SENATE BILL REPORT

                            HB 1263

  AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, MARCH 30, 1993

Brief Description:  Specifying testing for state patrol promotion.

SPONSORS: Representatives R. Fisher, Schmidt, R. Meyers and Zellinsky

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Vognild, Chairman; Loveland, Vice Chairman; Barr, Drew, Haugen, Nelson, Oke, Prentice, Prince, M. Rasmussen, von Reichbauer, and Winsley.

Staff:  Brad Lovaas (786‑7307)

Hearing Dates: March 30, 1993

BACKGROUND:

State patrol officers are exempt from the state's civil service laws.  Examinations for the promotion of officers are conducted under the supervision of the Chief of the State Patrol.  Testing requirements are detailed in statute.  For example, testing for promotion to the rank of lieutenant is required to be conducted and weighted as follows:  service rating - 40 percent; written examination - 30 percent; oral examination - 20 percent; and personnel record - 10 percent.  For promotion to the rank of sergeant, an officer's service rating and written examination are each weighted at 50 percent.  All eligible officers are given 30 days notice of the examination.

According to the State Patrol, the current testing requirements negatively impact employee morale because officers are not given feedback on how to improve their performance.  Additionally, new evaluative procedures, such as "group activity" evaluations and "in-basket" testing are not allowed under the current formulae.  These new evaluation techniques are considered very effective.  However, they are time consuming and expensive.  The State Patrol would like the flexibility to conduct these evaluations only on the top candidates.

SUMMARY:

The State Patrol examination for promotion to the rank of sergeant or lieutenant will consist of one or more of the following components:  oral examination, written examination, service rating, personnel records, and assessment center or other valid tests.  The statutory weighting of test components is deleted.  A cutoff score for each testing component may be set that will eliminate those candidates scoring below the cutoff.  Testing notices will specify the type of examination expected to be used and the relative weights assigned to each component.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

Updates and provides flexibility to the testing and evaluation methods used for promotion.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Annette Sandberg, WSP; Jim O'Neill, Troopers Assn.