HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 6079

As Reported by House Committee On:

State Government & Tribal Affairs

Title: An act relating to exempting officers and employees of the Washington state institute for public policy from state civil service law.

Brief Description: Exempting officers and employees of the Washington state institute for public policy from state civil service law.

Sponsors: Senators Schoesler, Fraser, Kohl-Welles, Carrell, Murray and Shin.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

State Government & Tribal Affairs: 2/16/12, 2/20/12 [DP].

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Hunt, Chair; Appleton, Vice Chair; Taylor, Ranking Minority Member; Overstreet, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Condotta, Darneille, Dunshee, Hurst, McCoy and Miloscia.

Staff: Cece Clynch (786-7195).

Background:

State Civil Service Law.

State civil service law provides for establishment of the state's personnel administration system. It applies to state agencies and employees, unless expressly excluded or exempted in statute. One such provision expressly excludes legislators and legislative employees, including members, officers, and employees of the Legislative Council, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, the Statute Law Committee, and interim legislative committees.

Another set of provisions gives the governing board of each state institution of higher education the power to broadly exempt many employees from the state civil service law. One of these provisions specifically provides that higher education institution boards and related boards may exempt employees involved with research activities from state civil service law.

Washington State Institute for Public Policy.

The Legislature created the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) in 1983. The WSIPP is governed by a board of directors that represents the Legislature, the Governor, and public universities. The board of directors guides the development of all the WSIPP activities.

The WSIPP's mission is to carry out practical, nonpartisan research, at the direction of the Legislature, on issues of importance to Washington. It conducts research using its own policy analysts and economists, specialists from universities, and consultants. The WSIPP staff work with legislators, legislative and state agency staff, and experts in the field to conduct studies designed to answer policy questions.

Though governed by their board of directors and legislative mandates, fiscal and administrative services for the WSIPP are provided by The Evergreen State College.

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Summary of Bill:

The act adds the officers and employees of the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to the statutory list of state officers and employees exempt from coverage under state civil service law.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This bill is brought as a housekeeping measure to fix an unintentional glitch caused by a bill last year. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) was created to be an independent research entity. It is given complex research tasks, mainly through budget proviso. The Evergreen State College (TESC) just performs administrative and fiscal services for the WSIPP for efficiency's sake. That is the only association between the two. The WSIPP should not be considered part of collective bargaining at TESC. If this bill does not pass, there is a risk that salaries at the WSIPP would go down and gifted research staff would leave the WSIPP. This bill is the only vehicle for this since the companion bill in the House of Representatives did not move.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Senator Schoesler, prime sponsor; Senator Fraser; and Julie Garver, The Evergreen State College.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.