BILL REQ. #:  H-1742.1 

Read first time 02/19/2003.   Referred to Committee on State Government.

     AN ACT Relating to examinations for promotions in the state patrol; and amending RCW 43.43.330 and 43.43.350.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.43.330 and 1993 c 155 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     Appropriate examinations shall be conducted for the promotion of commissioned patrol officers to the rank of sergeant ((and)), lieutenant, and captain. The examinations shall be prepared and conducted under the supervision of the chief of the Washington state patrol, who shall cause at least thirty days written notice thereof to be given to all patrol officers eligible for such examinations. The written notice shall specify the expected type of examination and relative weights to be assigned if a combination of tests is to be used. Examinations shall be given once every two years, or whenever the eligible list becomes exhausted as the case may be. After the giving of each such examination a new eligible list shall be compiled replacing any existing eligible list for such rank. Only grades attained in the last examination given for a particular rank shall be used in compiling each eligible list therefor. The chief, or in his discretion a committee of three individuals appointed by him, shall prepare and conduct the examinations, and thereafter grade and evaluate them in accordance with the following provisions, or factors: For promotion to the rank of sergeant ((or)), lieutenant, or captain, the examination shall consist of one or more of the following components: (1) Oral examination; (2) written examination; (3) service rating; (4) personnel record; (5) assessment center or other valid tests that measures the skills, knowledge, and qualities needed to perform these jobs. A cutoff score may be set for each testing component that allows only those scoring above the cutoff on one component to proceed to take a subsequent component.

Sec. 2   RCW 43.43.350 and 1998 c 193 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     Eligibility for examination for promotion shall be determined as follows:
     Patrol officers with one year of probationary experience, in addition to three years experience as a regular patrolman before the date of the first examination occurrence, shall be eligible for examination for the rank of sergeant; patrol officers with one year of probationary experience in the rank of sergeant before the date of the first examination occurrence, in addition to two years as a regular sergeant, shall be eligible for examination for the rank of lieutenant; patrol officers with one year of experience in the rank of lieutenant shall be eligible for examination for the rank of captain.