AN ACT Relating to salary surveys; and amending RCW 28B.16.110, 41.06.160, and 41.06.167.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. Section 11, chapter 36, Laws of 1969 ex. sess. as last amended by section 3, chapter 11, Laws of 1980 and RCW 28B.16.110 are each amended to read as follows:

The salary schedules and compensation plans, adopted and revised as provided in RCW 28B.16.100 as now or hereafter amended, shall reflect prevailing rates in other public employment and in private employment in this state or in the locality in which the institution or related board is located. For this purpose salary and fringe benefit surveys shall be undertaken by the board with the assistance of the various personnel officers of the institutions of higher education and on a joint basis with the department of personnel, with such surveys to be conducted at least each even-numbered year and completed by September 30 in the year prior to the convening of each one hundred five day regular session of the state legislature. The results of such salary and fringe benefit survey shall be forwarded with recommended salary adjustments, which recommendations shall be advisory only, to the governor and the director of financial management for their use in preparing budgets to be submitted to the succeeding legislature. A copy of the data and supporting documentation shall be furnished by the board to the standing committees for appropriations of the senate and house of representatives.

The board shall furnish the following supplementary data in support of its recommended salary schedule:

(1) A total dollar figure which reflects the recommended increase or decrease in state salaries as a direct result of the specific salary and fringe benefit survey that has been conducted and which is categorized to indicate what portion of the increase or decrease is represented by salary survey data and what portion is represented by fringe benefit survey data;

(2) An additional total dollar figure which reflects the impact of recommended increases or decreases to state salaries based on other factors rather than directly on prevailing rate data obtained through the survey process and which is categorized to indicate the sources of the requests for deviation from prevailing rates and the reasons for the changes;

(3) A list of class codes and titles indicating recommended monthly salary ranges for all state classes under the control of the higher education personnel board with:

(a) Those salary ranges which do not substantially conform to the prevailing rates developed from the salary and fringe benefit survey distinctly marked and an explanation of the reason for the deviation included; and

(b) Those higher education personnel board classes which are substantially the same as classes being used by the department of personnel clearly marked to show the commonality of the classes between the two jurisdictions;

(4) A supplemental salary schedule which indicates the additional salary to be paid state employees for hazardous duties or other considerations requiring extra compensation under specific circumstances. Additional compensation for these circumstances shall not be included in the basic salary schedule but shall be maintained as a separate pay schedule for purposes of full disclosure and visibility; and

(5) A supplemental salary schedule which indicates those cases where the board determines that prevailing rates do not provide similar salaries for positions that require or impose similar responsibilities, judgment, knowledge, skills, and working conditions. This supplementary salary schedule shall contain proposed salary adjustments necessary to eliminate any such dissimilarities in compensation. Additional compensation needed to eliminate such salary dissimilarities shall not be included in the basic salary schedule but shall be maintained as a separate salary schedule for purposes of full disclosure and visibility.

It is the intention of the legislature that requests for funds to support recommendations for salary deviations from the prevailing rate survey data shall be kept to a minimum, and that the requests be fully documented when forwarded by the board. Further, it is the intention of the legislature that the department of personnel and the higher education personnel board jointly determine job classes which are substantially common to both jurisdictions and that basic salaries for these job classes shall be equal based on salary and fringe benefit survey findings.

Salary and fringe benefit survey information collected from private employers which identifies a specific employer with the salary and fringe benefit rates which that employer pays to its employees shall not be subject to public disclosure under chapter 42.17 RCW.

Sec. 2. Section 16, chapter 1, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 1, chapter 11, Laws of 1980 and RCW 41.06.160 are each amended to read as follows:

In preparing classification and salary schedules as set forth in RCW 41.06.150 as now or hereafter amended the department of personnel shall give full consideration to prevailing rates in other public employment and in private employment in this state. For this purpose the department shall undertake salary and fringe benefit surveys to be planned and conducted on a joint basis with the higher education personnel board, with such surveys to be conducted at least each even-numbered year and completed by September 30 in the year prior to the convening of each one hundred five day regular session of the state legislature. The results of each salary and fringe benefit survey shall be forwarded with a recommended state salary schedule to the governor and director of financial management for their use in preparing budgets to be submitted to the succeeding legislature. A copy of the data and supporting documentation shall be furnished by the department of personnel to the standing committees for appropriations of the senate and house of representatives.

The department shall furnish the following supplementary data in support of its recommended salary schedule:

(3) A list of class codes and titles indicating recommended monthly salary ranges for all state classes under the control of the department of personnel with:

(b) Those department of personnel classes which are substantially the same as classes being used by the higher education personnel board clearly marked to show the commonality of the classes between the two jurisdictions;

It is the intention of the legislature that requests for funds to support recommendations for salary deviations from the prevailing rate survey data shall be kept to a minimum, and that the requests be fully documented when forwarded by the department of personnel. Further, it is the intention of the legislature that the department of personnel and the higher education personnel board jointly determine job classes which are substantially common to both jurisdictions and that basic salaries for these job classes shall be equal based on salary and fringe benefit survey findings.

Sec. 3. Section 5, chapter 152, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. as last amended by section 2, chapter 11, Laws of 1980 and RCW 41.06.167 are each amended to read as follows:

The department of personnel shall undertake salary and fringe benefit surveys for officers of the Washington state patrol, with such surveys to be conducted at least each even-numbered year and completed by September 30 in the year prior to the convening of each one hundred five day regular session of the state legislature. The results of each such survey shall be forwarded, after review and concurrence by the chief of the Washington state patrol, to the governor and director of financial management for their use in preparing budgets to be submitted to the succeeding legislature. A copy of the data and supporting documentation shall be furnished by the department of personnel to the legislative budget committee and the standing committees for appropriations of the senate and house of representatives. The office of financial management shall analyze the survey results and conduct investigations which may be necessary to arbitrate differences between interested parties regarding the accuracy of collected survey data and the use of such data for salary adjustment.

Surveys conducted by the department of personnel for the Washington state patrol shall be undertaken in a manner consistent with statistically accurate sampling techniques, including comparisons of weighted averages of salaries. This service performed by the department of personnel shall be on a reimbursable basis in accordance with the provisions of RCW 41.06.080 as now existing or hereafter amended.

A comprehensive salary and fringe benefits survey plan shall be submitted jointly by the department of personnel and the Washington state patrol to the director of financial management, the committee on ways and means of the senate, the committee on appropriations of the house of representatives and to the legislative budget committee six months before the beginning of each periodic survey. The legislative budget committee shall review and evaluate the survey plan before final implementation.