ESSB 5460 -
By Committee on Ways & Means
ADOPTED 02/13/2009
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1 RCW 41.06.070 and 2002 c 354 s 209 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The provisions of this chapter do not apply to:
(a) The members of the legislature or to any employee of, or
position in, the legislative branch of the state government including
members, officers, and employees of the legislative council, joint
legislative audit and review committee, statute law committee, and any
interim committee of the legislature;
(b) The justices of the supreme court, judges of the court of
appeals, judges of the superior courts or of the inferior courts, or to
any employee of, or position in the judicial branch of state
government;
(c) Officers, academic personnel, and employees of technical
colleges;
(d) The officers of the Washington state patrol;
(e) Elective officers of the state;
(f) The chief executive officer of each agency;
(g) In the departments of employment security and social and health
services, the director and the director's confidential secretary; in
all other departments, the executive head of which is an individual
appointed by the governor, the director, his or her confidential
secretary, and his or her statutory assistant directors;
(h) In the case of a multimember board, commission, or committee,
whether the members thereof are elected, appointed by the governor or
other authority, serve ex officio, or are otherwise chosen:
(i) All members of such boards, commissions, or committees;
(ii) If the members of the board, commission, or committee serve on
a part-time basis and there is a statutory executive officer: The
secretary of the board, commission, or committee; the chief executive
officer of the board, commission, or committee; and the confidential
secretary of the chief executive officer of the board, commission, or
committee;
(iii) If the members of the board, commission, or committee serve
on a full-time basis: The chief executive officer or administrative
officer as designated by the board, commission, or committee; and a
confidential secretary to the chair of the board, commission, or
committee;
(iv) If all members of the board, commission, or committee serve ex
officio: The chief executive officer; and the confidential secretary
of such chief executive officer;
(i) The confidential secretaries and administrative assistants in
the immediate offices of the elective officers of the state;
(j) Assistant attorneys general;
(k) Commissioned and enlisted personnel in the military service of
the state;
(l) Inmate, student, part-time, or temporary employees, and part-time professional consultants, as defined by the Washington personnel
resources board;
(m) The public printer or to any employees of or positions in the
state printing plant;
(n) Officers and employees of the Washington state fruit
commission;
(o) Officers and employees of the Washington ((state)) apple
((advertising)) commission;
(p) Officers and employees of the Washington state dairy products
commission;
(q) Officers and employees of the Washington tree fruit research
commission;
(r) Officers and employees of the Washington state beef commission;
(s) Officers and employees of any commission formed under chapter
15.66 RCW;
(t) Officers and employees of agricultural commissions formed under
chapter 15.65 RCW;
(u) Officers and employees of the nonprofit corporation formed
under chapter 67.40 RCW;
(v) Executive assistants for personnel administration and labor
relations in all state agencies employing such executive assistants
including but not limited to all departments, offices, commissions,
committees, boards, or other bodies subject to the provisions of this
chapter and this subsection shall prevail over any provision of law
inconsistent herewith unless specific exception is made in such law;
(w) In each agency with fifty or more employees: Deputy agency
heads, assistant directors or division directors, and not more than
three principal policy assistants who report directly to the agency
head or deputy agency heads;
(x) All employees of the marine employees' commission;
(y) Staff employed by the department of community, trade, and
economic development to administer energy policy functions and manage
energy site evaluation council activities under RCW 43.21F.045(2)(m);
(z) Staff employed by Washington State University to administer
energy education, applied research, and technology transfer programs
under RCW 43.21F.045 as provided in RCW 28B.30.900(5).
(2) The following classifications, positions, and employees of
institutions of higher education and related boards are hereby exempted
from coverage of this chapter:
(a) Members of the governing board of each institution of higher
education and related boards, all presidents, vice presidents, and
their confidential secretaries, administrative, and personal
assistants; deans, directors, and chairs; academic personnel; and
executive heads of major administrative or academic divisions employed
by institutions of higher education; principal assistants to executive
heads of major administrative or academic divisions; other managerial
or professional employees in an institution or related board having
substantial responsibility for directing or controlling program
operations and accountable for allocation of resources and program
results, or for the formulation of institutional policy, or for
carrying out personnel administration or labor relations functions,
legislative relations, public information, development, senior computer
systems and network programming, or internal audits and investigations;
and any employee of a community college district whose place of work is
one which is physically located outside the state of Washington and who
is employed pursuant to RCW 28B.50.092 and assigned to an educational
program operating outside of the state of Washington;
(b) The governing board of each institution, and related boards,
may also exempt from this chapter classifications involving research
activities, counseling of students, extension or continuing education
activities, graphic arts or publications activities requiring
prescribed academic preparation or special training as determined by
the board: PROVIDED, That no nonacademic employee engaged in office,
clerical, maintenance, or food and trade services may be exempted by
the board under this provision;
(c) Printing craft employees in the department of printing at the
University of Washington.
