SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5537
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in
their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a
statement of legislative intent.
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Labor, Commerce, Research & Development, February 19, 2007
Title: An act relating to reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments.
Brief Description: Modifying provisions relating to reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments.
Sponsors: Senators Fairley, Kline and Kohl-Welles; by request of Department of Personnel.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Labor, Commerce, Research & Development: 2/15/07, 2/19/07 [DP].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, COMMERCE, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Kohl-Welles, Chair; Keiser, Vice Chair; Clements, Ranking Minority Member; Franklin, Holmquist and Murray.
Staff: Sherry McNamara (786-7402)
Background: When the Legislature passed the Civil Service Reform Act in 2002, the
Department of Personnel (DOP) was given statutory authority to adopt rules and establish training
for state employees. Prior to this act, the Washington Personnel Resources Board (WPRB) had
the authority to perform these functions.
Current law requires the Director to adopt only those job classification revisions, class studies,
and salary adjustments that are due to documented recruitment and retention difficulties, salary
compression or inversion, increased duties and responsibilities, or inequities. Inequities are
defined as similar work assigned to different job classes with a salary disparity greater than 7.5
percent.
The Office of Financial Management (OFM) is required to review an agency's fiscal impact
statement and concur that the agency can absorb the biennialized cost of the reclassification, class
study, or salary adjustment within the agency's current authorized level of funding.
In addition, WRPB may approve other reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments.
The board must prioritize requests for reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments for
the next fiscal biennium and submit the prioritized list to the Governor's Office and the fiscal
committees of the Legislature.
In the biennial budget, the Legislature may establish a level of funding to be applied to the
WRPB's prioritized list. Upon enactment of the budget, the board may approve reclassifications,
class studies, and salary adjustments only to the level of funding provided.
Summary of Bill: The Director of DOP is allowed to define the criteria for revisions, class
studies, and salary adjustments. The definition of inequities based on the 7.5 percent salary
disparity is removed to allow other inequities to be considered.
The process for prioritizing reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments is removed.
Obsolete language from the 1999-2001 biennium is removed.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: The changes in this bill clean up the statute and reflect the current practice for reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments after the passage of the Personnel Service Reform Act. The collective bargaining process has replaced the prioritization of reclassifications and class study procedure that is in statute.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Mike Sellars, Department of Personnel.