THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2796 |
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO CIVIL SERVICE EXEMPTION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The major litigation unit of the department of the attorney general assists the attorney general in the proper and responsive handling and disposition of litigation cases that are significant and substantial in cost and exposure, and may involve sensitive and confidential matters. The staff members supporting the deputy attorneys general in the major litigation unit are entrusted with sensitive and confidential information, and are also expected to provide services under unconventional work conditions, such as performing work assignments outside of the class of work or irregular work schedules that mirror private law practices. To ensure that individuals are appointed who understand and accept the nature of the job duties and responsibilities and the unconventional work conditions, and to ensure the full support and accountability of these employees, the appointment and dismissal of major litigation assistants must be at the discretion of the attorney general. Similar to the exempt staff who serve the attorney general's top level managers, it is in the best interest of the State to exempt the staff of the major litigation unit from the civil service and coincide with the term of appointment with the term of the attorney general.
SECTION 2. Section 28-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(a) The attorney general shall appoint, and at the attorney general's pleasure remove, a first deputy attorney general and other deputies and law clerks as the exigencies of the public service may require, and shall be responsible for all of the acts of the first deputy attorney general, other deputies, and law clerks. They shall act under the direction of the attorney general and shall perform duties as the attorney general may require regardless of the source of funding for their compensation and notwithstanding any law to the contrary, except that the attorney general shall not require the performance of duties that would violate the terms of an applicable funding source or that would be in contravention of a federal requirement, restriction, or condition. The first deputy attorney general and other deputies, subject to the attorney general's directions, may perform or exercise any and all duties or powers by law required of or conferred upon the attorney general. The attorney general may also appoint, without regard to chapter 76, one secretary and two legal assistants, for major litigation matters."
SECTION 3. Section 76-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
"(b) The civil service to which this chapter applies shall comprise all positions in the State now existing or hereafter established and embrace all personal services performed for the State, except the following:
(1) Commissioned and enlisted personnel of the Hawaii
[National Guard] national guard as such, and positions in the
Hawaii [National Guard] national guard that are required by state
or federal laws or regulations or orders of the [National Guard] national
guard to be filled from those commissioned or enlisted personnel;
(2) Positions filled by persons employed by contract where the director of human resources development has certified that the service is special or unique or is essential to the public interest and that, because of circumstances surrounding its fulfillment, personnel to perform the service cannot be obtained through normal civil service recruitment procedures. Any such contract may be for any period not exceeding one year;
(3) Positions that must be filled without delay to comply with a court order or decree if the director determines that recruitment through normal recruitment civil service procedures would result in delay or noncompliance, such as the Felix-Cayetano consent decree;
(4) Positions filled by the legislature or by either house or any committee thereof;
(5) Employees in the office of the governor and office of the lieutenant governor, and household employees at Washington Place;
(6) Positions filled by popular vote;
(7) Department heads, officers, and members of any board, commission, or other state agency whose appointments are made by the governor or are required by law to be confirmed by the senate;
(8) Judges, referees, receivers, masters, jurors, notaries public, land court examiners, court commissioners, and attorneys appointed by a state court for a special temporary service;
(9) One bailiff for the chief justice of the supreme court who shall have the powers and duties of a court officer and bailiff under section 606-14; one secretary or clerk for each justice of the supreme court, each judge of the intermediate appellate court, and each judge of the circuit court; one secretary for the judicial council; one deputy administrative director of the courts; three law clerks for the chief justice of the supreme court, two law clerks for each associate justice of the supreme court and each judge of the intermediate appellate court, one law clerk for each judge of the circuit court, two additional law clerks for the civil administrative judge of the circuit court of the first circuit, two additional law clerks for the criminal administrative judge of the circuit court of the first circuit, one additional law clerk for the senior judge of the family court of the first circuit, two additional law clerks for the civil motions judge of the circuit court of the first circuit, two additional law clerks for the criminal motions judge of the circuit court of the first circuit, and two law clerks for the administrative judge of the district court of the first circuit; and one private secretary for the administrative director of the courts, the deputy administrative director of the courts, each department head, each deputy or first assistant, and each additional deputy, or assistant deputy, or assistant defined in paragraph (16);
