HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2328

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                  Government Administration

Title:  An act relating to unclassified employees in the office of sheriff.

Brief Description:  Allowing for an extra unclassified employee in a sheriff's office that has adopted a system of community‑oriented policing.

Sponsors:  Representatives Sterk, Bush and Sheahan.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Administration:  1/20/98 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives D. Schmidt, Chairman; D. Sommers, Vice Chairman; Scott, Ranking Minority Member; Gardner, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Doumit; Dunn; Dunshee; L. Thomas; Wensman and Wolfe.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  Voters approved Initiative Measure No. 23 at the 1958 general election creating a civil service system of employment for deputy sheriffs and other persons regularly employed in the sheriff=s office of each county.

Each sheriff=s office is authorized to have a number of Aunclassified@ positions that are exempt from the civil service system of employment, based upon the number of personnel in the sheriff=s office or whether the county operates under a charter and has a population of 500,000 or more operating under a county charter.  Undersheriff, chief criminal deputy, chief civil deputy, jail superintendent, and administrative assistant are examples of unclassified positions.

A county operating an emergency 911 communications system within its sheriff=s department is authorized to have one more unclassified position for the 911 emergency communications system that is in addition to the number of such positions otherwise allowed for that county.

Summary of Bill:  A county with a sheriff=s office that has adopted a system of community-oriented policing is authorized to have one more unclassified position to manage the community-oriented policing system that is in addition to the number of such positions otherwise allowed for that county.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This gives added flexibility to sheriffs.  This is not a mandate.  This will help community-oriented policing.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Sterk, prime sponsor.