AB 615

This bill makes numerous changes to the state civil service system, including

all of the following:

The hiring process

1. The bill replaces competitive procedures with competitive examinations.

Under the bill, appointments to and promotions in the classified service must be

made according to merit and fitness, which must be ascertained by competitive

examinations.

2. The bill provides a preference system for veterans under which veterans and

qualifying spouses of veterans receive preference points, which are applied during

the process of creating a certification list for a position. Under current law, if a

veteran or qualifying spouse of a veteran is included on a certification list, the

appointing authority must offer an interview to the veteran or spouse of a veteran.

3. Under current law, before making an offer of employment to an individual

who currently holds a position in the civil service, an appointing authority must

review the individual's personnel file. The bill repeals that requirement.

4. The bill changes the general deadline for making appointments from 30 days

after certification to 60 days after certification. The bill also requires the director of

the Bureau of Merit Recruitment and Selection to use procedures designed to certify

applicants for a vacant permanent position within 45 days of receiving a request from

an appointing authority, rather than within 30 days under current law.

Probation, reinstatement, restoration, and layoffs

1. The bill changes the standard probationary period for all original and

promotional appointments to permanent and seasonal positions in the classified

service from one year to six months. The bill also changes the probationary period

for employees in supervisory or management positions from one year to one year with

a potential waiver after six months.

2. The bill allows permanent classified service employees who leave the

classified service without any delinquency or misconduct to have reinstatement

privileges for a five-year period from the date the employee leaves the classified

service. Under current law, there are no reinstatement privileges for permanent

classified service employees who leave the classified service without any delinquency

or misconduct for reasons other than layoff. The bill also provides reinstatement

privileges for an employee who leaves the classified service to fill an elective position,

which is not allowed under current law.

3. The bill provides to a permanent employee in the classified service who is on

layoff status restoration rights for the three-year period following the layoff.

4. The bill allows appointing authorities to determine the order of layoff by

seniority, performance, any combination of seniority and performance, or other

factors. Under current law, appointing authorities are required to determine layoff

status primarily based on job performance.