(10) First deputy and deputy attorneys general, the administrative services manager of the department of the attorney general, one secretary for the administrative services manager, one secretary and two legal assistants for the major litigation unit, an administrator and any support staff for the criminal and juvenile justice resources coordination functions, and law clerks;
(11) (A) Teachers, principals, vice-principals, complex area superintendents, deputy and assistant superintendents, other certificated personnel, not more than twenty noncertificated administrative, professional, and technical personnel not engaged in instructional work;
(B) Effective July 1, 2003, teaching assistants, educational assistants, bilingual/bicultural school-home assistants, school psychologists, psychological examiners, speech pathologists, athletic health care trainers, alternative school work study assistants, alternative school educational/supportive services specialists, alternative school project coordinators, and communications aides in the department of education;
(C) The special assistant to the state librarian and one secretary for the special assistant to the state librarian; and
(D) Members of the faculty of the University of Hawaii, including research workers, extension agents, personnel engaged in instructional work, and administrative, professional, and technical personnel of the university;
(12) Employees engaged in special, research, or demonstration projects approved by the governor;
(13) (A) Positions filled by inmates, patients of state institutions, persons with severe physical or mental disabilities participating in the work experience training programs;
(B) Positions filled with students in accordance with guidelines for established state employment programs; and
(C) Positions that provide work experience training or temporary public service employment that are filled by persons entering the workforce or persons transitioning into other careers under programs such as the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, as amended, or the Senior Community Service Employment Program of the Employment and Training Administration of the United States Department of Labor, or under other similar state programs;
(14) A custodian or guide at Iolani Palace, the Royal Mausoleum, and Hulihee Palace;
(15) Positions filled by persons employed on a fee, contract, or piecework basis, who may lawfully perform their duties concurrently with their private business or profession or other private employment and whose duties require only a portion of their time, if it is impracticable to ascertain or anticipate the portion of time to be devoted to the service of the State;
(16) Positions of first deputies or first assistants of each department head appointed under or in the manner provided in section 6, article V, of the state constitution; three additional deputies or assistants either in charge of the highways, harbors, and airports divisions or other functions within the department of transportation as may be assigned by the director of transportation, with the approval of the governor; four additional deputies in the department of health, each in charge of one of the following: behavioral health, environmental health, hospitals, and health resources administration, including other functions within the department as may be assigned by the director of health, with the approval of the governor; an administrative assistant to the state librarian; and an administrative assistant to the superintendent of education;
(17) Positions specifically exempted from this part by any other law; provided that all of the positions defined by paragraph (9) shall be included in the position classification plan;
(18) Positions in the state foster grandparent program and positions for temporary employment of senior citizens in occupations in which there is a severe personnel shortage or in special projects;
(19) Household employees at the official residence of the president of the University of Hawaii;
(20) Employees in the department of education engaged in the supervision of students during meal periods in the distribution, collection, and counting of meal tickets, and in the cleaning of classrooms after school hours on a less than half-time basis;
(21) Employees hired under the tenant hire program of the Hawaii public housing authority; provided that except during the time period specified in paragraph (27), not more than twenty-six per cent of the authority's workforce in any housing project maintained or operated by the authority shall be hired under the tenant hire program;
(22) Positions of the federally funded expanded food and nutrition program of the University of Hawaii that require the hiring of nutrition program assistants who live in the areas they serve;
(23) Positions filled by persons with severe disabilities who are certified by the state vocational rehabilitation office that they are able to perform safely the duties of the positions;
(24) The sheriff;
(25) A gender and other fairness coordinator hired by the judiciary;
(26) Positions in the Hawaii [National Guard] national
guard youth and adult education programs; and
(27) From July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2015, persons hired or contracted to perform repair, maintenance, or capital improvement projects work on vacant housing units under the jurisdiction of the Hawaii public housing authority.
The director shall determine the applicability of this section to specific positions.
Nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect the civil service status of any incumbent as it existed on July 1, 1955."
SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY: |
_____________________________ |
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BY REQUEST |
Report Title:
Civil Service; Exemptions; State Employment
Description:
Creates exemption from civil service for staff positions in the Major Litigation Unit of the Department of the Attorney General.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.