Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee
HB 1361
Brief Description: Updating statutes related to state employment by removing obsolete language, eliminating unnecessary reports, conforming a reporting period to fiscal year, and modernizing employee pay procedures.
Sponsors: Representatives Abbarno, Rule, Reeves and Gregerson; by request of Office of Financial Management.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Removes obsolete salary schedule language related to comparable worth and locally competitive higher education salary schedules.
  • Removes several temporary salary freeze provisions dating from February18, 2009, until July 31, 2013.
  • Eliminates annual reporting requirements from each state agency to the Office of Financial Management on the number of specified types of employees and the use of bonus or incentive awards.
  • Requires that state employees appointed on or after July 1, 2023, be paid only through electronic transfers of funds.
  • Suspends the right of civil service exempt employees to revert to a classified position if the employee has been notified that they are the subject of a specified workplace investigation.
Hearing Date: 1/26/23
Staff: David Pringle (786-7310).
Background:

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) has, among several duties, responsibility for the direction and supervision of personnel policies and application of the civil service laws of the state.  The Department of Enterprise Services directs and supervises the implementation of those laws and policies for the state workforce.  Each agency has responsibilities for reporting on and implementing changes to the structure of salaries and employment of the state workforce.
Summary of Bill:

Obsolete salary schedule language related to comparable worth and locally competitive higher education salary schedules is repealed.  Several temporary salary freeze provisions dating from February 18, 2009, until July 31, 2013, are also repealed.


Annual reporting requirement from each state agency to the OFM on the number of specified types of employees and the use of bonus or incentive awards are eliminated.  Language that prohibits monetary performance-based awards or incentives during the period between February 15, 2010, and June30, 2013, is repealed.


The right of civil service exempt employees to revert to a classified position is suspended if the employee has been notified that they are the subject of a workplace investigation that could result in a gross misconduct or malfeasance finding.


The year used for state agencies to report information to the Department of Social and Health Services and the Governor's Disability Employment Task Force is changed from a calendar year to a fiscal year.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 22, 2023.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.