Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1538
       
       
        
       By Senator Evers
       
       2-01336-16                                            20161538__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to veterans’ employment; creating s.
    3         110.1121, F.S.; establishing the policy of the state
    4         concerning veterans’ employment in executive agencies;
    5         requiring the head of each executive agency to develop
    6         and implement a veterans’ recruitment plan in
    7         accordance with specified procedures; requiring each
    8         executive agency to establish annual goals with
    9         respect to veterans’ recruitment; requiring the head
   10         of each executive agency to appoint a veterans’
   11         employment officer; specifying the responsibilities of
   12         such officers; requiring the Department of Management
   13         Services to include specified information regarding
   14         veterans’ recruitment plans in its annual workforce
   15         report; requiring the department to provide certain
   16         training to executive agency supervisory personnel;
   17         requiring participating agencies to reimburse the
   18         department for training if certain conditions exist;
   19         requiring the department to review and monitor certain
   20         executive agency actions; providing an effective date.
   21          
   22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   23  
   24         Section 1. Section 110.1121, Florida Statutes, is created
   25  to read:
   26         110.1121 Veterans’ employment opportunity.—
   27         (1) It is the policy of this state to assist in providing
   28  the assurance of equal employment opportunity through programs
   29  of affirmative and positive action that will allow full
   30  utilization of veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
   31         (2)(a) The head of each executive agency shall develop and
   32  implement a veterans’ recruitment plan in accordance with rules
   33  adopted by the department and approved by a majority vote of the
   34  Administration Commission before their adoption.
   35         (b) Each executive agency shall establish annual goals for
   36  ensuring full utilization of veterans in the agency’s workforce
   37  as compared to the relevant labor market, as defined by the
   38  agency. Each executive agency shall design its veterans’
   39  recruitment plan to meet its established goals.
   40         (c) A veterans’ employment officer shall be appointed by
   41  the head of each executive agency, who may be a full-time or
   42  part-time employee. The responsibilities of the veterans’
   43  employment officer include determining annual goals, monitoring
   44  agency compliance, and consulting with managers regarding
   45  progress, deficiencies, and appropriate corrective action.
   46         (d) The department shall include in its annual workforce
   47  report information regarding the implementation, continuance,
   48  updating, and results of each executive agency’s veterans’
   49  recruitment plan for the previous fiscal year.
   50         (e) The department shall provide training in the principles
   51  of veterans’ recruitment and hiring, the development and
   52  implementation of a veterans’ recruitment plan, and the
   53  establishment of veterans’ employment goals to all supervisory
   54  personnel of the executive agencies. The department may contract
   55  for training services, and each participating agency shall
   56  reimburse the department for costs incurred through such
   57  contracts. After the department approves the content of the
   58  training program, the department may delegate this training to
   59  the executive agencies.
   60         (3) The department shall review and monitor executive
   61  agency actions in carrying out the rules adopted by the
   62  department pursuant to this section.
   63         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2016.