Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 50 - Legal and Official Advertisements

• Accumulated contributions: means the sum of:
  (a) A member's contributions, without interest, subsequent to December 1, 1970; and
  (b) The single-sum amount the member would have received if he or she was covered by an existing system prior to December 1, 1970, and had terminated membership in such system on November 30, 1970, subject to reduction on account of benefit payments as provided under certain options. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Actuarial equivalent: means a benefit of equal value when computed at regular interest upon the basis of the mortality tables adopted by the administrator. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Administrator: means the secretary of the Department of Management Services. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Agreement: means that certain agreement entered into October 23, 1951, between the State of Florida and the Federal Security Administrator. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Average final compensation: means :
  1. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Average monthly compensation: means one-twelfth of average final compensation. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Beneficiary: means the joint annuitant or any other person, organization, estate, or trust fund designated by the member to receive a retirement benefit, if any, which may be payable upon the member's death. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Benefit: means any pension payment, lump-sum or periodic, to a member, retiree, or beneficiary, based partially or entirely on employer contributions or employee contributions, if applicable. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Calendar month: means one of the 12 divisions of a year as determined by the Gregorian calendar (e. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Calendar year: means a period of time beginning January 1 and ending on the following December 31. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• Compensation: means the monthly salary paid a member by his or her employer for work performed arising from that employment. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Covered group: means the officers and employees of an employer who become members under this chapter. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Department: means the Department of Management Services. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Division: means the Division of Retirement in the department. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• DROP participant: means any member who elects to retire and participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Program as provided in…. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Early retirement date: means the first day of the month following the date a member becomes vested and elects to receive retirement benefits in accordance with this chapter. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Effective date of retirement: means the first day of the month in which benefit payments begin to accrue pursuant to…. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Employer: means any agency, branch, department, institution, university, institution of higher education, or board of the state, or any county agency, branch, department, board, district school board, municipality, metropolitan planning organization, or special district of the state which participates in the system for the benefit of certain of its employees, or a charter school or charter technical career center that participates as provided in…. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Existing systems: means the State and County Officers and Employees' Retirement System, the retirement system for school teachers, and the highway patrol pensions and pension trust fund, which are consolidated in…. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Joint annuitant: means any person designated by the member to receive a retirement benefit upon the member's death who is:
  (a) The spouse of the member;
  (b) The member's natural or adopted child who is under age 25, or is physically or mentally disabled and incapable of self-support, regardless of age; or any person other than the spouse for whom the member is the legal guardian, provided that such person is under age 25 and is financially dependent for no less than one-half of his or her support from the member at retirement or at the time of death of such member, whichever occurs first; or
  (c) A parent or grandparent, or a person age 25 or older for whom the member is the legal guardian, provided that such parent, grandparent, or other person is financially dependent for no less than one-half of his or her support from the member at retirement or at time of the death of such member, whichever occurs first. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Leave of absence: means a leave of absence from employment under the Florida Retirement System, subsequent to November 30, 1970, for which retirement credit may be received in accordance with…. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Local agency employer: means the board of county commissioners or other legislative governing body of a county, however styled, including that of a consolidated or metropolitan government; a clerk of the circuit court, sheriff, property appraiser, tax collector, or supervisor of elections, provided such officer is elected or has been appointed to fill a vacancy in an elective office; a community college board of trustees or district school board; or the governing body of any city, metropolitan planning organization created pursuant to…. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Member: means any officer or employee who is covered or who becomes covered under this system in accordance with this chapter. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Metropolitan planning organization: means an entity created by an interlocal agreement pursuant to…. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Normal retirement date: means the date a member attains normal retirement age and is vested, which is determined as follows:
  (a) If a Regular Class member, a Senior Management Service Class member, or an Elected Officers' Class member initially enrolled:

  1. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Officer or employee: means any person receiving salary payments for work performed in a regularly established position and, if employed by a municipality, a metropolitan planning organization, or a special district, employed in a covered group. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Payee: means a retiree or beneficiary of a retiree who has received or is receiving a retirement benefit payment. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Pension: means monthly payments to a retiree derived as provided in this chapter. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Phased retirement program: means a program contracted by the governing board of a university or community college participating under this chapter in which a retiree may be reemployed in a faculty position provided:
  (a) The member retired and met the definition of termination under this section;
  (b) The retired member is reemployed for not more than 780 hours during the first 12 months of his or her retirement; and
  (c) The retired member is reemployed with the university or community college from which he or she retired. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Plan year: means the period of time beginning July 1 and ending on the following June 30, both dates inclusive, for all state-administered retirement systems. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• political subdivision: include counties, cities, towns, villages, special tax school districts, special road and bridge districts, bridge districts, and all other districts in this state. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Regularly established position: means :
  (a) With respect to a state employer, a position that is authorized and established pursuant to law and is compensated from a salaries and benefits appropriation pursuant to…. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Retiree: means a former member of the Florida Retirement System or an existing system who has terminated employment and is receiving benefit payments from the system in which he or she was a member. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Social security coverage: means old-age, survivors, disability, and health insurance, as provided by the federal Social Security Act. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Special district: means an independent special district as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• State agency: means the Department of Management Services within the provisions and contemplation of chapter 650. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• State board: means the State Board of Administration. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• state retirement actuary: means a fellow of the Society of Actuaries or a member of the American Academy of Actuaries or an organization of which one or more members is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries or a member of the American Academy of Actuaries or both. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• system: means the general retirement system established by this chapter, including, but not limited to, the defined benefit program administered under this part, referred to as the "Florida Retirement System Pension Plan" or "pension plan" and the defined contribution program administered under part II of this chapter, referred to as the "Florida Retirement System Investment Plan" or "investment plan. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• System Trust Fund: means the trust fund established in the State Treasury by this chapter for the purpose of holding and investing the contributions paid by members and employers and paying the benefits to which members or their beneficiaries may become entitled. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustees: means the Board of Trustees of the State Board of Administration. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Unit: means any department, division, or subdivision of a city or any classification of city employees approved for social security coverage, as such, by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, not based on age, sex, or other classification resulting in higher than average costs for retirement benefits. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• vesting: means the guarantee that a member is eligible to receive a future retirement benefit upon completion of the required years of creditable service for the employee's class of membership, even though the member may have terminated covered employment before reaching normal or early retirement date. See Florida Statutes 121.021
• writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01