Florida Senate - 2020 SB By Senator Diaz 36-01364-20 20201050__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled

An act relating to disaster volunteer leave for state employees; amending s. 110.120, F.S.; reordering, 3 revising, and providing

definitions; expanding the Florida Disaster Volunteer Leave Act to include employees of the legislative and judicial branches of state government; revising conditions under which an employee may be granted leave under the act; 8 specifying requirements and limitations; providing an effective date. 10

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12

Section

Section 110.120, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 15 110.120 Administrative leave for disaster service volunteers.— 17

(1) SHORT TITLE.—This

section shall be known and may be cited as the “Florida Disaster Volunteer Leave Act.” 19

(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term following terms shall apply: 21 (c)(a) “State agency” means any official, officer, 22 commission, board, authority, council, committee, or department of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government. 25 (a)(b) “Disaster” means an event that results in a state of emergency, as declared by executive order or proclamation issued by the Governor of this state or any other state or territory of the United States includes disasters designated at level II and Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1050 36-01364-20 20201050__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. above in the American National Red Cross regulations and procedures. 31

(b) “Disaster area” means a location covered under a state of emergency, as declared by executive order or proclamation issued by the Governor of this state or any other state or territory of the United States. 35

(d) “Volunteer” means an individual who has entered into an agreement with a tax-exempt nonprofit organization under s. 37 501(c)(3) or s. 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code to provide nonpaid services to a disaster area for disaster response or recovery. 40

(3) LEAVE OF ABSENCE.—An employee of a state agency who is a certified disaster service volunteer of the American Red Cross may be granted a leave of absence with pay for no not more than 43 working hours working days in any 12-month period to serve as a volunteer participate in specialized disaster relief services for the American Red Cross. Such leave of absence may be granted upon the request of the employee American Red Cross and upon the approval of the employee’s employing agency after verifying the employee’s volunteer status. An employee granted leave under this

section is shall not be deemed to be an employee of the state for purposes of workers’ compensation. 51 Leave under this

section act may be granted only for providing volunteer for services related to a disaster occurring within the boundaries of this the state of Florida, except that, with the approval of the Governor and Cabinet, leave may be granted to an employee to provide volunteer for services in response to a disaster occurring within the states or territories boundaries of the United States upon approval of the head of the employee’s Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1050 36-01364-20 20201050__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. employing agency. An employee who is granted leave under this

section must attest to his or her employing agency that he or she has completed his or her volunteer service for a disaster, 61 and must also specify the period of time for which he or she served as a volunteer for that event and a description of the disaster response or recovery services that the employee provided. 65

Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020. 66