HB 157

1	A bill to be entitled
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 the provisions of this section from
24	funds appropriated to the department for this purpose. If In the
25	event insufficient funds are appropriated to the department,
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 an employee may be authorized to take paid time off
35	during his or her regular working hours for training and career
36	development, as provided in s. 110.105(1), if such training
37	benefits the employer as determined by that employee's agency
38	head.
39	(3)  A state or local government An employee who exhibits
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 an employee's training request, the state or local
50	government an agency or the judicial branch may require the an
51	employee to enter into an agreement that requires the employee
52	to reimburse the agency or judicial branch for the registration
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 or judicial branch within a specified
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 an agency or the judicial
60	branch requires an employee to attend. A state or local
61	government An agency or the judicial branch may pay the
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 such state employee.
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)(5)  The Department of Management Services, in
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  State employee Fee waivers.-
83	(1)  As a benefit to the employers employer and employees
84	of the state and local government, subject to approval by an
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 For purposes of this section, the term:
105	(a)  "State employee" means an employee employees of the
106	state include employees of the executive, legislative, or and
107	judicial branch branches of state government, except for a
108	person persons employed by a state university.
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.

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