Bill Amendment: FL H7055 | 2018 | Regular Session
NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List
Bill Title: Education
Status: 2018-03-12 - Chapter No. 2018-6 [H7055 Detail]
Download: Florida-2018-H7055-Senate_Floor_Amendment_295692_to_Amendment_734058_.html
Bill Title: Education
Status: 2018-03-12 - Chapter No. 2018-6 [H7055 Detail]
Download: Florida-2018-H7055-Senate_Floor_Amendment_295692_to_Amendment_734058_.html
Florida Senate - 2018 SENATOR AMENDMENT Bill No. CS for HB 7055 Ì295692IÎ295692 LEGISLATIVE ACTION Senate . House . . . . . ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Senator Mayfield moved the following: 1 Senate Amendment to Amendment (734058) (with title 2 amendment) 3 4 Before line 5 5 insert: 6 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (13) of section 7 121.091, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 8 121.091 Benefits payable under the system.—Benefits may not 9 be paid under this section unless the member has terminated 10 employment as provided in s. 121.021(39)(a) or begun 11 participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program as 12 provided in subsection (13), and a proper application has been 13 filed in the manner prescribed by the department. The department 14 may cancel an application for retirement benefits when the 15 member or beneficiary fails to timely provide the information 16 and documents required by this chapter and the department’s 17 rules. The department shall adopt rules establishing procedures 18 for application for retirement benefits and for the cancellation 19 of such application when the required information or documents 20 are not received. 21 (13) DEFERRED RETIREMENT OPTION PROGRAM.—In general, and 22 subject to this section, the Deferred Retirement Option Program, 23 hereinafter referred to as DROP, is a program under which an 24 eligible member of the Florida Retirement System may elect to 25 participate, deferring receipt of retirement benefits while 26 continuing employment with his or her Florida Retirement System 27 employer. The deferred monthly benefits shall accrue in the 28 Florida Retirement System on behalf of the member, plus interest 29 compounded monthly, for the specified period of the DROP 30 participation, as provided in paragraph (c). Upon termination of 31 employment, the member shall receive the total DROP benefits and 32 begin to receive the previously determined normal retirement 33 benefits. Participation in the DROP does not guarantee 34 employment for the specified period of DROP. Participation in 35 DROP by an eligible member beyond the initial 60-month period as 36 authorized in this subsection shall be on an annual contractual 37 basis for all participants. 38 (b) Participation in DROP.—Except as provided in this 39 paragraph, an eligible member may elect to participate in DROP 40 for a period not to exceed a maximum of 60 calendar months. 41 1.a. An eligible member may elect to participate in DROP 42 for a period not to exceed a maximum of 60 calendar months. 43 However, members who are instructional personnel employed by the 44 Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and authorized by the 45 Board of Trustees of the Florida School for the Deaf and the 46 Blind, who are instructional personnel as defined in s. 47 1012.01(2)(a)-(d) in grades K-12 and authorized by the district 48 school superintendent, or who are instructional personnel as 49 defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a) employed by a developmental research 50 school and authorized by the school’s director, or if the school 51 has no director, by the school’s principal, may participate in 52 DROP for up to 36 calendar months beyond the 60-month period. 53 Effective July 1, 2018, instructional personnel who are 54 authorized to extend DROP participation beyond the 60-month 55 period must have a termination date that is the last day of the 56 last calendar month of the school year within the DROP extension 57 granted by the employer. If, on July 1, 2018, the member’s DROP 58 participation has already been extended for the maximum 36 59 calendar months and the extension period concludes before the 60 end of the school year, the member’s DROP participation may be 61 extended through the last day of the last calendar month of that 62 school year. The employer shall notify the division of the 63 change in termination date and the additional period of DROP 64 participation for the affected instructional personnel. 65 b. Administrative personnel in grades K-12, as defined in 66 s. 1012.01(3), who have a DROP termination date on or after July 67 1, 2018, may be authorized to extend DROP participation beyond 68 the initial 60 calendar month period if the administrative 69 personnel’s termination date is before the end of the school 70 year. Such administrative personnel may have DROP participation 71 extended until the last day of the last calendar month of the 72 school year in which their original DROP termination date 73 occurred if a date other than the last day of the last calendar 74 month of the school year is designated. The employer shall 75 notify the division of the change in termination date and the 76 additional period of DROP participation for the affected 77 administrative personnel. 