Florida Senate - 2010                            (NP)    SB 2512
       
       
       
       By Senator Richter
       
       
       
       
       37-01709-10                                           20102512__
    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
    5         just cause in an appeal of disciplinary action;
    6         providing that certain retirement health insurance
    7         benefits shall not be available to employees
    8         commencing employment after a specified date;
    9         providing an effective date.
   10  
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 13 and subsections (5)
   14  and (6) of section 15 of chapter 74-522, Laws of Florida, as
   15  amended by chapters 2007-320 and 2008-276, Laws of Florida, are
   16  amended to read:
   17         Section 13. Discipline; suspensions; dismissal; appeals.—
   18         (2) At the hearing, the sheriff employee has the burden of
   19  proving that the Sheriff lacked just cause supported by
   20  competent and substantial evidence for the disciplinary action
   21  under appeal.
   22         Section 15. Funding of civil service board and retirement
   23  health insurance benefits.—
   24         (5) Retirement health insurance benefits for employees with
   25  15 or more years of service; employer premium payments.
   26  Effective October 1, 1986, and thereafter, it is the duty of the
   27  Sheriff of Lee County to provide annually in his or her budget a
   28  sufficient sum of money to pay a portion of the cost of the
   29  health and hospitalization insurance premiums for employees of
   30  the Lee County Sheriff’s Office who retire after having
   31  accumulated at least 15 or more years of full-time, active
   32  service with the office. Employer premiums payable under this
   33  provision are limited to major medical and hospitalization
   34  insurance and do not include premiums for dental or vision
   35  insurance. Retirees may purchase, at their expense, individual
   36  or family group dental insurance or vision insurance, or both.
   37  The benefits payable under this subsection shall not be
   38  available to any individual commencing employment with the Lee
   39  County Sheriff’s Office on or after October 1, 2010.
   40         (6) Benefits payable under subsection (5).—Benefits payable
   41  under subsection (5) are only available to employees commencing
   42  employment on or after October 1, 1986, and prior to October 1,
   43  2010, who retire from the Florida Retirement System and
   44  terminate employment after 15 or more years of service with the
   45  Lee County Sheriff’s Office. A member of the Florida Retirement
   46  System employed prior to October 1, 2009, who has been a full
   47  time member of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for the 10 years
   48  immediately preceding his or her retirement may claim up to 5
   49  years of previous service with another Florida Retirement System
   50  employer subject to verification by the Division of Retirement
   51  of the Department of Management Services to meet the 15-year
   52  requirement as provided for in subsection (5). Persons hired by
   53  the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on or after October 1, 2009, are
   54  not eligible to claim additional years of service from previous
   55  Florida Retirement System employers to qualify for employer-paid
   56  health and hospitalization insurance benefits as provided for in
   57  subsection (5).
   58         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.