CS/CS/HB 43

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to public employee compensation; amending
3s. 215.425, F.S.; revising provisions relating to the
4prohibition against the payment of extra compensation;
5providing for bonuses; specifying the conditions for
6paying bonuses; requiring that contracts providing for
7severance pay under certain circumstances include
8specified provisions; defining the term "severance pay";
9prohibiting certain contract provisions that provide for
10extra compensation to limit the ability to discuss the
11contract; amending s. 125.01, F.S.; deleting provisions
12relating to the power of a county to pay extra
13compensation; amending s. 166.021, F.S.; deleting a
14provision that allows a municipality to pay extra
15compensation; amending s. 112.061, F.S.; conforming cross-
16references; repealing s. 373.0795, F.S., relating to a
17prohibition against severance pay for officers or
18employees of water management districts; providing an
19effective date.
20
21Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23     Section 1.  Section 215.425, Florida Statutes, is amended
24to read:
25     215.425  Extra compensation claims prohibited; bonuses;
26severance pay.-
27     (1)  No extra compensation shall be made to any officer,
28agent, employee, or contractor after the service has been
29rendered or the contract made; nor shall any money be
30appropriated or paid on any claim the subject matter of which
31has not been provided for by preexisting laws, unless such
32compensation or claim is allowed by a law enacted by two-thirds
33of the members elected to each house of the Legislature.
34However, when adopting salary schedules for a fiscal year, a
35district school board or community college district board of
36trustees may apply the schedule for payment of all services
37rendered subsequent to July 1 of that fiscal year.
38     (2)  The provisions of This section does do not apply to:
39     (a)  Extra compensation given to state employees who are
40included within the senior management group pursuant to rules
41adopted by the Department of Management Services; to extra
42compensation given to county, municipal, or special district
43employees pursuant to policies adopted by county or municipal
44ordinances or resolutions of governing boards of special
45districts or to employees of the clerk of the circuit court
46pursuant to written policy of the clerk; or to
47     (b)  A clothing and maintenance allowance given to
48plainclothes deputies pursuant to s. 30.49.
49     (3)  Any policy, ordinance, rule, or resolution designed to
50implement a bonus scheme must:
51     (a)  Base the award of a bonus on work performance;
52     (b)  Describe the performance standards and evaluation
53process by which a bonus will be awarded;
54     (c)  Notify all employees of the policy, ordinance, rule,
55or resolution before the beginning of the evaluation period on
56which a bonus will be based; and
57     (d)  Consider all employees for the bonus.
58     (4)(a)  On or after July 1, 2011, a unit of government that
59enters into a contract or employment agreement, or renewal or
60renegotiation of an existing contract or employment agreement,
61that contains a provision for severance pay with an officer,
62agent, employee, or contractor must include the following
63provisions in the contract:
64     1.  A requirement that severance pay provided may not
65exceed an amount greater than 20 weeks of compensation, unless
66the unit of government approves the contract or employment
67agreement, or renewal or renegotiation of a contract or
68employment agreement, by a two-thirds vote of the membership of
69the approving body of the unit of government.
70     2.  A prohibition of provision of severance pay when the
71officer, agent, employee, or contractor has been fired for
72misconduct, as defined in s. 443.036(29), by the unit of
73government.
74     (b)  Notwithstanding paragraph (a), on or after July 1,
752011, an officer, agent, employee, or contractor may receive
76severance pay if:
77     1.  The severance pay is paid from wholly private funds,
78the payment and receipt of which do not otherwise violate part
79III of chapter 112; or
80     2.  The severance pay is administered under part II of
81chapter 112 on behalf of an agency outside this state and would
82be permitted under that agency's personnel system.
83     (c)  This subsection does not create an entitlement to
84severance pay in the absence of its authorization.
