HB 731

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to the Florida Retirement System; amending
3ss. 121.021 and 121.0515, F.S.; providing membership in
4the Special Risk Class for persons employed as nurses in
5county correctional facilities; providing a declaration of
6important state interest; providing an effective date.
7
8Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10     Section 1.  Subsection (15) of section 121.021, Florida
11Statutes, is amended to read:
12     121.021  Definitions.--The following words and phrases as
13used in this chapter have the respective meanings set forth
14unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:
15     (15)(a)  Until October 1, 1978, "special risk member" means
16any officer or employee whose application is approved by the
17administrator and who receives salary payments for work
18performed as a peace officer; law enforcement officer; police
19officer; highway patrol officer; custodial employee at a
20correctional or detention facility; correctional agency employee
21whose duties and responsibilities involve direct contact with
22inmates, but excluding secretarial and clerical employees;
23firefighter; or an employee in any other job in the field of law
24enforcement or fire protection if the duties of such person are
25certified as hazardous by his or her employer.
26     (b)  Effective October 1, 1978, "special risk member" means
27a member of the Florida Retirement System who is designated as a
28special risk member by the division in accordance with s.
29121.0515. Such member must be employed as a law enforcement
30officer, a firefighter, or a correctional officer and must meet
31certain other special criteria as set forth in s. 121.0515.
32     (c)  Effective October 1, 1999, "special risk member" means
33a member of the Florida Retirement System who is designated as a
34special risk member by the division in accordance with s.
35121.0515. Such member must be employed as a law enforcement
36officer, a firefighter, a correctional officer, an emergency
37medical technician, or a paramedic and must meet certain other
38special criteria as set forth in s. 121.0515.
39     (d)1.  Effective January 1, 2001, "special risk member"
40includes any member who is employed as a community-based
41correctional probation officer and meets the special criteria
42set forth in s. 121.0515(2)(e).
43     2.  Effective January 1, 2001, "special risk member"
44includes any professional health care bargaining unit or non-
45unit member who is employed by the Department of Corrections or
46the Department of Children and Family Services and meets the
47special criteria set forth in s. 121.0515(2)(f).
48     (e)  Effective July 1, 2001, the term "special risk member"
49includes any member who is employed as a youth custody officer
50by the Department of Juvenile Justice and meets the special
51criteria set forth in s. 121.0515(2)(g).
52     (f)  Effective October 1, 2006, the term "special risk
53member" includes a person employed as a nurse whose duties
54involve contact with inmates in a county correctional facility.
55     Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 121.0515, Florida
56Statutes, is amended to read:
57     121.0515  Special risk membership.--
58     (2)  CRITERIA.--A member, to be designated as a special
59risk member, must meet the following criteria:
60     (a)  The member must be employed as a law enforcement
61officer and be certified, or required to be certified, in
62compliance with s. 943.1395; however, sheriffs and elected
63police chiefs shall be excluded from meeting the certification
64requirements of this paragraph. In addition, the member's duties
65and responsibilities must include the pursuit, apprehension, and
66arrest of law violators or suspected law violators; or the
67member must be an active member of a bomb disposal unit whose
68primary responsibility is the location, handling, and disposal
69of explosive devices; or the member must be the supervisor or
70command officer of a member or members who have such
71responsibilities; provided, however, administrative support
72personnel, including, but not limited to, those whose primary
73duties and responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing,
74legal, and personnel, shall not be included;
75     (b)  The member must be employed as a firefighter and be
76certified, or required to be certified, in compliance with s.
