Senate Bill sb1634

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1634

    By Senator Webster





    9-570-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Florida Retirement

  3         System; amending s. 121.021, F.S.; redefining

  4         the term "average final compensation";

  5         increasing a contribution rate for certain

  6         benefit change funding purposes; providing a

  7         declaration of important state interest;

  8         amending s. 121.0515, F.S.; adding certain code

  9         compliance officers to the Special Risk Class;

10         providing an effective date.

11  

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

13  

14         Section 1.  Subsection (24) of section 121.021, Florida

15  Statutes, is amended to read:

16         121.021  Definitions.--The following words and phrases

17  as used in this chapter have the respective meanings set forth

18  unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

19         (24)  "Average final compensation" means the average of

20  the 5 highest fiscal years of compensation for creditable

21  service prior to retirement, termination, or death; however,

22  the "average final compensation" applicable to a member of the

23  Special Risk Class is the average of the 3 highest fiscal

24  years of compensation for creditable service prior to

25  retirement, termination, or death. For in-line-of-duty

26  disability benefits, if less than the number of years

27  specified for calculating "average final compensation" 5 years

28  of creditable service has have been completed, the term

29  "average final compensation" means the average annual

30  compensation of the total number of years of creditable

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1634
    9-570-05




 1  service.  Each year used in the calculation of average final

 2  compensation shall commence on July 1.

 3         (a)  The average final compensation shall include:

 4         1.  Accumulated annual leave payments, not to exceed

 5  500 hours; and

 6         2.  All payments defined as compensation in subsection

 7  (22).

 8         (b)  The average final compensation shall not include:

 9         1.  Compensation paid to professional persons for

10  special or particular services;

11         2.  Payments for accumulated sick leave made due to

12  retirement or termination;

13         3.  Payments for accumulated annual leave in excess of

14  500 hours;

15         4.  Bonuses as defined in subsection (47);

16         5.  Third party payments made on and after July 1,

17  1990; or

18         6.  Fringe benefits (for example, automobile allowances

19  or housing allowances).

20         Section 2.  Effective July 1, 2005, for the purposes of

21  funding the 3-year average final compensation benefit change

22  made by this act, the contribution rate set forth in section

23  121.71(3), Florida Statutes, for the Special Risk Class of the

24  Florida Retirement System shall be increased by 2.14

25  percentage points. This increase shall be in addition to other

26  changes to contribution rates which may be enacted into law to

27  take effect on that date.

28         Section 3.  The Legislature finds that a proper and

29  legitimate state purpose is served when employees and retirees

30  of the state and its political subdivisions and the

31  dependents, survivors, and beneficiaries of such employees and

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1634
    9-570-05




 1  retirees are extended the basic protections afforded by

 2  governmental retirement systems that provide fair and adequate

 3  benefits and that are managed, administered, and funded in an

 4  actuarially sound manner, as required by Section 14, Article

 5  X, of the State Constitution and part VII of chapter 112,

 6  Florida Statutes. Therefore, the Legislature determines and

 7  declares that this act fulfills an important state interest.

 8         Section 4.  Subsection (2) of section 121.0515, Florida

 9  Statutes, is amended to read:

10         121.0515  Special risk membership.--

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

12  risk member, must meet the following criteria:

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

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

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

16  police chiefs shall be excluded from meeting the certification

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

18  duties and responsibilities must include the pursuit,

19  apprehension, and arrest of law violators or suspected law

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

21  disposal unit whose primary responsibility is the location,

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

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

24  members who have such responsibilities; provided, however,

25  administrative support personnel, including, but not limited

26  to, those whose primary duties and responsibilities are in

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

28  included;

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

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

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

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1634
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 1  a local government employer or an agency of state government

 2  with firefighting responsibilities. In addition, the member's

 3  duties and responsibilities must include on-the-scene fighting

 4  of fires, fire prevention, or firefighter training; direct

 5  supervision of firefighting units, fire prevention, or

 6  firefighter training; or aerial firefighting surveillance

 7  performed by fixed-wing aircraft pilots employed by the

 8  Division of Forestry of the Department of Agriculture and

 9  Consumer Services or the member must be a code compliance

10  officer employed by the Division of the State Fire Marshal of

11  the Department of Financial Services or the Agency for Health

12  Care Administration; or the member must be the supervisor or

13  command officer of a member or members who have such

14  responsibilities.; provided, However, administrative support

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

16  duties and responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing,

17  legal, and personnel, shall not be included and further

18  provided that all periods of creditable service in fire

19  prevention or firefighter training, or as the supervisor or

20  command officer of a member or members who have such

21  responsibilities, and for which the employer paid the special

22  risk contribution rate, shall be included;

