SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 2669

As Reported by Senate Committee On:

Labor & Commerce, February 21, 2018

Title: An act relating to adding part-time employees to state civil service.

Brief Description: Adding part-time employees to state civil service.

Sponsors: Representatives Doglio, Ormsby, Hudgins, Valdez, Fitzgibbon, Jinkins, Goodman, Macri, Ortiz-Self, Stanford, Ryu and Pollet.

Brief History: Passed House: 2/12/18, 50-47.

Committee Activity: Labor & Commerce: 2/21/18 [DP, DNP, w/oRec].

Majority Report: Do pass.

Signed by Senators Keiser, Chair; Hasegawa, Vice Chair; Conway, Kuderer and Saldaña.

Minority Report: Do not pass.

Signed by Senators King and Wilson.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.

Signed by Senator Braun.

Staff: Jarrett Sacks (786-7448)

Background: State Civil Service Laws. State civil service law governs the appointment, promotion, transfer, layoff, removal, discipline, and welfare of most state agency employees. State civil service law applies to most state agency employees, unless expressly excluded. For example, civil service law does not apply to the legislative branch, the judiciary, academic personnel, state patrol officers, the chief executive officers of each agency, and certain other management staff. Part-time employees, as defined by the Washington Personnel Resources Board, are also excluded from state civil service.

State Civil Service Rules. For higher education positions, a person who is employed to work 1,050 hours or less in 12 consecutive months is exempt from civil service. However, a higher education employee who works more than 350 hours in a 12-month period may be included in the appropriate bargaining unit for collective bargaining purposes.

Additionally, certain part-time professional consultants of higher education employers are exempt from civil service.

For general government employees, the following types of employees are exempt from civil service:

• part-time local health officers;

• persons employed on a part-time, or temporary basis for medical, nursing, or other professional service who are not engaged in the performance of administrative duties;

• part-time or temporary employees who are enrolled as full-time students whose employment is largely to provide a training opportunity;

• patient and resident help in general government residential facilities;

• inmate help in correctional facilities; and

• skilled and unskilled labor employed temporarily on construction and maintenance projects or agricultural production.

Personnel System Reform Act (PSRA). The PSRA provides for collective bargaining of wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment between the Governor and classified employees of state agencies and institutions of higher education. Employees covered by the PSRA include all state civil service employees except:

• employees covered by the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act;

• confidential employees;

• members of the Washington Management Service;

• internal auditors in any agency; and

• any employee of the Public Employment Relations Commission, the Office of Financial Management, and the Office of Risk Management.

Summary of Bill: Part-time employees are added to state civil service.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: No public hearing was held.

Persons Testifying: N/A

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: N/A