Florida Senate Bill S0570 Introduced / Bill

 Florida Senate - 2024 SB 570  By Senator Burgess 23-00853-24 2024570__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to alternative headquarters for 3 district court of appeal judges; amending s. 35.051, 4 F.S.; authorizing a district court of appeal judge to 5 have an appropriate facility in a county adjacent to 6 his or her county of residence as the judges official 7 headquarters; authorizing subsistence and travel 8 reimbursement to such judges; providing an effective 9 date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13 Section 1.Subsection (1) of section 35.051, Florida 14 Statutes, is amended to read: 15 35.051Subsistence and travel reimbursement for judges with 16 alternate headquarters. 17 (1)(a)A district court of appeal judge is eligible for the 18 designation of a county courthouse or another appropriate 19 facility in his or her county of residence, or an adjacent 20 county within the district, as his or her official headquarters 21 for purposes of s. 112.061 if the judge permanently resides more 22 than 50 miles from: 23 1.The appellate districts headquarters as prescribed 24 under s. 35.05(1), if the judge is assigned to such 25 headquarters; or 26 2.The appellate districts branch headquarters established 27 under s. 35.05(2), if the judge is assigned to such branch 28 headquarters. 29 30 The official headquarters may serve only as the judges private 31 chambers. 32 (b)1.A district court of appeal judge for whom an official 33 headquarters is designated under paragraph (a) in his or her 34 county of residence under this subsection is eligible for 35 subsistence at a rate to be established by the Chief Justice for 36 each day or partial day that the judge is at the headquarters or 37 branch headquarters of his or her appellate district to conduct 38 court business, as authorized by the chief judge of that 39 district court of appeal. The Chief Justice may authorize a 40 judge to choose between subsistence based on lodging at a 41 single-occupancy rate and meal reimbursement as provided in s. 42 112.061 and subsistence at a fixed rate prescribed by the Chief 43 Justice. 44 2.In addition to subsistence, a district court of appeal 45 judge is eligible for reimbursement for travel expenses as 46 provided in s. 112.061(7) and (8) for travel between the judges 47 official headquarters and the headquarters or branch 48 headquarters of the appellate district to conduct court 49 business. If the judges official headquarters designated under 50 paragraph (a) is located in a county adjacent to the judges 51 county of residence, such reimbursement is limited to the lesser 52 of: 53 a.The amount for travel between the judges official 54 headquarters and the headquarters or branch headquarters of the 55 appellate district; or 56 b.The amount that would be authorized for travel between 57 an official headquarters maintained in the judges county of 58 residence and the headquarters or branch headquarters of the 59 appellate district. 60 (c)Payment of subsistence and reimbursement for travel 61 expenses between the judges official headquarters and the 62 headquarters or branch headquarters of his or her appellate 63 district shall be made to the extent that appropriated funds are 64 available, as determined by the Chief Justice. 65 Section 2.This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.