S-3431.3

SENATE BILL 6088


State of Washington	65th Legislature	2018 Regular Session

By Senators Takko and Short

Prefiled 01/05/18.

AN ACT Relating to employee recognition awards; and amending RCW 36.32.460.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 36.32.460 and 1971 c 79 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The board of county commissioners may ((establish an employee safety award program to reward and encourage the safe performance of assigned duties by county employees.

The board may establish standards and regulations necessary or appropriate for the proper administration and for otherwise accomplishing the purposes of such program.

The board may authorize every department head and other officer of county government who oversees or directs county employees to make the determination as to whether an employee safety award will be made.

Such awards shall be made annually from the county general fund by warrant on vouchers duly authorized by the board according to the following schedule based upon safe and accident-free performance:


5	years. . . .	$	2.50
10	years. . . .		5.00
15	years. . . .		7.50
20	years. . . .		10.00
25	years. . . .		12.50
30	years. . . .		20.00:

PROVIDED, That the board may give such department heads and other officers overseeing and directing county employees discretion to purchase a noncash award of equal value in lieu of the cash award. If a noncash award is given the warrants shall be made payable to the business enterprise from which the noncash award is purchased.

However, safety awards made to persons whose safe and accident-free performance has directly benefited the county road system shall be made from the county road fund by warrant on vouchers duly authorized by the board)) recognize employees, either individually or as a class, for accomplishments including outstanding achievements, safety performance, longevity, public service, or service as employee suggestion evaluators and implementers. Recognition awards may not exceed two hundred dollars in value per award, and may include, but not be limited to, cash or such items as pen and desk sets, plaques, pins, framed certificates, clocks, and calculators. The board must establish award criteria and a method to fund any awards program it authorizes. The funding method may be as a direct cost within its own budget or as an internal service provided to its office and department, the costs allocated to them through an appropriate internal service fund.