House Bill 1217 proposes significant amendments to Florida's collective bargaining laws for public employees, focusing on the definitions, certification processes, and the powers of the Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC). Key changes include revised definitions for terms such as "bargaining agent," "employee organization," and "good faith bargaining," which clarify the roles of employee organizations. The bill introduces new requirements for employee organizations to demonstrate interest from at least 30% of public employees in a bargaining unit when filing for certification, and at least 10% to intervene in elections. It also establishes that all certification, recertification, and decertification elections will be determined by a majority vote of the employees in the bargaining unit.

Additionally, the bill repeals the section on revocation of certification and modifies the requirements for certification and recertification, while allowing public employees to engage in representational activities without losing pay, under certain conditions. It restricts membership dues deductions to organizations certified as exclusive bargaining agents and mandates recertification for organizations with less than 60% membership. The bill also clarifies confidentiality regarding retiree information and the definition of a strike. These changes aim to streamline the collective bargaining framework while imposing stricter requirements on employee organizations and public employers, with an effective date set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 1217 Filed: 447.203, 447.307, 447.308, 447.509, 110.114, 110.205, 112.3187, 121.031, 447.02, 447.305, 1011.60