Florida SB 1304: Special Risk Class

Bill Text

1304 
Special Risk Class 
2026-01-07T05:23:47Z 
Revising the Special Risk Class member criteria to include members employed as certain prosecutors and special investigators; providing the years of creditable service for full retirement eligibility, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
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 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1304 

 By Senator Martin 

 33-01134B-26 20261304__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to the special risk class; amending s. 
 3 121.0515, F.S.; revising the Special Risk Class member 
 4 criteria to include members employed as certain 
 5 prosecutors and special investigators; providing the 
 6 years of creditable service for full retirement 
 7 eligibility; making technical changes; amending ss. 
 8 121.052 and 121.055, F.S.; conforming provisions to 
 9 changes made by the act; providing a declaration of 
 10 important state interest; providing an effective date. 
 11 
 12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 13 
 14 Section 1. Paragraph (h) of subsection (2), subsection (3), 
 15 and paragraph (d) of subsection (8) of section 121.0515, Florida 
 16 Statutes, are amended to read: 
 17 121.0515 Special Risk Class.— 
 18 (2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
 19 (h) Effective August 1, 2008, “special risk member” 
 20 includes any member who meets the special criteria for continued 
 21 membership set forth in paragraph (3)(k) (3)(j). 
 22 (3) CRITERIA.—A member, to be designated as a special risk 
 23 member, must meet the following criteria: 
 24 (a) Effective October 1, 1978, the member must be employed 
 25 as a law enforcement officer and be certified, or required to be 
 26 certified, in compliance with s. 943.1395, except that; however, 
 27 sheriffs and elected police chiefs are not required to be 
 28 certified excluded from meeting the certification requirements 
 29 of this paragraph. In addition, the member’s duties and 
 30 responsibilities must include the pursuit, apprehension, and 
 31 arrest of law violators or suspected law violators; or as of 
 32 July 1, 1982, the member must be an active member of a bomb 
 33 disposal unit whose primary responsibility is the location, 
 34 handling, and disposal of explosive devices; or the member must 
 35 be the supervisor or command officer of a member or members who 
 36 have such responsibilities. Administrative support personnel, 
 37 including, but not limited to, those whose primary duties and 
 38 responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and 
 39 personnel, are not included; 
 40 (b) Effective October 1, 1978, the member must be employed 
 41 as a firefighter and be certified, or required to be certified, 
 42 in compliance with s. 633.408 and be employed solely within the 
 43 fire department of a local government employer or an agency of 
 44 state government with firefighting responsibilities. In 
 45 addition, the member’s duties and responsibilities must include 
 46 on-the-scene fighting of fires; as of October 1, 2001, fire 
 47 prevention or firefighter training; as of October 1, 2001, 
 48 direct supervision of firefighting units, fire prevention, or 
 49 firefighter training; or as of July 1, 2001, aerial firefighting 
 50 surveillance performed by fixed-wing aircraft pilots employed by 
 51 the Florida Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture and 
 52 Consumer Services; or the member must be the supervisor or 
 53 command officer of a member or members who have such 
 54 responsibilities. Administrative support personnel, including, 
 55 but not limited to, those whose primary duties and 
 56 responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and 
 57 personnel, are not included. All periods of creditable service 
 58 in fire prevention or firefighter training, or as the supervisor 
 59 or command officer of a member or members who have such 
 60 responsibilities, and for which the employer paid the special 
 61 risk contribution rate, are included; 
 62 (c) Effective October 1, 1978, the member must be employed 
 63 as a correctional officer and be certified, or required to be 
 64 certified, in compliance with s. 943.1395. In addition, the 
 65 member’s primary duties and responsibilities must be the 
 66 custody, and physical restraint if when necessary, of prisoners 
 67 or inmates within a prison, jail, or other criminal detention 
 68 facility, or while on work detail outside the facility, or while 
 69 being transported; or as of July 1, 1984, the member must be the 
 70 supervisor or command officer of a member or members who have 
 71 such responsibilities. Administrative support personnel, 
 72 including, but not limited to, those whose primary duties and 
 73 responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and 
 74 personnel, are not included; however, wardens and assistant 
 75 wardens, as defined by rule, are included; 
 76 (d) Effective October 1, 1999, the member must be employed 
 77 by a licensed Advance Life Support