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

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

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

26  primary duties and responsibilities must be the custody, and

27  physical restraint when necessary, of prisoners or inmates

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

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

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

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

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1634
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 1  provided, however, administrative support personnel,

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

 3  responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and

 4  personnel, shall not be included; however, wardens and

 5  assistant wardens, as defined by rule, shall participate in

 6  the Special Risk Class;

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

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

 9  emergency medical technician or a paramedic and be certified

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

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

12  emergency medical care or direct supervision of emergency

13  medical technicians or paramedics, or the member must be the

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

15  such responsibility.  However, administrative support

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

17  responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and

18  personnel, shall not be included;

19         (e)  The member must be employed as a community-based

20  correctional probation officer and be certified, or required

21  to be certified, in compliance with s. 943.1395.  In addition,

22  the member's primary duties and responsibilities must be the

23  supervised custody, surveillance, control, investigation, and

24  counseling of assigned inmates, probationers, parolees, or

25  community controllees within the community; or the member must

26  be the supervisor of a member or members who have such

27  responsibilities. Administrative support personnel, including,

28  but not limited to, those whose primary duties and

29  responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal

30  services, and personnel management, shall not be included;

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1634
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 1  however, probation and parole circuit and deputy circuit

 2  administrators shall participate in the Special Risk Class; or

 3         (f)  The member must be employed in one of the

 4  following classes and must spend at least 75 percent of his or

 5  her time performing duties which involve contact with patients

 6  or inmates in a correctional or forensic facility or

 7  institution:

 8         1.  Dietitian (class codes 5203 and 5204);.

 9         2.  Public health nutrition consultant (class code

10  5224);.

11         3.  Psychological specialist (class codes 5230 and

12  5231);.

13         4.  Psychologist (class code 5234);.

14         5.  Senior psychologist (class codes 5237 and 5238);.

15         6.  Regional mental health consultant (class code

16  5240);.

17         7.  Psychological Services Director--DCF (class code

18  5242);.

19         8.  Pharmacist (class codes 5245 and 5246);.

20         9.  Senior pharmacist (class codes 5248 and 5249);.

21         10.  Dentist (class code 5266);.

22         11.  Senior dentist (class code 5269);.

23         12.  Registered nurse (class codes 5290 and 5291);.

24         13.  Senior registered nurse (class codes 5292 and

25  5293);.

26         14.  Registered nurse specialist (class codes 5294 and

27  5295);.

28         15.  Clinical associate (class codes 5298 and 5299);.

29         16.  Advanced registered nurse practitioner (class

30  codes 5297 and 5300);.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1634
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 1         17.  Advanced registered nurse practitioner specialist

 2  (class codes 5304 and 5305);.

 3         18.  Registered nurse supervisor (class codes 5306 and

 4  5307);.

 5         19.  Senior registered nurse supervisor (class codes

 6  5308 and 5309);.

 7         20.  Registered nursing consultant (class codes 5312

 8  and 5313);.

 9         21.  Quality management program supervisor (class code

10  5314);.

11         22.  Executive nursing director (class codes 5320 and

12  5321);.

13         23.  Speech and hearing therapist (class code 5406); or

14         24.  Pharmacy manager (class code 5251); or.

15         (g)  The member must be employed as a youth custody

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

17  compliance with s. 943.1395. In addition, the member's primary

18  duties and responsibilities must be the supervised custody,

19  surveillance, control, investigation, apprehension, arrest,

20  and counseling of assigned juveniles within the community.

21         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

22  

23            *****************************************

24                          SENATE SUMMARY

25    Redefines the term "average final compensation," with
      respect to members of the Special Risk Class of the
26    Florida Retirement System, to be the average of the 3
      highest fiscal years of creditable service. Includes code
27    compliance officers of the Division of State Fire Marshal
      or the Agency for Health Care Administration in the
28    Special Risk Class.

29  

30  

31  

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