(1) Whenever any person has served as a teacher in the public schools of Florida or has served therein as superintendent, or both, for an aggregate period of 20 or more years, and such person is then incapacitated to do and perform any vocational work sufficient to earn a livelihood, such person shall thereafter, so long as the above conditions exist, during the remainder of his or her life, be entitled to a monthly allowance of $150. However, no person who has ever been eligible to become a member of the Teachers’ Retirement System of the state shall be entitled to receive such allowance.
(2) Effective July 1, 1975, whenever any person has served as a teacher in the public schools of Florida, is 70 years of age or older, and is incapacitated to do and perform any vocational work sufficient to earn a livelihood, such person shall thereafter, during the remainder of his or her life, be entitled to a monthly allowance based on years of service as follows:
(a) An aggregate of 10 years but not more than 15 years, a monthly allowance of $75;
(b) More than 15 years and up to 20 years, a monthly allowance of $100.
No person who has ever been eligible to become a member of the Teachers’ Retirement System of the state shall be entitled to receive such allowance. The monthly allowance authorized by this subsection shall begin on July 1, 1975.
(3)(a) On July 1, 1974, the director of the Division of Retirement shall adjust the monthly allowance provided for incapacitated teachers under this section by increasing said allowance by a percentage which shall be equal to the percentage change in the average cost-of-living index, as defined in chapter 121, over the period between April 1, 1967, and March 31, 1973. The percent of increase, as of July 1, 1974, shall be 25.4 percent, which is the average cost-of-living increase percentage from April 1, 1967, through March 31, 1973.
(b) On July 1, 1975, and each July 1 thereafter, the Department of Management Services shall adjust the monthly allowance being paid on said date. The percentage of such adjustment shall be equal to the percentage change in the average cost-of-living index during the preceding 12-month period, April 1 through March 31, ignoring changes in the cost-of-living index which are greater than 3 percent during the preceding fiscal year.
(c) On July 1, 1981, each incapacitated teacher who is receiving an allowance pursuant to this section shall receive a supplementary cost-of-living adjustment, to be applied by adjusting the incapacitated teacher’s monthly allowance to an amount equal to the sum of the monthly allowance being received on June 30, 1981, plus a percentage of this allowance, which percentage will be determined as follows:
1. For incapacitated teachers with 30 years’ service or more, the percentage shall equal the product of 1 percent multiplied by the number of complete years that have elapsed between the commencement of the allowance to such person as provided by this section and July 1, 1981.
2. For incapacitated teachers with 20 years’ service or more, but less than 30 years’ service, the percentage shall equal the product of 0.9 percent multiplied by the number of complete years that have elapsed between the commencement of the allowance to such person as provided by this section and July 1, 1981.
3. For incapacitated teachers with 10 years’ service or more, but less than 20 years’ service, the percentage shall equal the product of 0.8 percent multiplied by the number of complete years that have elapsed between the commencement of the allowance to such person as provided by this section and July 1, 1981.
For purposes of the July 1, 1981, implementation of the adjustment provided in paragraph (b), the monthly allowance being paid on that date shall be equal to the allowance as adjusted by this paragraph, and the adjustment provided in paragraph (b) shall be in addition to the adjustment provided by this paragraph.
History.—s. 550, ch. 19355, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 892(154); s. 1, ch. 22017, 1943; s. 1, ch. 22841, 1945; s. 1, ch. 25411, 1949; s. 1, ch. 29918, 1955; s. 1, ch. 63-540; s. 18, ch. 65-420; s. 1, ch. 65-485; s. 1, ch. 67-517; s. 1, ch. 69-300; s. 1, ch. 70-228; s. 91, ch. 72-221; s. 1, ch. 72-371; s. 2, ch. 74-303; s. 1, ch. 75-270; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 8, ch. 81-307; s. 109, ch. 83-217; s. 19, ch. 95-148; s. 85, ch. 99-255.
