BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to annual salary increases; and amending RCW 41.06.160.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 41.06.160 and 1993 c 281 s 29 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 comprehensive salary and fringe benefit surveys, with such surveys to be conducted in the year prior to the convening of every other one hundred five day regular session of the state legislature. In the year prior to the convening of each one hundred five day regular session during which a comprehensive salary and fringe benefit survey is not conducted, the department shall plan and conduct a trend salary and fringe benefit survey. This survey shall measure average salary and fringe benefit movement for broad occupational groups which has occurred since the last comprehensive salary and fringe benefit survey was conducted. The results of each comprehensive and trend salary and fringe benefit survey shall be completed and forwarded by September 30 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.

In the case of comprehensive salary and fringe benefit surveys, the department 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 department of personnel with 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;

(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 department of personnel.

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.

The first comprehensive salary and fringe benefit survey required by this section shall be completed and forwarded to the governor and the director of financial management by September 30, 1986. The first trend salary and fringe benefit survey required by this section shall be completed and forwarded to the governor and the director of financial management by September 30, 1988.

Effective July 1, 1998, the legislature shall fund annual salary increases of two and one-half percent to those employees identified in the comprehensive salary and fringe benefits survey and the trend salary and fringe benefit survey as being more than ten percent behind the prevailing wage rates. The most recent survey, comprehensive or trend, adjusted for salary increases that were given to employees, shall be used to determine those employees greater than ten percent behind the prevailing wage. The 1996 trend salary survey, adjusted for salary increases that were given to employees, shall be used as the base for the July 1, 1998, two and one-half percent salary increase.