85     (d)  As used in this subsection, the term "severance pay"
86means the actual or constructive compensation, including salary,
87benefits, or perquisites, for employment services yet to be
88rendered which is provided to an employee who has recently been
89or is about to be terminated. The term does not include
90compensation for:
91     1.  Earned and accrued annual, sick, compensatory, or
92administrative leave;
93     2.  Early retirement under provisions established in an
94actuarially funded pension plan subject to part VII of chapter
95112; or
96     3.  Any subsidy for the cost of a group insurance plan
97available to an employee upon normal or disability retirement
98that is by policy available to all employees of the unit of
99government pursuant to the unit's health insurance plan. This
100subparagraph may not be construed to limit the ability of a unit
101of government to reduce or eliminate such subsidies.
102     (5)  Any agreement or contract, executed on or after July
1031, 2011, which involves extra compensation between a unit of
104government and an officer, agent, employee, or contractor may
105not include provisions that limit the ability of any party to
106the agreement or contract to discuss the agreement or contract.
107     Section 2.  Paragraphs (cc) and (dd) of subsection (1) of
108section 125.01, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as paragraphs
109(bb) and (cc), respectively, and paragraph (bb) of that
110subsection is amended to read:
111     125.01  Powers and duties.-
112     (1)  The legislative and governing body of a county shall
113have the power to carry on county government. To the extent not
114inconsistent with general or special law, this power includes,
115but is not restricted to, the power to:
116     (bb)  Notwithstanding the prohibition against extra
117compensation set forth in s. 215.425, provide for an extra
118compensation program, including a lump-sum bonus payment
119program, to reward outstanding employees whose performance
120exceeds standards, if the program provides that a bonus payment
121may not be included in an employee's regular base rate of pay
122and may not be carried forward in subsequent years.
123     Section 3.  Present subsections (8) through (10) of section
124166.021, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (7)
125through (9) respectively, and present subsection (7) of that
126section is amended, to read:
127     166.021  Powers.-
128     (7)  Notwithstanding the prohibition against extra
129compensation set forth in s. 215.425, the governing body of a
130municipality may provide for an extra compensation program,
131including a lump-sum bonus payment program, to reward
132outstanding employees whose performance exceeds standards, if
133the program provides that a bonus payment may not be included in
134an employee's regular base rate of pay and may not be carried
135forward in subsequent years.
136     Section 4.  Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (14) of
137section 112.061, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
138     112.061  Per diem and travel expenses of public officers,
139employees, and authorized persons.-
140     (14)  APPLICABILITY TO COUNTIES, COUNTY OFFICERS, DISTRICT
141SCHOOL BOARDS, SPECIAL DISTRICTS, AND METROPOLITAN PLANNING
142ORGANIZATIONS.-
143     (a)  The following entities may establish rates that vary
144from the per diem rate provided in paragraph (6)(a), the
145subsistence rates provided in paragraph (6)(b), or the mileage
146rate provided in paragraph (7)(d) if those rates are not less
147than the statutorily established rates that are in effect for
148the 2005-2006 fiscal year:
149     1.  The governing body of a county by the enactment of an
150ordinance or resolution;
151     2.  A county constitutional officer, pursuant to s. 1(d),
152Art. VIII of the State Constitution, by the establishment of
153written policy;
154     3.  The governing body of a district school board by the
155adoption of rules;
156     4.  The governing body of a special district, as defined in
157s. 189.403(1), except those special districts that are subject
158to s. 166.021(9) 166.021(10), by the enactment of a resolution;
159or
160     5.  Any metropolitan planning organization created pursuant
161to s. 339.175 or any other separate legal or administrative
162entity created pursuant to s. 339.175 of which a metropolitan
163planning organization is a member, by the enactment of a
164resolution.
165     (c)  Except as otherwise provided in this subsection,
166counties, county constitutional officers and entities governed
167by those officers, district school boards, special districts,
168and metropolitan planning organizations, other than those
169subject to s. 166.021(9) 166.021(10), remain subject to the
170requirements of this section.
171     Section 5.  Section 373.0795, Florida Statutes, is
172repealed.
173     Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


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