BILL REQ. #:  S-3218.2 

Read first time 12/02/11.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to a veteran's preference for the purpose of public employment; amending RCW 41.04.010; and reenacting and amending RCW 41.06.133.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 41.04.010 and 2009 c 248 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) In all competitive examinations, unless otherwise provided in this section, to determine the qualifications of applicants for public offices, positions, or employment, either the state, and all of its political subdivisions and all municipal corporations, or private companies or agencies contracted with by the state to give the competitive examinations shall give a scoring criteria status to all veterans as defined in RCW 41.04.007, by adding to the passing mark, grade or rating only, based upon a possible rating of one hundred points as perfect a percentage in accordance with the following:
     (((1))) (a) Ten percent to a veteran who served during a period of war or in an armed conflict as defined in RCW 41.04.005 ((and does not receive military retirement)). The percentage shall be added to the passing mark, grade, or rating of competitive examinations until the veteran's first appointment. The percentage shall not be utilized in promotional examinations;
     (((2))) (b) Five percent to a veteran who did not serve during a period of war or in an armed conflict as defined in RCW 41.04.005 ((or is receiving military retirement)). The percentage shall be added to the passing mark, grade, or rating of competitive examinations until the veteran's first appointment. The percentage shall not be utilized in promotional examinations;
     (((3))) (c) Five percent to a veteran who was called to active military service from employment with the state or any of its political subdivisions or municipal corporations. The percentage shall be added to promotional examinations until the first promotion only;
     (((4))) (d) All veterans' scoring criteria may be claimed upon release from active military service.
     (2) Veteran scoring criteria status under this section may be claimed upon receipt of separation orders issued by the respective military department if the separation orders indicate an honorable discharge. The status becomes permanent upon actual separation.

Sec. 2   RCW 41.06.133 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 s 407 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 39 s 5 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) 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:
     (a) The reduction, dismissal, suspension, or demotion of an employee;
     (b) Training and career development;
     (c) Probationary periods of six to twelve months and rejections of probationary employees, depending on the job requirements of the class, except as follows:
     (i) Entry level state park rangers shall serve a probationary period of twelve months; and
     (ii) The probationary period of campus police officer appointees who are required to attend the Washington state criminal justice training commission basic law enforcement academy shall extend from the date of appointment until twelve months from the date of successful completion of the basic law enforcement academy, or twelve months from the date of appointment if academy training is not required. The director shall adopt rules to ensure that employees promoting to campus police officer who are required to attend the Washington state criminal justice training commission basic law enforcement academy shall have the trial service period extend from the date of appointment until twelve months from the date of successful completion of the basic law enforcement academy, or twelve months from the date of appointment if academy training is not required;
     (d) Transfers;
     (e) Promotional preferences;
     (f) Sick leaves and vacations;
     (g) Hours of work;
     (h) Layoffs when necessary and subsequent reemployment, except for the financial basis for layoffs;
     (i) The number of names to be certified for vacancies;
     (j) Subject to RCW 41.04.820, 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;
     (k) 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. From February 18, 2009, through June 30, 2013, a salary or wage increase shall not be granted to any exempt position under this chapter, except that a salary or wage increase may be granted to employees pursuant to collective bargaining agreements negotiated under chapter 28B.52, 41.56, 47.64, or 41.76 RCW, and except that increases may be granted for positions for which the employer has demonstrated difficulty retaining qualified employees if the following conditions are met:
     (i) The salary increase can be paid within existing resources;
     (ii) The salary increase will not adversely impact the provision of client services; and
     (iii) For any state agency of the executive branch, not including institutions of higher education, the salary increase is approved by the director of the office of financial management;
     Any agency granting a salary increase from February 15, 2010, through June 30, 2011, to a position exempt under this chapter shall submit a report to the fiscal committees of the legislature no later than July 31, 2011, detailing the positions for which salary increases were granted, the size of the increases, and the reasons for giving the increases;
     Any agency granting a salary increase from July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2013, to a position exempt under this chapter shall submit a report to the fiscal committees of the legislature by July 31, 2012, and July 31, 2013, detailing the positions for which salary increases were granted during the preceding fiscal year, the size of the increases, and the reasons for giving the increases;
     (l) 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;
     (m) 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.))
     (2) 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.
     (3) 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.
     (4)(a) The director shall require that each state agency report annually the following data:
     (i) The number of classified, Washington management service, and exempt employees in the agency and the change compared to the previous report;
     (ii) The number of bonuses and performance-based incentives awarded to agency staff and the base wages of such employees; and
     (iii) The cost of each bonus or incentive awarded.
     (b) A report that compiles the data in (a) of this subsection for all agencies will be provided annually to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature and must be posted for the public on the office of financial management's agency web site.
     (5) From February 15, 2010, until June 30, 2013, no monetary performance-based awards or incentives may be granted by the director or employers to employees covered by rules adopted under this section. This subsection does not prohibit the payment of awards provided for in chapter 41.60 RCW.
     From July 1, 2011, until June 30, 2013, no performance-based awards or incentives may be granted by the director or employers to employees pursuant to a performance management confirmation granted by the department of personnel under WAC 357-37-055.