Bill Text: FL H0157 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Educ. and Training Opportunities/Public Employees
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [H0157 Detail]
Download: Florida-2011-H0157-Introduced.html
HB 157 |
1 | |
2 | An act relating to education and training opportunities |
3 | for public employees; amending s. 110.1099, F.S.; |
4 | providing certain educational opportunities for specified |
5 | local government employees; amending s. 1009.265, F.S.; |
6 | authorizing the use of fee waivers for specified local |
7 | government employees; providing an effective date. |
8 | |
9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
10 | |
11 | Section 1. Section 110.1099, Florida Statutes, is amended |
12 | to read: |
13 | 110.1099 Education and training opportunities for state |
14 | and local government employees.- |
15 | (1) Education and training are an integral component in |
16 | improving the delivery of services to the public. Recognizing |
17 | that the application of productivity-enhancing technology and |
18 | practice demands continuous educational and training |
19 | opportunities, a state or local government employee may be |
20 | authorized to receive a voucher or grant, for matriculation |
21 | fees, to attend work-related courses at public community |
22 | colleges, public career centers, or public universities. The |
23 | department may implement |
24 | funds appropriated to the department for this purpose. If |
25 | |
26 | each state or local government agency may supplement these funds |
27 | to support the training and education needs of its employees |
28 | from funds appropriated to the agency. |
29 | (2) The department, in conjunction with the state and |
30 | local government agencies, shall request that public |
31 | universities provide evening and weekend programs for state and |
32 | local government employees. When evening and weekend training |
33 | and educational programs are not available, a state or local |
34 | government |
35 | during his or her regular working hours for training and career |
36 | development |
37 | benefits the employer as determined by that employee's agency |
38 | head. |
39 | (3) A state or local government |
40 | superior aptitude and performance may be authorized by that |
41 | employee's agency head to take a paid educational leave of |
42 | absence for up to 1 academic year at a time, for specific |
43 | approved work-related education and training. That employee must |
44 | enter into a contract to return to state or local government |
45 | employment for a period of time equal to the length of the leave |
46 | of absence or refund salary and benefits paid during his or her |
47 | educational leave of absence. |
48 | (4) As a precondition to approving a state or local |
49 | government |
50 | government |
51 | employee to enter into an agreement that requires the employee |
52 | to reimburse the agency |
53 | fee or similar expense for any training or training series when |
54 | the cost of the fee or similar expense exceeds $1,000 if the |
55 | employee voluntarily terminates employment or is discharged for |
56 | cause from the agency |
57 | period of time not to exceed 4 years after the conclusion of the |
58 | training. This subsection does not apply to any training program |
59 | that a state or local government |
60 | |
61 | government |
62 | outstanding balance then due and owing on behalf of a state or |
63 | local government employee under this subsection in connection |
64 | with the recruitment and hiring of that |
65 | (5) As used in this section, the term: |
66 | (a) "State employee" means an employee of the executive or |
67 | judicial branch of state government, except for a person |
68 | employed by a state university. |
69 | (b) "Local government employee" means a full-time employee |
70 | of a county or municipality who is a law enforcement officer as |
71 | defined in s. 943.10(1), a correctional officer as defined in s. |
72 | 943.10(2), a firefighter as defined in s. 633.30(1), or an |
73 | emergency medical technician or paramedic as defined in s. |
74 | 401.23. |
75 | (6) |
76 | consultation with the state and local government agencies and, |
77 | to the extent applicable, with Florida's public community |
78 | colleges, public career centers, and public universities, shall |
79 | adopt rules to administer this section. |
80 | Section 2. Section 1009.265, Florida Statutes, is amended |
81 | to read: |
82 | 1009.265 |
83 | (1) As a benefit to the employers |
84 | of |
85 | employee's agency head or the equivalent, each state university |
86 | and community college shall waive tuition and fees for state and |
87 | local government employees to enroll for up to 6 credit hours of |
88 | courses per term on a space-available basis. |
89 | (2) The Chief Financial Officer, in cooperation with the |
90 | community colleges and state universities, shall identify and |
91 | implement ways to ease the administrative burden to community |
92 | colleges and state universities, including, but not limited to, |
93 | providing easier access to verify state and local government |
94 | employment. |
95 | (3) From funds appropriated by the Legislature for |
96 | administrative costs to implement this section, community |
97 | colleges and state universities shall be reimbursed on a pro |
98 | rata basis according to the cost assessment data developed by |
99 | the Department of Education. |
100 | (4) The Auditor General shall include a review of the cost |
101 | assessment data in conjunction with his or her audit |
102 | responsibilities for community colleges, state universities, and |
103 | the Department of Education. |
104 | (5) As used in |
105 | (a) "State employee" means an employee |
106 | |
107 | judicial branch |
108 | person |
109 | (b) "Local government employee" means a full-time employee |
110 | of a county or municipality who is a law enforcement officer as |
111 | defined in s. 943.10(1), a correctional officer as defined in s. |
112 | 943.10(2), a firefighter as defined in s. 633.30(1), or an |
113 | emergency medical technician or paramedic as defined in s. |
114 | 401.23. |
115 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011. |
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