Title: Collective Bargaining for Certain Public Employees

Summary: Specifies that for purposes of resolving impasse, the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, & clerk of circuit court are each "legislative body" for their respective employees; provides that board of county commissioners is legislative body for resolving impasse related to wages; requires board of county commissioners to provide supplemental funds to county constitutional officers under certain circumstances; provides that in county that has expressly abolished any such office, such duties are transferred to elected or appointed charter officer if charter is not inconsistent with general law or special law approved by vote of electors; defines term "wages."

Full Text:
An act relating to collective bargaining for certain public employees; amending s. 447.203, F.S.; specifying that for purposes of resolving an impasse, the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, and clerk of the circuit court are each the "legislative body" for their respective employees; providing that the board of county commissioners is the legislative body for resolving an impasse rel ated to wages; requiring the board of county commissioners to provide supplemental funds to the county constitutional officers under certain circumstances; providing that in a county that has expressly abolished any such office, such duties are transferred to an elected or appointed charter officer if the charter is not inconsistent with general law or a special law approved by a vote of the electors; defining the term "wages"; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Subsection (10) of section 447.203, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 447.203 Definitions.-As used in this part: (10) "Legislative body" means the State Legislature, the HB 2014 board of county commissioners, the district school board, the governing body of a municipality, or the governing body of an instrumentality or unit of government having authority to appropriate funds and establish policy governing the terms and conditions of employment and which, as the case may be, is th eappropriate legislative body for the bargaining unit. (a) For purposes of s. 447.403, the Board of Governors of the State University System, or the board's designee, is shall be deemed to be the legislative body with respect to all employees of each co nstituent state university. (b) For purposes of s. 447.403,the board of trustees of a community college is shall be deemed to be the legislative body with respect to all employees of the community college. (c) For purposes of s. 447.403, and as sovere ign constitutional officers under s. 1(d), Art. VIII of the State Constitution, the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, and clerk of the circuit court are each the legislative body for their respective employees. However, when an impasse is declared and the disputed issue relates to wages, the board of county commissioners is the legislative body for purposes of resolving the impasse. If the resolution of the impasse by the board of county commissioners provides for an increase beyond the county constitutional officer's final offer at impasse and the impasse is resolved after the beginning of the fiscal year, the board of county commissioners shall provide supplemental funds to the county constitutional officer HB 2014 sufficient to pay the increased wages beyond the county constitutional officer's final offer at impasse. If the resolution of the impasse includes the upcoming fiscal year, the board of county commissioners must provide, at a minimum, such funds as are necessary for the constitutional officer to maintain the same staffing levels as the previous fiscal year and to fund the increase. If the county fails to provide such funds, the constitutional officer may appl yto the circuit court, and the court shall require the county to pay the appropriate amount. Notwithstanding this paragraph, the county constitutional officer and his or her employees who are members of the bargaining unit shall be the parties required to approve the collective bargaining agreement pursuant to s..309. This paragraph does not impair or limit the ability of a constitutional officer to appeal his or her budget as otherwise provided by law. (d) However, if provided by a county charter that was approved by a vote of the electors of the county and tha texpressly abolished the office of the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, or clerk of the circuit court and expressly transferred all duties prescribed by general law to an elected or appointed charter officer, that officer is subject to such charter if the charter is not inconsistent with general law or with a special law approved by a vote of the electors under s. 1(g), Art. VIII of the State Constitution. HB 2014 (e) For the purposes of this subsection, "wages" means the base salary or base salary adjustments of employees who are members of a bargaining unit. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.