AN ACT Relating to personnel administration; and amending RCW 41.06.070 and 41.06.430.

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

Sec. 1. Section 1, chapter 11, Laws of 1972 ex. sess. as last amended by section 2, chapter 389, Laws of 1987 and RCW 41.06.070 are each amended to read as follows:

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to:

(1) 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, legislative budget committee, statute law committee, and any interim committee of the legislature;

(2) 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;

(3) Officers, academic personnel, and employees of state institutions of higher education, the state board for community college education, and the higher education personnel board;

(4) The officers of the Washington state patrol;

(5) Elective officers of the state;

(6) The chief executive officer of each agency;

(7) In the departments of employment security, fisheries, social and health services, the director and his confidential secretary; in all other departments, the executive head of which is an individual appointed by the governor, the director, his confidential secretary, and his statutory assistant directors;

(8) 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:

(a) All members of such boards, commissions, or committees;

(b) If the members of the board, commission, or committee serve on a part-time basis and there is a statutory executive officer: (i) The secretary of the board, commission, or committee; (ii) the chief executive officer of the board, commission, or committee; and (iii) the confidential secretary of the chief executive officer of the board, commission, or committee;

(c) If the members of the board, commission, or committee serve on a full-time basis: (i) The chief executive officer or administrative officer as designated by the board, commission, or committee; and (ii) a confidential secretary to the chairman of the board, commission, or committee;

(d) If all members of the board, commission, or committee serve ex officio: (i) The chief executive officer; and (ii) the confidential secretary of such chief executive officer;

(9) The confidential secretaries and administrative assistants in the immediate offices of the elective officers of the state;

(10) Assistant attorneys general;

(11) Commissioned and enlisted personnel in the military service of the state;

(12) Inmate, student, part-time, or temporary employees, and part-time professional consultants, as defined by the state personnel board or the board having jurisdiction;

(13) The public printer or to any employees of or positions in the state printing plant;

(14) Officers and employees of the Washington state fruit commission;

(15) Officers and employees of the Washington state apple advertising commission;

(16) Officers and employees of the Washington state dairy products commission;

(17) Officers and employees of the Washington tree fruit research commission;

(18) Officers and employees of the Washington state beef commission;

(19) Officers and employees of any commission formed under the provisions of chapter 191, Laws of 1955, and chapter 15.66 RCW;

(20) Officers and employees of the state wheat commission formed under the provisions of chapter 87, Laws of 1961 (chapter 15.63 RCW);

(21) Officers and employees of agricultural commissions formed under the provisions of chapter 256, Laws of 1961 (chapter 15.65 RCW);

(22) Officers and employees of the nonprofit corporation formed under chapter 67.40 RCW;

(23) Liquor vendors appointed by the Washington state liquor control board pursuant to RCW 66.08.050: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That rules and regulations adopted by the state personnel board pursuant to RCW 41.06.150 regarding the basis for, and procedures to be followed for, the dismissal, suspension, or demotion of an employee, and appeals therefrom shall be fully applicable to liquor vendors except those part time agency vendors employed by the liquor control board when, in addition to the sale of liquor for the state, they sell goods, wares, merchandise, or services as a self-sustaining private retail business;

(24) Executive assistants for personnel administration and labor relations and employees who are delegated appointing authority or who serve as principal assistants to agency heads, including deputy or assistant directors, senior assistants, division directors, bureau or office chiefs, and district administrators in all state agencies employing such executive or principal 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;

(25) All employees of the marine employees' commission;

(26) Up to a total of five senior staff positions of the western library network under chapter 27.26 RCW responsible for formulating policy or for directing program management of a major administrative unit;

(27) In addition to the exemptions specifically provided by this chapter, the state personnel board may provide for further exemptions pursuant to the following procedures. The governor or other appropriate elected official may submit requests for exemption to the personnel board stating the reasons for requesting such exemptions. The personnel board shall hold a public hearing, after proper notice, on requests submitted pursuant to this subsection. If the board 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 personnel board shall grant the request and such determination shall be final. The total number of additional exemptions permitted under this subsection shall not exceed one hundred eighty-seven 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 state personnel board shall report to each regular session of the legislature during an odd-numbered year all exemptions granted pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, together with the reasons for such exemptions.

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 (10) through (22) of this section, shall be determined by the state personnel board.

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((, within four years from the date of appointment to the exempt position. However, (a) upon the prior request of the appointing authority of the exempt position, the personnel board may approve one extension of no more than four years; and (b) if an appointment was accepted prior to July 10, 1982, then the four-year period shall begin on July 10, 1982)).

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. Section 7, chapter 118, Laws of 1980 and RCW 41.06.430 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The board, by rule, shall develop a career executive program which recognizes the profession of management and recognizes excellence in managerial skills in order to (a) identify, attract, and retain highly qualified executive candidates, (b) provide outstanding employees a broad opportunity for career development, and (c) provide for the mobility of such employees among agencies, it being to the advantage of the state to make the most beneficial use of individual managerial skills.

(2) To accomplish the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the board, notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, may provide policies and standards for recruitment, appointment, examination, training, probation, employment register control, certification, classification, salary administration, transfer, promotion, reemployment, conditions of employment, and separation separate from procedures established for other employment.

(3) The director, in consultation with affected agencies, shall recommend to the board the classified positions which may be filled by participants in the career executive program. Upon the request of an agency, management positions that are exempt from the state civil service law pursuant to RCW 41.06.070 may be included in all or any part of the career executive program: PROVIDED, That an agency may at any time, after providing written notice to the board, withdraw an exempt position from the career executive program. No employee may be placed in the career executive program without the employee's consent.

(4) The number of employees participating in the career executive program shall not exceed ((~~one~~)) two percent of the employees subject to the provisions of this chapter.

(5) The director shall monitor and review the impact of the career executive program to ensure that the responsibilities of the state to provide equal employment opportunities are diligently carried out. The director shall report to the board the impact of the career executive program on the fulfillment of such responsibilities.

(6) Any classified state employee, upon entering a position in the career executive program, shall be entitled subsequently to revert to any class or position previously held with permanent status, or, if such position is not available, revert to a position similar in nature and salary to the position previously held.