77633.35 and be employed solely within the fire department of a
78local government employer or an agency of state government with
79firefighting responsibilities. In addition, the member's duties
80and responsibilities must include on-the-scene fighting of
81fires, fire prevention, or firefighter training; direct
82supervision of firefighting units, fire prevention, or
83firefighter training; or aerial firefighting surveillance
84performed by fixed-wing aircraft pilots employed by the Division
85of Forestry of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
86Services; or the member must be the supervisor or command
87officer of a member or members who have such responsibilities;
88provided, however, administrative support personnel, including,
89but not limited to, those whose primary duties and
90responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and
91personnel, shall not be included and further provided that all
92periods of creditable service in fire prevention or firefighter
93training, or as the supervisor or command officer of a member or
94members who have such responsibilities, and for which the
95employer paid the special risk contribution rate, shall be
96included;
97     (c)  The member must be employed as a correctional officer
98and be certified, or required to be certified, in compliance
99with s. 943.1395. In addition, the member's primary duties and
100responsibilities must be the custody, and physical restraint
101when necessary, of prisoners or inmates within a prison, jail,
102or other criminal detention facility, or while on work detail
103outside the facility, or while being transported; or the member
104must be the supervisor or command officer of a member or members
105who have such responsibilities; provided, however,
106administrative support personnel, including, but not limited to,
107those whose primary duties and responsibilities are in
108accounting, purchasing, legal, and personnel, shall not be
109included; however, wardens and assistant wardens, as defined by
110rule, shall participate in the Special Risk Class;
111     (d)  The member must be employed by a licensed Advance Life
112Support (ALS) or Basic Life Support (BLS) employer as an
113emergency medical technician or a paramedic and be certified in
114compliance with s. 401.27. In addition, the member's primary
115duties and responsibilities must include on-the-scene emergency
116medical care or direct supervision of emergency medical
117technicians or paramedics, or the member must be the supervisor
118or command officer of one or more members who have such
119responsibility. However, administrative support personnel,
120including, but not limited to, those whose primary
121responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and
122personnel, shall not be included;
123     (e)  The member must be employed as a community-based
124correctional probation officer and be certified, or required to
125be certified, in compliance with s. 943.1395. In addition, the
126member's primary duties and responsibilities must be the
127supervised custody, surveillance, control, investigation, and
128counseling of assigned inmates, probationers, parolees, or
129community controllees within the community; or the member must
130be the supervisor of a member or members who have such
131responsibilities. Administrative support personnel, including,
132but not limited to, those whose primary duties and
133responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal services,
134and personnel management, shall not be included; however,
135probation and parole circuit and deputy circuit administrators
136shall participate in the Special Risk Class;
137     (f)  The member must be employed in one of the following
138classes and must spend at least 75 percent of his or her time
139performing duties which involve contact with patients or inmates
140in a correctional or forensic facility or institution:
141     1.  Dietitian (class codes 5203 and 5204);
142     2.  Public health nutrition consultant (class code 5224);
143     3.  Psychological specialist (class codes 5230 and 5231);
144     4.  Psychologist (class code 5234);
145     5.  Senior psychologist (class codes 5237 and 5238);
146     6.  Regional mental health consultant (class code 5240);
147     7.  Psychological Services Director--DCF (class code 5242);
148     8.  Pharmacist (class codes 5245 and 5246);
149     9.  Senior pharmacist (class codes 5248 and 5249);
150     10.  Dentist (class code 5266);
151     11.  Senior dentist (class code 5269);
152     12.  Registered nurse (class codes 5290 and 5291);
153     13.  Senior registered nurse (class codes 5292 and 5293);
154     14.  Registered nurse specialist (class codes 5294 and
1555295);
156     15.  Clinical associate (class codes 5298 and 5299);
157     16.  Advanced registered nurse practitioner (class codes
1585297 and 5300);
159     17.  Advanced registered nurse practitioner specialist
160(class codes 5304 and 5305);
161     18.  Registered nurse supervisor (class codes 5306 and
1625307);
163     19.  Senior registered nurse supervisor (class codes 5308
164and 5309);
165     20.  Registered nursing consultant (class codes 5312 and
1665313);
167     21.  Quality management program supervisor (class code
1685314);
169     22.  Executive nursing director (class codes 5320 and
1705321);
171     23.  Speech and hearing therapist (class code 5406); or
172     24.  Pharmacy manager (class code 5251);
173     (g)  The member must be employed as a youth custody officer
174and be certified, or required to be certified, in compliance
175with s. 943.1395. In addition, the member's primary duties and
176responsibilities must be the supervised custody, surveillance,
177control, investigation, apprehension, arrest, and counseling of
178assigned juveniles within the community; or
179     (h)  The member must be employed by a law enforcement
180agency or medical examiner's office in a forensic discipline
181recognized by the International Association for Identification
182and must qualify for active membership in the International
183Association for Identification. The member's primary duties and
184responsibilities must include the collection, examination,
185preservation, documentation, preparation, or analysis of
186physical evidence or testimony, or both, or the member must be
187the direct supervisor, quality management supervisor, or command
188officer of one or more individuals with such responsibility.
189Administrative support personnel, including, but not limited to,
190those whose primary responsibilities are clerical or in
191accounting, purchasing, legal, and personnel, shall not be
192included; or.
193     (i)  The member must be employed as a nurse whose duties
194involve contact with inmates in a county correctional facility.
195     Section 3.  The Legislature finds that a proper and
196legitimate state purpose is served when employees and retirees
197of the state and its political subdivisions and the dependents,
198survivors, and beneficiaries of such employees and retirees are
199extended the basic protections afforded by governmental
200retirement systems. These persons must be provided benefits that
201are fair and adequate and that are managed, administered, and
202funded in a sound actuarial manner, as required by section 14,
203Article X of the State Constitution and part VII of chapter 112,
204Florida Statutes. Therefore, the Legislature hereby determines
205and declares that this act fulfills an important state interest.
206     Section 4.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2006.


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