Relating to employment benefits for public safety employees and volunteers of cities and counties and making appropriations

This bill provides that a person who is employed by a city or county as a public safety employee for at least 32 hours per week shall, for such week, be considered a full-time employee of the city or county for purposes of any employment benefit available to the employee from the city or county or from the state. The bill also provides that a person who volunteers for a city or county as a public safety volunteer for at least 32 hours per week shall, for such week, be granted all employment benefits available from the city or county or from the state to full-time public safety employees employed by the city or county. These requirements apply notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary. The bill defines “public safety employee” as a person employed as a police officer, fire fighter, or an emergency medical care provider. The bill defines “public safety volunteer” as a person who volunteers for a city or county as a reserve peace officer, a volunteer fire fighter, or an emergency medical care provider. The bill defines “employment benefit” as including but not limited to any form of insurance and any pension or other retirement benefit. The bill provides that the cost of all employment benefits paid to a public safety employee or public safety volunteer as required by the bill that would not have been required but for the bill shall be paid by the department of management from moneys available in the local public safety employment benefit fund created by the bill. The bill requires the department of management to establish by rule a process and timeline for cities and counties to calculate, document, and submit to the department the cost of employment benefits for which the department is responsible under the bill. Such timeline shall require cities and counties to submit such documentation to the department with sufficient time before payment is due to allow the department to validate the costs and resolve any dispute as to the correct calculation. The bill appropriates from the general fund to the department of management for each fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2025, an amount necessary to fully pay for the cost of employment benefits as described in the bill.3. The bill provides that funds generated in the bill are intended to cover the costs of any state mandate included in the bill. The inclusion of this specification of state funding is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.