HB 1705

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to Lake County; amending chapter 93-358,
3Laws of Florida; revising provisions governing career
4service with the Lake County Sheriff's Office; revising
5definitions; deleting provisions relating to the
6establishment of divisions within the office; providing
7effect of voluntary and involuntary termination of
8employment on career service status; authorizing demotion
9of certain employees without cause; providing an effective
10date.
11
12Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14     Section 1.  Chapter 93-358, Laws of Florida, is amended to
15read:
16     Section 1.  Applicability.--Except as otherwise provided
17herein, the provisions of this act shall apply to all employees,
18as hereinafter defined, of the Lake County Sheriff. The
19provisions of this act shall not apply to the sheriff; or to
20special deputy sheriffs appointed pursuant to section 30.09(4),
21Florida Statutes; or to members of the sheriff's reserve,
22auxiliary, posse, volunteers, and task force members, as may be
23defined by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training
24Commission. This act is not intended to grant collective
25bargaining rights to employees of the Lake County Sheriff who do
26not otherwise have those rights pursuant to law.
27     Section 2.  Definitions.--As used in this act:
28     (1)  "CAREER SERVICE EMPLOYEE" means an employee of the
29Lake County Sheriff's Office who has satisfactorily completed 1
30year of continuous employment in any one division of the office,
31and who is not on extended probation, and who is not a part-
32time, temporary, or contractual employee.
33     (2)  "CAREER SERVICE STATUS" means tenured employment with
34the Lake County Sheriff's Office attained by a career service
35employee.
36     (3)  "OFFICE" means the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
37     (4)  "DIVISION" means all divisions of the Lake County
38Sheriff's Office the Enforcement Division or the Support
39Division, as set forth in section 3.
40     (5)  "EMPLOYEE" means any deputy sheriff and detention
41deputy not otherwise excluded by this act and all full-time
42employees of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
43     (6)  "EXTENDED PROBATION" means a period of time in excess
44of 1 year in which a new employee is subject to evaluation in
45order to ascertain the employee's fitness for employment by the
46Lake County Sheriff's Office, not to exceed 6 months.
47     (7)  "SHERIFF" means the Sheriff of Lake County.
48     (8)  "FOR CAUSE" means termination, suspension, or demotion
49of an employee for misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance,
50which renders the continuance of the employee in his or her
51position detrimental to the discipline or efficiency of the
52office, as determined by the Sheriff of Lake County.
53     Section 3.  Establishment of divisions.--There is hereby
54established the following employment divisions within the Lake
55County Sheriff's Office:
56     (1)  The Enforcement Division, includes all commissioned
57deputy sheriffs who hold valid and current certificates as law
58enforcement officers issued by the Criminal Justice Standards
59and Training Commission and who are covered by this act.
60     (2)  The Support Division, includes all other employees of
61the department covered by this act.
62     Section 3.4.  Career service.--
63     (1)  Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), an
64employee may be terminated by the Lake County Sheriff at any
65time with or without cause unless the employee has attained and
66holds career service status. All employees who have attained and
67hold career service status may be terminated only for cause, as
68herein defined.
69     (2)  An employee who voluntarily terminates employment with
70the Lake County Sheriff's Office or and who is involuntarily
71terminated does not become reemployed with the Lake County
72Sheriff's Office within 90 days ceases to have career service
73status if again employed by the Lake County Sheriff's Office
74until same is earned again.
75     Section 4.5.  Termination, suspension, and demotion.--Any
76employee of the office, whether having attained career service
77status or not, may be terminated, suspended, demoted, or
78reprimanded by the Lake County Sheriff at any time for cause, as
79herein defined.
80     Section 5.6.  Transition.--A newly elected or appointed
81sheriff may demote without cause to the rank of lieutenant any
82career service employee who holds the rank of undersheriff,
83chief, chief deputy, major, captain, administrative assistant,
84or general counsel legal advisor, or any equivalent rank, at the
85time the newly elected or appointed sheriff takes office.
86     Section 6.7.  Promotions.--Notwithstanding anything
87contained herein to the contrary, any career service employee
88required to serve a probationary period attendant or incidental
89to a promotion may be demoted with or without cause to the
90employee's prior rank at any time during such probationary
91period, but any such employee does not lose career service
92status.
93     Section 7.8.  Current employees.--Effective upon this act
94becoming law, all current employees of the Lake County Sheriff
95who have satisfactorily completed 1 year of continuous
96employment in the Lake County Sheriff's Office and who are not
97on extended probation shall be granted career service status.
98All other employees shall attain career service status upon
99reaching their 1 calendar year service anniversary date and
100completing their probationary period.
101     Section 8.9.  Administration.--The sheriff is hereby
102empowered to adopt rules and regulations for the administration
103and implementation of this act.
104     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.


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