Florida Senate - 2009 SB 2238
By Senator Aronberg
27-00079A-09 20092238__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Special Risk Class of the
3 Florida Retirement System; amending s. 121.0515, F.S.;
4 authorizing certain employees to purchase additional
5 retirement credit for past service at a 3-percent
6 Special Risk Class accrual value; providing for
7 contribution rate increases to fund certain benefits;
8 directing the Division of Statutory Revision to adjust
9 certain contribution rates; requiring that a portion
10 of revenues generated from the gambling compact with
11 the Seminole Tribe of Florida be used for supplemental
12 salary increases to law enforcement, correctional, and
13 correctional probation officers; providing a statement
14 of important state interest; providing an effective
15 date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 121.0515, Florida
20 Statutes, is amended to read:
21 121.0515 Special risk membership.—
22 (5) CREDIT FOR PAST SERVICE.—A special risk member may
23 purchase retirement credit in the Special Risk Class based upon
24 past service, and may upgrade retirement credit for such past
25 service, to the extent of 3 2 percent of the member's average
26 monthly compensation as specified in s. 121.091(1)(a) for such
27 service as follows:
28 (a) The member may purchase special risk credit for past
29 service with a city or special district that which has elected
30 to join the Florida Retirement System, or with a participating
31 agency to which a member's governmental unit was transferred,
32 merged, or consolidated as provided in s. 121.081(1)(f), if the
33 member was employed with the city or special district at the
34 time it commenced participating in the Florida Retirement System
35 or with the governmental unit at the time of its transfer,
36 merger, or consolidation with the participating agency. The
37 service must satisfy the criteria set forth in subsection (2)
38 for special risk membership as a law enforcement officer, a
39 firefighter, a or correctional officer, or an emergency medical
40 technician or paramedic whose employer was a licensed advanced
41 life support or basic life support provider; however, a no
42 certificate or waiver of certificate of compliance with s.
43 943.1395 or s. 633.35 is not shall be required for such service.
44 (b) Contributions for upgrading the additional special risk
45 credit pursuant to this subsection must shall be equal to the
46 difference in the contributions paid and the special risk
47 percentage rate of gross salary in effect at the time of
48 purchase for the period being claimed, plus interest thereon at
49 the rate of 4 percent a year compounded annually from the date
50 of such service until July 1, 1975, and 6.5 percent a year
51 thereafter until the date of payment. This past service may be
52 purchased by the member or by the employer on behalf of the
53 member.
54 Section 2. Effective July 1, 2009, in order to fund the
55 benefit improvements provided in s. 121.0515, Florida Statutes,
56 as amended by this act, the contribution rate that applies to
57 the Special Risk Class of the defined benefit program of the
58 Florida Retirement System is increased by 0.07 percentage
59 points. This increase is in addition to all other changes to
60 such contribution rates which may be enacted into law to take
61 effect on that date. The Division of Statutory Revision is
62 directed to adjust accordingly the contribution rates set forth
63 in s. 121.71, Florida Statutes.
64 Section 3. One percent of the revenue share paid by the
65 Seminole Tribe of Florida to the state pursuant to the gambling
66 compact shall be remitted to the Department of Revenue to be
67 deposited into the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust
68 Fund and used for supplemental salary increases to law
69 enforcement officers, correctional officers, and correctional
70 probation officers, as those terms are defined in s. 943.10,
71 Florida Statutes, who are employed in sworn or certified public
72 safety occupations by the state.
73 Section 4. The Legislature finds that a proper and
74 legitimate state purpose is served when certain employees and
75 retirees of the state and its political subdivisions and the
76 dependents, survivors, and beneficiaries of such employees and
77 retirees are extended the basic protections afforded by
78 governmental retirement systems. These persons must be provided
79 benefits that are fair and adequate and that are managed,
80 administered, and funded in an actuarially sound manner, as
81 required by s. 14, Art. X of the State Constitution and part VII
82 of chapter 112, Florida Statutes. Therefore, the Legislature
83 determines and declares that this act fulfills an important
84 state interest.
85 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.