(3) In addition to the exemptions specifically provided by this
chapter, the director of personnel may provide for further exemptions
pursuant to the following procedures. The governor or other
appropriate elected official may submit requests for exemption to the
director of personnel stating the reasons for requesting such
exemptions. The director of personnel shall hold a public hearing,
after proper notice, on requests submitted pursuant to this subsection.
If the director determines that the position for which exemption is
requested is one involving substantial responsibility for the
formulation of basic agency or executive policy or one involving
directing and controlling program operations of an agency or a major
administrative division thereof, the director of personnel shall grant
the request and such determination shall be final as to any decision
made before July 1, 1993. The total number of additional exemptions
permitted under this subsection shall not exceed one percent of the
number of employees in the classified service not including employees
of institutions of higher education and related boards for those
agencies not directly under the authority of any elected public
official other than the governor, and shall not exceed a total of
twenty-five for all agencies under the authority of elected public
officials other than the governor.
The salary and fringe benefits of all positions presently or
hereafter exempted except for the chief executive officer of each
agency, full-time members of boards and commissions, administrative
assistants and confidential secretaries in the immediate office of an
elected state official, and the personnel listed in subsections (1)(j)
through (u) and (x) and (2) of this section, shall be determined by the
director of personnel. Changes to the classification plan affecting
exempt salaries must meet the same provisions for classified salary
increases resulting from adjustments to the classification plan as
outlined in RCW 41.06.152.
For the twelve months following the effective date of this section,
a salary or wage increase shall not be granted to any position exempt
from classification under this chapter.
Any person holding a classified position subject to the provisions
of this chapter shall, when and if such position is subsequently
exempted from the application of this chapter, be afforded the
following rights: If such person previously held permanent status in
another classified position, such person shall have a right of
reversion to the highest class of position previously held, or to a
position of similar nature and salary.
Any classified employee having civil service status in a classified
position who accepts an appointment in an exempt position shall have
the right of reversion to the highest class of position previously
held, or to a position of similar nature and salary.
A person occupying an exempt position who is terminated from the
position for gross misconduct or malfeasance does not have the right of
reversion to a classified position as provided for in this section.
Sec. 2 RCW 41.06.133 and 2002 c 354 s 204 are each amended to
read as follows:
The director shall adopt rules, consistent with the purposes and
provisions of this chapter and with the best standards of personnel
administration, regarding the basis and procedures to be followed for:
(1) The reduction, dismissal, suspension, or demotion of an
employee;
(2) Training and career development;
(3) Probationary periods of six to twelve months and rejections of
probationary employees, depending on the job requirements of the class,
except that entry level state park rangers shall serve a probationary
period of twelve months;
(4) Transfers;
(5) Promotional preferences;
(6) Sick leaves and vacations;
(7) Hours of work;
(8) Layoffs when necessary and subsequent reemployment, except for
the financial basis for layoffs;
(9) The number of names to be certified for vacancies;
(10) Adoption and revision of a state salary schedule to reflect
the prevailing rates in Washington state private industries and other
governmental units. The rates in the salary schedules or plans shall
be increased if necessary to attain comparable worth under an
implementation plan under RCW 41.06.155 and, for institutions of higher
education and related boards, shall be competitive for positions of a
similar nature in the state or the locality in which an institution of
higher education or related board is located. Such adoption and
revision is subject to approval by the director of financial management
in accordance with chapter 43.88 RCW;
(11) Increment increases within the series of steps for each pay
grade based on length of service for all employees whose standards of
performance are such as to permit them to retain job status in the
classified service. For the twelve months following the effective date
of this section, a salary or wage increase shall not be granted to any
exempt position under this chapter;
(12) Optional lump sum relocation compensation approved by the
agency director, whenever it is reasonably necessary that a person make
a domiciliary move in accepting a transfer or other employment with the
state. An agency must provide lump sum compensation within existing
resources. If the person receiving the relocation payment terminates
or causes termination with the state, for reasons other than layoff,
disability separation, or other good cause as determined by an agency
director, within one year of the date of the employment, the state is
entitled to reimbursement of the lump sum compensation from the person;
(13) Providing for veteran's preference as required by existing
statutes, with recognition of preference in regard to layoffs and
subsequent reemployment for veterans and their surviving spouses by
giving such eligible veterans and their surviving spouses additional
credit in computing their seniority by adding to their unbroken state
service, as defined by the director, the veteran's service in the
military not to exceed five years. For the purposes of this section,
"veteran" means any person who has one or more years of active military
service in any branch of the armed forces of the United States or who
has less than one year's service and is discharged with a disability
incurred in the line of duty or is discharged at the convenience of the
government and who, upon termination of such service, has received an
honorable discharge, a discharge for physical reasons with an honorable
record, or a release from active military service with evidence of
service other than that for which an undesirable, bad conduct, or
dishonorable discharge shall be given. However, the surviving spouse
of a veteran is entitled to the benefits of this section regardless of
the veteran's length of active military service. For the purposes of
this section, "veteran" does not include any person who has voluntarily
retired with twenty or more years of active military service and whose
military retirement pay is in excess of five hundred dollars per month.
