HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1966
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		PROPOSED

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, and Act 300, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, sought to reduce the number of civil service exempt employees in public service in the State.  The legislature finds that since the enactment of these Acts, there have been few conversions of civil service exempt positions to civil service positions.  The legislature further finds that these conversions are overdue.

     The legislature finds that over the years, there has been a steady growth in the request for positions to be exempt from the civil service law in chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  These requests seek to circumvent the civil service system and fail to update and modernize the job descriptions and expectations of various state personnel.  The inconsistency between actual job tasks and written descriptions of the job tasks also creates inefficiencies in the work place and an inability to effectively evaluate and manage state personnel and ensure the appropriate allocation of state resources.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to further the purposes enumerated in the state plan in section 226-27, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to ensure effective, efficient, and responsive government service at all levels of the state and to ensure fiscal integrity, responsibility, and efficiency in the state and county governments by requiring the state auditor to:

     (1)  Review the current civil service exemption process; and

     (2)  Recommend procedures and guidelines to ensure the appropriate use of this process in extraordinary circumstances.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  The state auditor shall review the current civil service exemption process in section 76-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and recommend procedures and guidelines to ensure that the civil service exemption process is used appropriately and only in extraordinary circumstances.

     (b)  The state auditor shall work with state departments and agencies, including the department of human resources development, to:

     (1)  Determine the reasons state departments and agencies have circumvented the civil service exemption process; and

     (2)  Update the process for updating and modernizing job position descriptions within state departments and agencies to accurately reflect the duties that the employees are expected to perform.

     (c)  The state auditor shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, if any, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2015.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Report Title:

Public Employees; Civil Service Exemption; State Auditor

Description:

Requires the State Auditor to review the current civil service exemption process and make recommendations to ensure the appropriate use of this process.  Requires the State Auditor to work with state departments and agencies, including the Department of Human Resources Development, to update and modernize job position descriptions.  (HB1966 HD1 PROPOSED)

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