Florida Senate - 2023 SB 364
By Senator Avila
39-00570-23 2023364__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to bereavement benefits for law
3 enforcement officers; providing a short title;
4 creating s. 110.1205, F.S.; authorizing the head of a
5 law enforcement agency to grant administrative leave
6 to law enforcement officers under certain
7 circumstances; creating s. 112.0615, F.S.; authorizing
8 the head of a law enforcement agency to designate
9 specified travel as official state business; providing
10 for the reimbursement of such travel; amending s.
11 112.19, F.S.; revising the sum paid on the behalf of
12 specified law enforcement officers killed in the line
13 of duty for funeral and burial expenses; amending s.
14 287.17, F.S.; authorizing the use of a state vehicle
15 by specified law enforcement officers if certain
16 conditions exist; declaring that the act fulfills an
17 important state interest; providing an effective date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Respecting the
22 Sacrifice of Law Enforcement Officers Act.”
23 Section 2. Section 110.1205, Florida Statutes, is created
24 to read:
25 110.1205 Bereavement leave for law enforcement officers.
26 The head of a law enforcement agency may grant administrative
27 leave not to exceed 8 hours to a law enforcement officer from
28 the agency to attend the funeral service of a law enforcement
29 officer from the agency who was killed in the line of duty. Law
30 enforcement agency heads may deny such use of administrative
31 leave to maintain adequate staffing levels.
32 Section 3. Section 112.0615, Florida Statutes, is created
33 to read:
34 112.0615 Bereavement travel.—The head of a law enforcement
35 agency may designate as official state business the travel of a
36 law enforcement officer from the agency to attend the funeral
37 services of a law enforcement officer from the agency who was
38 killed in the line of duty. The law enforcement officer must be
39 reimbursed by the agency as provided in s. 112.061 for the
40 expenses incurred traveling to and returning from the funeral
41 service.
42 Section 4. Paragraph (f) of subsection (2) of section
43 112.19, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
44 112.19 Law enforcement, correctional, and correctional
45 probation officers; death benefits.—
46 (2)
47 (f) If a full-time law enforcement, correctional, or
48 correctional probation officer who is certified pursuant to
49 chapter 943 and employed by a state agency is killed in the line
50 of duty while the officer is engaged in the performance of law
51 enforcement duties or as a result of an assault against the
52 officer under riot conditions:
53 1. The sum of $10,000 $1,000 must be paid, as provided for
54 in paragraph (d), toward the funeral and burial expenses of such
55 officer. Such benefits are in addition to any other benefits to
56 which employee beneficiaries and dependents are entitled under
57 the Workers’ Compensation Law or any other state or federal
58 statutes; and
59 2. The officer’s employing agency may pay up to $5,000
60 directly toward the venue expenses associated with the funeral
61 and burial services of such officer.
62 Section 5. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (3) of
63 section 287.17, Florida Statutes, to read:
64 287.17 Limitation on use of motor vehicles and aircraft.—
65 (3)
66 (c) For motor vehicles used by a state employee whose
67 duties are those of a law enforcement officer, as defined in s.
68 943.10, the employee may use a state vehicle to attend the
69 funeral of a law enforcement officer from his or her agency who
70 was killed in the line of duty.
71 Section 6. The Legislature determines and declares that
72 this act fulfills an important state interest.
73 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.