Rules adopted under this section by the director shall provide for
local administration and management by the institutions of higher
education and related boards, subject to periodic audit and review by
the director.
Rules adopted by the director under this section may be superseded
by the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement negotiated under
RCW 41.80.001 and 41.80.010 through 41.80.130. The supersession of
such rules shall only affect employees in the respective collective
bargaining units.
Sec. 3 RCW 41.06.500 and 2002 c 354 s 243 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in RCW 41.06.070, notwithstanding any other
provisions of this chapter, the director is authorized to adopt, after
consultation with state agencies and employee organizations, rules for
managers as defined in RCW 41.06.022. These rules shall not apply to
managers employed by institutions of higher education or related boards
or whose positions are exempt. The rules shall govern recruitment,
appointment, classification and allocation of positions, examination,
training and career development, hours of work, probation,
certification, compensation, transfer, affirmative action, promotion,
layoff, reemployment, performance appraisals, discipline, and any and
all other personnel practices for managers. These rules shall be
separate from rules adopted for other employees, and to the extent that
the rules adopted under this section apply only to managers shall take
precedence over rules adopted for other employees, and are not subject
to review by the board.
(2) In establishing rules for managers, the director shall adhere
to the following goals:
(a) Development of a simplified classification system that
facilitates movement of managers between agencies and promotes upward
mobility;
(b) Creation of a compensation system that provides flexibility in
setting and changing salaries, and shall require review and approval by
the director in the case of any salary changes greater than five
percent proposed for any group of employees;
(c) Establishment of a performance appraisal system that emphasizes
individual accountability for program results and efficient management
of resources; effective planning, organization, and communication
skills; valuing and managing workplace diversity; development of
leadership and interpersonal abilities; and employee development;
(d) Strengthening management training and career development
programs that build critical management knowledge, skills, and
abilities; focusing on managing and valuing workplace diversity;
empowering employees by enabling them to share in workplace decision
making and to be innovative, willing to take risks, and able to accept
and deal with change; promoting a workplace where the overall focus is
on the recipient of the government services and how these services can
be improved; and enhancing mobility and career advancement
opportunities;
(e) Permitting flexible recruitment and hiring procedures that
enable agencies to compete effectively with other employers, both
public and private, for managers with appropriate skills and training;
allowing consideration of all qualified candidates for positions as
managers; and achieving affirmative action goals and diversity in the
workplace;
(f) Providing that managers may only be reduced, dismissed,
suspended, or demoted for cause; and
(g) Facilitating decentralized and regional administration.
(3) For the twelve months following the effective date of this
section, a salary or wage increase shall not be granted to any position
under this section.
Sec. 4 RCW 43.03.030 and 1965 c 8 s 43.03.030 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Wherever the compensation of any appointive state officer or
employee is fixed by statute, it may be hereafter increased or
decreased in the manner provided by law for the fixing of compensation
of other appointive state officers or employees; but this subsection
shall not apply to the heads of state departments.
(2) Wherever the compensation of any state officer appointed by the
governor, or of any employee in any office or department under the
control of any such officer, is fixed by statute, such compensation may
hereafter, from time to time, be changed by the governor, and he shall
have power to fix such compensation at any amount not to exceed the
amount fixed by statute.
(3) For the twelve months following the effective date of this
section, a salary or wage increase shall not be granted to any position
under this section.
