Senate Bill sb0138

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2003                                   SB 138

    By Senator Wasserman Schultz





    34-186-03

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to employment practices;

  3         amending ss. 110.105, 110.233, 112.042, and

  4         760.10, F.S.; revising provisions relating to

  5         state employment policy, career service

  6         appointments, county and municipal employment,

  7         and unlawful employment practices, to provide

  8         that discrimination on the basis of sex

  9         includes discrimination on the basis of

10         pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical

11         conditions; providing a limitation with respect

12         to employer health insurance benefits;

13         reenacting ss. 104.31(3) and 760.11(15), F.S.,

14         to incorporate amendments to ss. 110.233 and

15         760.10, F.S., in references thereto; providing

16         an effective date.

17  

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

19  

20         Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 110.105, Florida

21  Statutes, is amended to read:

22         110.105  Employment policy of the state.--

23         (2)(a)  All appointments, terminations, assignments and

24  maintenance of status, compensation, privileges, and other

25  terms and conditions of employment in state government shall

26  be made without regard to age, sex, race, religion, national

27  origin, political affiliation, marital status, or handicap,

28  except when a specific sex, age, or physical requirement

29  constitutes a bona fide occupational qualification necessary

30  to proper and efficient administration.

31  

                                  1

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






    Florida Senate - 2003                                   SB 138
    34-186-03




 1         (b)  For purposes of this subsection, the phrase

 2  "without regard to sex" includes, but is not limited to,

 3  without regard to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical

 4  conditions. Women affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or

 5  related medical conditions shall be treated the same for all

 6  employment-related purposes, including receipt of benefits

 7  under fringe benefits programs, as other persons not so

 8  affected but similar in their ability or inability to work,

 9  and the employment policy of the state may not be interpreted

10  to permit otherwise. This paragraph does not require a state

11  employer to pay for health insurance benefits for abortion,

12  except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the

13  fetus were carried to term, or except where medical

14  complications have arisen from an abortion. However, this

15  paragraph does not preclude a state employer from providing

16  abortion benefits or otherwise affect bargaining agreements in

17  regard to abortion.

18         Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 110.233, Florida

19  Statutes, is amended to read:

20         110.233  Political activities and unlawful acts

21  prohibited.--

22         (1)(a)  No person shall be appointed to, demoted, or

23  dismissed from any position in the career service, or in any

24  way favored or discriminated against with respect to

25  employment in the career service, because of race, color,

26  national origin, sex, handicap, religious creed, or political

27  opinion or affiliation.

28         (b)  As used in this subsection, the phrase "because of

29  sex" includes, but is not limited to, because of pregnancy,

30  childbirth, or related medical conditions. Women affected by

31  pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be

                                  2

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






    Florida Senate - 2003                                   SB 138
    34-186-03




 1  treated the same with respect to employment in the career

 2  service, including receipt of benefits under fringe benefits

 3  programs, as other persons not so affected but similar in

 4  their ability or inability to work, and rules or practices of

 5  the career service system of the state may not be interpreted

 6  to permit otherwise.

 7         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 112.042, Florida

 8  Statutes, is amended to read:

 9         112.042  Discrimination in county and municipal

10  employment; relief.--

11         (1)(a)  It is against the public policy of this state

12  for the governing body of any county or municipal agency,

13  board, commission, department, or office, solely because of

14  the race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or religious

15  creed of any individual, to refuse to hire or employ, to bar,

16  or to discharge from employment such individuals or to

17  otherwise discriminate against such individuals with respect

18  to compensation, hire, tenure, terms, conditions, or

19  privileges of employment, if the individual is the most

20  competent and able to perform the services required.

21         (b)  As used in this subsection, the phrase "because of

22  sex" includes, but is not limited to, because of pregnancy,

23  childbirth, or related medical conditions. Women affected by

24  pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be

25  treated the same for all employment-related purposes,

26  including receipt of benefits under fringe benefits programs,

27  as other persons not so affected but similar in their ability

28  or inability to work, and this paragraph may not be

29  interpreted to permit otherwise. This paragraph does not

30  require an employer to pay for health insurance benefits for

31  abortion, except where the life of the mother would be

                                  3

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






    Florida Senate - 2003                                   SB 138
    34-186-03




 1  endangered if the fetus were carried to term, or except where

 2  medical complications have arisen from an abortion. However,

 3  this paragraph does not preclude an employer from providing

 4  abortion benefits or otherwise affect bargaining agreements in

 5  regard to abortion.

 6         Section 4.  Subsection (10) of section 760.10, Florida

 7  Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (11) and a new

 8  subsection (10) is added to that section to read:

 9         760.10  Unlawful employment practices.--

10         (10)  As used in this section, the terms "because of

11  sex" and "on the basis of sex" include, but are not limited

12  to, because or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or

13  related medical conditions. Women affected by pregnancy,

14  childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be treated the

15  same for all employment-related purposes, including receipt of

16  benefits under fringe benefits programs, as other persons not

17  so affected but similar in their ability or inability to work,

18  and this section may not be interpreted to permit otherwise.

19  This subsection does not require an employer to pay for health

20  insurance benefits for abortion, except where the life of the

21  mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term,

22  or except where medical complications have arisen from an

23  abortion. However, this subsection does not preclude an

24  employer from providing abortion benefits or otherwise affect

25  bargaining agreements in regard to abortion.

26         Section 5.  For purposes of incorporating the

27  amendments to section 110.233, Florida Statutes, in a

28  reference thereto, subsection (3) of section 104.31, Florida

29  Statutes, is reenacted to read:

30         104.31  Political activities of state, county, and

31  municipal officers and employees.--

                                  4

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






    Florida Senate - 2003                                   SB 138
    34-186-03




 1         (3)  Nothing contained in this section or in any county

 2  or municipal charter shall be deemed to prohibit any public

 3  employee from expressing his or her opinions on any candidate

 4  or issue or from participating in any political campaign

 5  during the employee's off-duty hours, so long as such

 6  activities are not in conflict with the provisions of

 7  subsection (1) or s. 110.233.

 8         Section 6.  For purposes of incorporating the

 9  amendments to section 760.10, Florida Statutes, in a reference

10  thereto, subsection (15) of  section 760.11, Florida Statutes,

11  is reenacted to read:

12         760.11  Administrative and civil remedies;

13  construction.--

14         (15)  In any civil action or administrative proceeding

15  brought pursuant to this section, a finding that a person

16  employed by the state or any governmental entity or agency has

17  violated s. 760.10 shall as a matter of law constitute just or

18  substantial cause for such person's discharge.

19         Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

20  

21            *****************************************

22                          SENATE SUMMARY

23    Revises provisions relating to state employment policy,
      career service appointments, county and municipal
24    employment, and unlawful employment practices, to provide
      that discrimination on the basis of sex includes
25    discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or
      related medical conditions. Provides a limitation with
26    respect to employer health insurance benefits.

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  5

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