ENROLLED
       2023 Legislature                           CS for CS for SB 1310
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                                             20231310er
    1  
    2         An act relating to substitution of work experience for
    3         postsecondary education requirements; providing a
    4         short title; amending s. 112.219, F.S.; removing
    5         obsolete language; defining terms; providing that a
    6         postsecondary degree may be a baseline requirement for
    7         employment with a public employer only under a certain
    8         circumstance; conforming provisions to changes made by
    9         the act; amending s. 287.057, F.S.; authorizing an
   10         agency to substitute certain work experience for
   11         postsecondary education requirements for a person
   12         seeking to enter into a contract with the agency under
   13         certain circumstances; providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Section 112.219, Florida Statutes, may be cited
   18  as the “Expanding Public Sector Career Opportunities Act.”
   19         Section 2. Section 112.219, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   20  read:
   21         112.219 Substitution of work experience for postsecondary
   22  educational requirements.—
   23         (1) Beginning July 1, 2022, The head of a public employer
   24  an employing agency may elect to substitute verifiable, related
   25  work experience in lieu of postsecondary educational
   26  requirements for a position of employment if the person seeking
   27  the position of employment is otherwise qualified for such
   28  position.
   29         (2) Related work experience may not substitute for any
   30  required licensure, certification, or registration required for
   31  the position of employment as established by the public employer
   32  employing agency and indicated in the advertised description of
   33  the position of employment.
   34         (3) If the head of a public employer an employing agency
   35  elects to substitute related work experience for postsecondary
   36  educational requirements, the public employer employing agency
   37  must include, in all advertisements for the position of
   38  employment made by the public employer employing agency, include
   39  a notice that such substitution is authorized and a description
   40  of the related work experience equivalencies that may be
   41  substituted for the required postsecondary education.
   42         (4) This section does not abridge state and federal laws
   43  and regulations governing equal opportunity employment.
   44         (5) For purposes of this section, the term:
   45         (a) “Postsecondary degree” means an associate degree, a
   46  bachelor’s degree, or a graduate degree from an accredited
   47  college or university.
   48         (b) “Public employer” has the same meaning as in s. 448.095
   49  “employing agency” means any agency or unit of government of the
   50  state or any county, municipality, or political subdivision
   51  thereof, including special districts, that is authorized to
   52  employ personnel to carry out the responsibilities of the agency
   53  or unit of government.
   54         (6) A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as
   55  a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of
   56  years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
   57         (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
   58         (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s
   59  degree;
   60         (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
   61         (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional
   62  degree; or
   63         (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree.
   64         Section 3. Subsection (28) is added to section 287.057,
   65  Florida Statutes, to read:
   66         287.057 Procurement of commodities or contractual
   67  services.—
   68         (28) An agency may substitute verifiable, related work
   69  experience in lieu of postsecondary education requirements for
   70  contractual services pursuant to s. 112.219 if the person
   71  seeking the contract for services is otherwise qualified for
   72  such contract.
   73         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.