Sec. 5 RCW 43.03.040 and 1993 sp.s. c 24 s 914 are each amended
to read as follows:
The directors of the several departments and members of the several
boards and commissions, whose salaries are fixed by the governor and
the chief executive officers of the agencies named in RCW 43.03.028(2)
as now or hereafter amended shall each severally receive such salaries,
payable in monthly installments, as shall be fixed by the governor or
the appropriate salary fixing authority, in an amount not to exceed the
recommendations of the committee on agency officials' salaries.
((Beginning July 1, 1993, through June 30, 1995, the salary paid to
such directors and members of boards and commissions shall not exceed
the amount paid as of April 1, 1993.)) For the twelve months following
the effective date of this section, a salary or wage increase shall not
be granted to any position under this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6
(2) The following activities of state agencies are exempt from
subsection (1) of this section:
(a) Direct custody, supervision, and patient care in corrections,
juvenile rehabilitation, institutional care of veterans, the mentally
ill, developmentally disabled, state hospitals, the special commitment
center, and the schools for the blind and the deaf;
(b) Direct protective services to children and other vulnerable
populations in the department of social and health services;
(c) Washington state patrol investigative services and field
enforcement;
(d) Hazardous materials response and emergency cleanup;
(e) Emergency public health and patient safety response and the
public health laboratory;
(f) Military operations and emergency management within the
military department;
(g) Firefighting;
(h) Enforcement officers in the department of fish and wildlife,
the liquor control board, the gambling commission, and the department
of natural resources;
(i) Park rangers at the parks and recreation commission;
(j) Seasonal employment by natural resources agencies to the extent
that employment levels do not exceed the prior fiscal year;
(k) Seasonal employment in the department of transportation
maintenance programs to the extent that employment levels do not exceed
the prior fiscal year;
(l) Employees hired on a seasonal basis by the department of
agriculture for inspection and certification of agricultural products
and for insect detection;
(m) Activities directly related to tax and fee collection, revenue
generation, auditing, and recovery;
(n) In institutions of higher education, any positions directly
related to academic programs, as well as positions not funded from
state funds or tuition;
(o) Operations of the state lottery and liquor control board
business enterprises;
(p) The unemployment insurance program of the employment security
department; and
(q) Activities that are necessary to receive or maintain federal
funds by the state.
(3) The exemptions specified in subsection (2) of this section do
not require the establishment of new staff positions or the filling of
vacant existing staff positions in the activities specified.
(4) Exceptions to this section may be granted under section 10 of
this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 10
(2) For agencies of the executive branch, the exceptions shall be
subject to approval by the director of financial management. For
agencies of the judicial branch, the exceptions shall be subject to
approval of the chief justice of the supreme court. For the house of
representatives and the senate, the exceptions shall be subject to
approval of the chief clerk of the house of representatives and the
secretary of the senate, respectively, under the direction of the
senate committee on facilities and operations and the executive rules
committee of the house of representatives. For other legislative
agencies, the exceptions shall be subject to approval of both the chief
clerk of the house of representatives and the secretary of the senate
under the direction of the senate committee on facilities and
operations and the executive rules committee of the house of
representatives.
(3) Exceptions approved under subsection (2) of this section shall
take effect no sooner than five business days following notification of
the chair and ranking minority member of the ways and means committees
in the house of representatives and the senate. The person approving
exceptions under subsection (2) of this section shall send the
exceptions to the legislature for consideration every thirty days from
the effective date of this section, or earlier should volume or
circumstances so necessitate.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 11 If any provision of this act or its
application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the
remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other
persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 12 Captions used in this act are not any part
of the law.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 13 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."
Correct the title.
EFFECT: (1) Strikes LEAP list of reductions going into unallotted
status.
(2) Adds exemption from hiring freeze for higher education academic
programs.
(3) Changes the equipment purchase threshold from above $1,000 to
above $5,000.
(4) Adds the Gambling Commission to the list of law enforcement
officers exempt from the hiring freeze.
(5) Exempts tax and fee collection, revenue generation, and
receiving funds from the federal government from prohibitions on
personal service contracts, equipment purchases, and the travel freeze.
(6) Changes the exception process. Instead of every exception
being sent to the legislature and sitting for 2 days to allow
legislative input, OFM (and the Chief Justice, Chief Clerk, and the
Secretary of the Senate) will bundle the exceptions up every 30 days,
or earlier if volume or circumstances so dictate, and these would sit
in the legislature for 5 days (before taking effect).