 3. The Auditor General shall include a review of the
16 cost-assessment data in conjunction with his or her audit
17 responsibilities for the Department of Education.
18 (b) For the 2001-2002 fiscal year only and
19 notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a), state
20 employees may not be authorized to receive fundable tuition
21 waivers on a space-available basis. This paragraph expires
22 July 1, 2002.
23 (2) The department, in conjunction with the agencies,
24 shall request that public community colleges and public
25 universities and colleges provide evening and weekend programs
26 for state employees. When evening and weekend training and
27 educational programs are not available, an employee may be
28 authorized to take paid time off during his or her regular
29 working hours for training and career development, as provided
30 in s. 110.105(1), if such training benefits the employer as
31 determined by that employee's agency head.
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Florida Senate - 2002 CS for SB 1356
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1 (5) The Department of Management Services, in
2 consultation with the agencies and, to the extent applicable,
3 with Florida's public community colleges, public technical
4 centers, and public universities and colleges, shall adopt
5 rules to administer this section.
6 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.
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8 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
9 Senate Bill 1356
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11 Substitutes the phrase "universities and colleges" for the
term "universities" throughout s. 110.1099, F.S., and for the
12 term "State University System" as used by the bill. Provides
that matriculation, not tuition, fees will be waived for
13 certain state employees. Provides that eligible state
employees must comply with the institution's minimum
14 requirements for discipline and scholarship. Provides that the
Department of Education, rather than the Auditor General,
15 shall develop cost assessment data. Adds that the department
shall request that public community colleges provide evening
16 and weekend programs for state employees.
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