SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5204

                    AS OF FEBRUARY 12, 1993

Brief Description:  Providing for lateral transfer of county sheriff's employees to municipalities upon an annexation or incorporation.

SPONSORS: Senators Haugen, Sutherland, West, von Reichbauer, Winsley, Deccio and Quigley

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Staff:  Katie Healy (786‑7784)

Hearing Dates: February 3, 1993

BACKGROUND:

City police department employees may transfer to the county sheriff's office if the employees are separated from employment because the city contracts with the county for law enforcement services.  City fire department employees are permitted to transfer to a fire district and fire district employees to a city fire department if annexation or incorporation occurs.

Employees of county sheriff departments are not covered if jobs are eliminated due to annexation or incorporation of an area of unincorporated county.

SUMMARY:

Any county sheriff's employee laid off or who will be laid off due to cutbacks in the department resulting from annexation or incorporation of an area of unincorporated county by a municipality may transfer to the municipal police agency.  For the transfer to be effective, the employee must (1) be performing the duties of the county sheriff's office at the time of annexation or incorporation, (2) be separated from the county's employ as a direct result of the annexation or incorporation; and (3) meet the minimum standards and qualifications of the municipality.

An eligible employee may transfer into a municipal civil service system for the police department by filing a written request with the Civil Service Commission and by giving written notice to the legislative authority of the county.  The transfer is made when the Civil Service Commission receives the request.  The transferring employee is on probation for the same period as new employees, is eligible for promotion after completion of the probationary period, receives a salary at least equal to that of other new employees, and has the same rights, benefits and privileges that the employee would be entitled to as if he or she had been a member of the police department from the beginning of his or her employment with the county.

Only as many of the transferring employees are placed on the police department's payroll as needed to provide an adequate level of law enforcement service.  The employees are taken in order of seniority.   The remaining transferring employees shall head the list of their respective class or job listing in the civil service system in order of their seniority.

Employees affected by layoffs from the sheriff's office as a result of annexation or incorporation of a portion of the county are given notice of their right to transfer.  These employees have 90 days to transfer employment to the municipality.

The Civil Service Commission adopts rules as necessary to provide for the orderly integration of employees of a county sheriff's office to a municipality after annexation or incorporation of a portion of the county.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested