HB 1249

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Lee County Sheriff's Office;
3	amending chapter 74-522, Laws of Florida, as amended;
4	providing that the sheriff has the burden of proving just
5	cause in an appeal of disciplinary action; providing that
6	certain retirement health insurance benefits shall not be
7	available to employees commencing employment after a
8	specified date; providing an effective date.
9
10	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12	Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 13 and subsections
13	(5) and (6) of section 15 of chapter 74-522, Laws of Florida, as
14	amended by chapters 2007-320 and 2008-276, Laws of Florida, are
15	amended to read:
16	Section 13.  Discipline; suspensions; dismissal; appeals.-
17	(2)  At the hearing, the sheriff employee has the burden of
18	proving that the Sheriff lacked just cause supported by
19	competent and substantial evidence for the disciplinary action
20	under appeal.
21	Section 15.  Funding of civil service board and retirement
22	health insurance benefits.-
23	(5)  Retirement health insurance benefits for employees
24	with 15 or more years of service; employer premium payments.-
25	Effective October 1, 1986, and thereafter, it is the duty of the
26	Sheriff of Lee County to provide annually in his or her budget a
27	sufficient sum of money to pay a portion of the cost of the
28	health and hospitalization insurance premiums for employees of
29	the Lee County Sheriff's Office who retire after having
30	accumulated at least 15 or more years of full-time, active
31	service with the office. Employer premiums payable under this
32	provision are limited to major medical and hospitalization
33	insurance and do not include premiums for dental or vision
34	insurance. Retirees may purchase, at their expense, individual
35	or family group dental insurance or vision insurance, or both.
36	The benefits payable under this subsection shall not be
37	available to any individual commencing employment with the Lee
38	County Sheriff's Office on or after October 1, 2010.
39	(6)  Benefits payable under subsection (5).-Benefits
40	payable under subsection (5) are only available to employees
41	commencing employment on or after October 1, 1986, and prior to
42	October 1, 2010, who retire from the Florida Retirement System
43	and terminate employment after 15 or more years of service with
44	the Lee County Sheriff's Office. A member of the Florida
45	Retirement System employed prior to October 1, 2009, who has
46	been a full-time member of the Lee County Sheriff's Office for
47	the 10 years immediately preceding his or her retirement may
48	claim up to 5 years of previous service with another Florida
49	Retirement System employer subject to verification by the
50	Division of Retirement of the Department of Management Services
51	to meet the 15-year requirement as provided for in subsection
52	(5). Persons hired by the Lee County Sheriff's Office on or
53	after October 1, 2009, are not eligible to claim additional
54	years of service from previous Florida Retirement System
55	employers to qualify for employer-paid health and
56	hospitalization insurance benefits as provided for in subsection
57	(5).
58	Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

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