BILL REQ. #:  Z-0498.1 

Read first time 01/23/2007.   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development.

     AN ACT Relating to reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments; and amending RCW 41.06.152.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 41.06.152 and 2002 c 354 s 241 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The director shall adopt only those job classification revisions, class studies, and salary adjustments under RCW 41.06.150(4) that:
     (a) As defined by the director, are due to documented recruitment ((and)) or retention difficulties, salary compression or inversion, ((increased)) classification plan maintenance, higher level duties and responsibilities, or inequities((. For these purposes, inequities are defined as similar work assigned to different job classes with a salary disparity greater than 7.5 percent)); and
     (b) Are such that the office of financial management has reviewed the affected agency's fiscal impact statement and has concurred that the affected agency can absorb the biennialized cost of the reclassification, class study, or salary adjustment within the agency's current authorized level of funding for the current fiscal biennium and subsequent fiscal biennia.
     (2) ((In addition to reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments under subsection (1)(b) of this section, the board may approve other reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments that meet the requirements of subsection (1)(a) of this section and have been approved under the procedures established under this subsection.
     Before the department of personnel's biennial budget request is due to the office of financial management, the board shall prioritize requests for reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments for the next fiscal biennium. The board shall prioritize according to such criteria as are developed by the board consistent with RCW 41.06.150(4)(a). The board shall submit the prioritized list to the governor's office and the fiscal committees of the house of representatives and senate at the same time the department of personnel's biennial budget request is submitted. The office of financial management shall review the biennial cost of each proposed salary adjustment on the board's prioritized list.
     In the biennial appropriations acts, the legislature may establish a level of funding, from the state general fund and other accounts, to be applied by the board to the prioritized list. Upon enactment of the appropriations act, the board may approve reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments only to the extent that the total cost does not exceed the level of funding established in the appropriations acts and the board's actions are consistent with the priorities established in the list. The legislature may also specify or otherwise limit in the appropriations act the implementation dates for actions approved by the board under this section.
     (3) When the board develops its priority list in the 1999-2001 biennium, for increases proposed for funding in the 2001-2003 biennium, the board shall give top priority to proposed increases to address documented recruitment and retention increases, and shall give lowest priority to proposed increases to recognize increased duties and responsibilities. When the board submits its prioritized list for the 2001-2003 biennium, the board shall also provide: A comparison of any differences between the salary increases recommended by the department of personnel staff and those adopted by the board; a review of any salary compression, inversion, or inequities that would result from implementing a recommended increase; and a complete description of the information relied upon by the board in adopting its proposals and priorities.
     (4))) This section does not apply to the higher education hospital special pay plan or to any adjustments to the classification plan under RCW 41.06.150(4) that are due to emergent conditions. Emergent conditions are defined as emergency conditions requiring the establishment of positions necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare.