Florida Senate - 2016 CS for SB 1538
By the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
Domestic Security; and Senator Evers
583-02600-16 20161538c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to veterans employment; amending s.
3 295.07, F.S.; requiring each state agency and
4 authorizing other political subdivisions of the state
5 to develop and implement a veterans recruitment plan;
6 requiring specified goals for veterans recruitment
7 plans; requiring the Department of Management Services
8 to collect specified data and to include the data in
9 its annual workforce report and on its website;
10 amending ss. 295.085 and 295.09, F.S.; conforming
11 cross-references; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Present subsection (4) of section 295.07,
16 Florida Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (5), and a new
17 subsection (4) is added to that section, to read:
18 295.07 Preference in appointment and retention.—
19 (4)(a) Each state agency shall, and political subdivisions
20 of the state may, develop and implement a written veterans
21 recruitment plan that establishes annual goals for ensuring the
22 full use of veterans in the agency’s or political subdivision’s
23 workforce. Each veterans recruitment plan must be designed to
24 meet the established goals.
25 (b) The Department of Management Services shall collect
26 statistical data for each state agency on the number of persons
27 who claim veterans’ preference, the number of persons who are
28 hired through the veterans’ preference, and the number of
29 persons who are hired as a result of the veterans recruitment
30 plan. The department shall annually update the statistical data
31 on its website and include it in its annual workforce report.
32 (c) For purposes of this subsection, a veterans recruitment
33 plan applies to veterans and their family members identified in
34 subsection (1).
35 Section 2. Section 295.085, Florida Statutes, is amended to
36 read:
37 295.085 Positions for which a numerically based selection
38 process is not used.—In all positions in which the appointment
39 or employment of persons is not subject to a written
40 examination, with the exception of positions that are exempt
41 under s. 295.07(5) s. 295.07(4), first preference in
42 appointment, employment, and retention shall be given by the
43 state and political subdivisions in the state to a person
44 included under s. 295.07(1)(a) or (b), and second preference
45 shall be given to a person included under s. 295.07(1)(c), (d),
46 (e), (f), or (g) who possess the minimum qualifications
47 necessary to discharge the duties of the position involved.
48 Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
49 295.09, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
50 295.09 Reinstatement or reemployment; promotion
51 preference.—
52 (1)(a) When an employee of the state or any of its
53 political subdivisions employed in a position subject or not
54 subject to a career service system or other merit-type system,
55 with the exception of those positions which are exempt pursuant
56 to s. 295.07(5) s. 295.07(4), has served in the Armed Forces of
57 the United States and is discharged or separated therefrom with
58 an honorable discharge, the state or its political subdivision
59 shall reemploy or reinstate such person to the same position
60 that he or she held prior to such service in the armed forces,
61 or to an equivalent position, provided such person returns to
62 the position within 1 year of his or her date of separation or,
63 in cases of extended active duty, within 1 year of the date of
64 discharge or separation subsequent to the extension. Such person
65 shall also be awarded preference in promotion and shall be
66 promoted ahead of all others who are as well qualified or less
67 qualified for the position. When an examination for promotion is
68 utilized, such person shall be awarded preference points, as
69 provided in s. 295.08, and shall be promoted ahead of all those
70 who appear in an equal or lesser position on the promotional
71 register, provided he or she first successfully passes the
72 examination for the promotional position.
73 Section 4. This act shall take effect October 1, 2016.