Florida Senate - 2026                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1296
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì553092&Î553092                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————




       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
       Senator Mayfield moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment 
    2  
    3         Delete lines 1734 - 1765
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 22. Section 447.509, Florida Statutes, is amended
    6  to read:
    7         447.509 Other unlawful acts; exceptions.—
    8         (1) Employee organizations, their members, agents, or
    9  representatives, or any persons acting on their behalf are
   10  hereby prohibited from:
   11         (a) Soliciting public employees during working hours of any
   12  employee who is involved in the solicitation.
   13         (b) Distributing literature during working hours in areas
   14  where the actual work of public employees is performed, such as
   15  offices, warehouses, schools, police stations, fire stations,
   16  and any similar public installations. This section may shall not
   17  be construed to prohibit the distribution of literature during
   18  the employee’s lunch hour or in such areas not specifically
   19  devoted to the performance of the employee’s official duties.
   20         (c) Instigating or advocating support, in any positive
   21  manner, for an employee organization’s activities from high
   22  school or grade school students during classroom time.
   23         (d) Offering anything of value to a public officer as
   24  defined in s. 112.313(1) which the public officer is prohibited
   25  from accepting under s. 112.313(2).
   26         (e) Offering any compensation, payment, or thing of value
   27  to a public officer as defined in s. 112.313(1) which the public
   28  officer is prohibited from accepting under s. 112.313(4).
   29         (2) An No employee organization may not shall directly or
   30  indirectly pay any fines or penalties assessed against
   31  individuals pursuant to the provisions of this part.
   32         (3) Public employers, their agents or representatives, or
   33  persons acting on their behalf may not provide any form of
   34  compensation or paid leave to a public employee, directly or
   35  indirectly, for the purpose of engaging in employee organization
   36  activities.
   37         (4) Notwithstanding subsection (3), a public employee may
   38  do any of the following:
   39         (a) Be granted time off without pay or benefits to engage
   40  in employee organization activities, provided that the public
   41  employer and the bargaining agent agree. An employee
   42  organization may compensate a public employee for engaging in
   43  employee organization activities.
   44         (b) Use compensated personal leave, whether the leave is
   45  the public employee’s or is voluntarily donated by other public
   46  employees in the bargaining unit, to engage in employee
   47  organization activities if:
   48         1. The leave is accrued at the same rate by similarly
   49  situated public employees in the bargaining unit without regard
   50  to membership in or participation with an employee organization.
   51         2. The public employee may freely choose the manner in
   52  which to use the leave.
   53         (c) Engage in representational employee organization
   54  activities on behalf of the bargaining agent while in a duty
   55  status without loss of pay or benefits, provided that the public
   56  employer and the bargaining agent agree.
   57         (5) Notwithstanding subsection (3), a public employer may
   58  provide compensation and benefits to a public employee for the
   59  purpose of engaging in employee organization activities if
   60  agreed to in the collective bargaining agreement and if the
   61  public employer is fully reimbursed by the employee organization
   62  for such compensation and benefits.
   63         (6) Subsections (3) and (4) do not apply to public
   64  employees in public safety units.
   65         (7) The circuit courts of this state shall have
   66  jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of this section by
   67  injunction and contempt proceedings, if necessary. A public
   68  employee who is convicted of a violation of any provision of
   69  this section may be discharged or otherwise disciplined by his
   70  or her public employer, notwithstanding further provisions of
   71  law, and notwithstanding the provisions of any collective
   72  bargaining agreement.