HB 165

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to education and training
3	opportunities for public employees; amending s.
4	110.1099, F.S.; providing certain educational
5	opportunities for specified local government
6	employees; amending s. 1009.265, F.S.; authorizing the
7	use of fee waivers for specified local government
8	employees; providing an effective date.
9
10	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12	Section 1.  Section 110.1099, Florida Statutes, is amended
13	to read:
14	110.1099  Education and training opportunities for state
15	and local government employees.-
16	(1)  Education and training are an integral component in
17	improving the delivery of services to the public. Recognizing
18	that the application of productivity-enhancing technology and
19	practice demands continuous educational and training
20	opportunities, a state or local government employee may be
21	authorized to receive a voucher or grant, for matriculation
22	fees, to attend work-related courses at public community
23	colleges, public career centers, or public universities. The
24	department may implement the provisions of this section from
25	funds appropriated to the department for this purpose. If In the
26	event insufficient funds are appropriated to the department,
27	each state or local government agency may supplement these funds
28	to support the training and education needs of its employees
29	from funds appropriated to the agency.
30	(2)  The department, in conjunction with the state and
31	local government agencies, shall request that public
32	universities provide evening and weekend programs for state and
33	local government employees. When evening and weekend training
34	and educational programs are not available, a state or local
35	government an employee may be authorized to take paid time off
36	during his or her regular working hours for training and career
37	development, as provided in s. 110.105(1), if such training
38	benefits the employer as determined by that employee's agency
39	head.
40	(3)  A state or local government An employee who exhibits
41	superior aptitude and performance may be authorized by that
42	employee's agency head to take a paid educational leave of
43	absence for up to 1 academic year at a time, for specific
44	approved work-related education and training. That employee must
45	enter into a contract to return to state or local government
46	employment for a period of time equal to the length of the leave
47	of absence or refund salary and benefits paid during his or her
48	educational leave of absence.
49	(4)  As a precondition to approving a state or local
50	government an employee's training request, the state or local
51	government an agency or the judicial branch may require the an
52	employee to enter into an agreement that requires the employee
53	to reimburse the agency or judicial branch for the registration
54	fee or similar expense for any training or training series when
55	the cost of the fee or similar expense exceeds $1,000 if the
56	employee voluntarily terminates employment or is discharged for
57	cause from the agency or judicial branch within a specified
58	period of time not to exceed 4 years after the conclusion of the
59	training. This subsection does not apply to any training program
60	that a state or local government an agency or the judicial
61	branch requires an employee to attend. A state or local
62	government An agency or the judicial branch may pay the
63	outstanding balance then due and owing on behalf of a state or
64	local government employee under this subsection in connection
65	with the recruitment and hiring of that such state employee.
66	(5)  As used in this section, the term:
67	(a)  "State employee" means an employee of the executive or
68	judicial branch of state government, except for a person
69	employed by a state university.
70	(b)  "Local government employee" means a full-time employee
71	of a county or municipality who is a law enforcement officer as
72	defined in s. 943.10(1), a correctional officer as defined in s.
73	943.10(2), a firefighter as defined in s. 633.30(1), or an
74	emergency medical technician or paramedic as defined in s.
75	401.23.
76	(6)(5)  The Department of Management Services, in
77	consultation with the state and local government agencies and,
78	to the extent applicable, with Florida's public community
79	colleges, public career centers, and public universities, shall
80	adopt rules to administer this section.
81	Section 2.  Section 1009.265, Florida Statutes, is amended
82	to read:
83	1009.265  State employee Fee waivers.-
84	(1)  As a benefit to the employers employer and employees
85	of the state and local government, subject to approval by an
86	employee's agency head or the equivalent, each state university
87	and Florida College System institution shall waive tuition and
88	fees for state and local government employees to enroll for up
89	to 6 credit hours of courses per term on a space-available
90	basis.
91	(2)  The Chief Financial Officer, in cooperation with the
92	Florida College System institutions and state universities,
93	shall identify and implement ways to ease the administrative
94	burden to Florida College System institutions and state
95	universities, including, but not limited to, providing easier
96	access to verify state and local government employment.
97	(3)  From funds appropriated by the Legislature for
98	administrative costs to implement this section, Florida College
99	System institutions and state universities shall be reimbursed
100	on a pro rata basis according to the cost assessment data
101	developed by the Department of Education.
102	(4)  The Auditor General shall include a review of the cost
103	assessment data in conjunction with his or her audit
104	responsibilities for Florida College System institutions, state
105	universities, and the Department of Education.
106	(5)  As used in For purposes of this section, the term:
107	(a)  "State employee" means an employee employees of the
108	state include employees of the executive, legislative, or and
109	judicial branch branches of state government, except for a
110	person persons employed by a state university.
111	(b)  "Local government employee" means a full-time employee
112	of a county or municipality who is a law enforcement officer as
113	defined in s. 943.10(1), a correctional officer as defined in s.
114	943.10(2), a firefighter as defined in s. 633.30(1), or an
115	emergency medical technician or paramedic as defined in s.
116	401.23.
117	Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

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