78 2. Upon deciding to participate in DROP, the member shall 79 submit, on forms required by the division: 80 a. A written election to participate in DROP; 81 b. Selection of DROP participation and termination dates 82 that satisfy the limitations stated in paragraph (a) and 83 subparagraph 1. The termination date must be in a binding letter 84 of resignation to the employer establishing a deferred 85 termination date. The member may change the termination date 86 within the limitations of subparagraph 1., but only with the 87 written approval of the employer; 88 c. A properly completed DROP application for service 89 retirement as provided in this section; and 90 d. Any other information required by the division. 91 3. The DROP participant is a retiree under the Florida 92 Retirement System for all purposes, except for paragraph (5)(f) 93 and subsection (9) and ss. 112.3173, 112.363, 121.053, and 94 121.122. DROP participation is final and may not be canceled by 95 the participant after the first payment is credited during the 96 DROP participation period. However, participation in DROP does 97 not alter the participant’s employment status, and the member is 98 not deemed retired from employment until his or her deferred 99 resignation is effective and termination occurs as defined in s. 100 121.021. 101 4. Elected officers are eligible to participate in DROP 102 subject to the following: 103 a. An elected officer who reaches normal retirement date 104 during a term of office may defer the election to participate 105 until the next succeeding term in that office. An elected 106 officer who exercises this option may participate in DROP for up 107 to 60 calendar months or no longer than the succeeding term of 108 office, whichever is less. 109 b. An elected or a nonelected participant may run for a 110 term of office while participating in DROP and, if elected, 111 extend the DROP termination date accordingly; however, if such 112 additional term of office exceeds the 60-month limitation 113 established in subparagraph 1., and the officer does not resign 114 from office within such 60-month limitation, the retirement and 115 the participant’s DROP is null and void as provided in sub 116 subparagraph (c)5.d. 117 c. An elected officer who is dually employed and elects to 118 participate in DROP must terminate all employment relationships 119 as provided in s. 121.021(39) for the nonelected position within 120 the original 60-month period or maximum participation period as 121 provided in subparagraph 1. For DROP participation ending: 122 (I) Before July 1, 2010, the officer may continue 123 employment as an elected officer as provided in s. 121.053. The 124 elected officer shall be enrolled as a renewed member in the 125 Elected Officers’ Class or the Regular Class, as provided in ss. 126 121.053 and 121.122, on the first day of the month after 127 termination of employment in the nonelected position and 128 termination of DROP. Distribution of the DROP benefits shall be 129 made as provided in paragraph (c). 130 (II) On or after July 1, 2010, the officer may continue 131 employment as an elected officer but must defer termination as 132 provided in s. 121.053. 133 Section 2. The Legislature finds that a proper and 134 legitimate state purpose is served when employees and retirees 135 of the state and its political subdivisions, and the dependents, 136 survivors, and beneficiaries of such employees and retirees, are 137 extended the basic protections afforded by governmental 138 retirement systems. These persons must be provided benefits that 139 are fair and adequate and that are managed, administered, and 140 funded in an actuarially sound manner, as required by s. 14, 141 Article X of the State Constitution and part VII of chapter 112, 142 Florida Statutes. Therefore, the Legislature determines and 143 declares that the amendments made to s. 121.091, Florida 144 Statutes, by this act fulfills an important state interest. 145 146 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================ 147 And the title is amended as follows: 148 Delete line 4697 149 and insert: 150 An act relating to education; amending s. 121.091, 151 F.S.; revising limitations on the maximum length of 152 participation in the Deferred Retirement Option 153 Program for certain instructional personnel and 154 administrative personnel; requiring an employer to 155 notify the Division of Retirement of the Department of 156 Management Services regarding any change in 157 termination date and program participation for each 158 affected member; providing a statement of important 159 state interest; creating s. 212.099,