Z-0841.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6141
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By Senators Fraser, Winsley, Kastama, Costa, Fairley, Gardner, Eide, Haugen, Jacobsen, Constantine, Prentice, Shin, Rasmussen, Sheahan, Swecker, Oke, Zarelli, Roach and Kohl‑Welles; by request of Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Auditor, Secretary of State, Commissioner of Public Lands and Insurance Commissioner
Read first time 03/07/2001. Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
AN ACT Relating to an annual cost-of-living increase for state employees; adding a new section to chapter 41.04 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. Providing quality public services for all citizens of the state requires well-qualified and experienced state employees. However, salaries for state employees have not kept up with the increased cost-of-living in the state. The failure to keep up with inflation threatens Washington's ability to compete with other sectors to attract first-rate employees to Washington state public service and to retain well-qualified employees from leaving for other employment opportunities. The state must provide a fair and reasonable cost-of-living increase to ensure that the state attracts and retains the best employees for the citizens of Washington ensuring public safety, government efficiency, and program quality.
It is the intent of the legislature that state employees described in section 2 of this act receive an annual salary cost-of-living increase identical to the cost-of-living increase for school district and community college employees pursuant to Initiative Measure No. 732.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 41.04 RCW to read as follows:
(1) State employees shall be provided an annual salary cost-of-living increase in accordance with this section.
(2)(a) Beginning July 1, 2001, and on each July 1st thereafter, state employees shall receive a salary cost-of-living increase. The increase amount shall be determined by the office of financial management on June 15th of each year by using the cost-of-living index under subsection (3) of this section.
(b) For purposes of this section, "state employees" means all classified employees, employees of institutions of higher education under the jurisdiction of chapter 41.56 RCW pursuant to the provisions of RCW 28B.16.015, and including those employees in the Washington management service, and exempt employees under the jurisdiction of the personnel resources board; general government, legislative, and judicial employees exempt from merit system rules whose maximum salaries are not set by the commission on salaries for elected officials; and ferry workers.
(c) For purposes of this section, "state employees" does not include: State officers and officials whose salaries are set by the commission for salaries for elected officials; state employees who receive an annual salary cost-of-living increase pursuant to Initiative Measure No. 732; certificated employees of the state schools for the deaf and blind; and instructional and research faculty, academic administrators, academic librarians, counselors, and teaching and research assistants at state universities, regional universities, and state colleges described in RCW 28B.10.016, whose salaries are determined by the governing boards of such institutions.
(3) For the purposes of this section, "cost-of-living index" means, for any fiscal year, the previous calendar year's annual average consumer price index, using the official current base, compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor for the state of Washington. If the bureau of labor statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the cost-of-living index in this section.
(4) The office of financial management shall calculate and include an appropriation to fund this annual salary cost-of-living increase in the biennium budget proposal to the legislature under chapter 43.88 RCW. Any funded cost-of-living increase shall be included in the salary base used to determine cost-of-living increases for all state employees in subsequent years.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.
--- END ---