BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT AND RETIREMENT
Dr. Richard Pan, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: ACR 98 Hearing Date: 4/11/16
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|Author: |Beth Gaines |
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|Version: |7/16/15 As introduced |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Pamela Schneider |
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Subject: State employee merit awards
SOURCE: California Department of Human Resources (CalHR)
ASSEMBLY VOTES:
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|Assembly Floor: |78 - 0 |
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|Assembly Appropriations |17 - 0 |
|Committee: | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
|Assembly Public Employees, | 6 - 0 |
|Retirement/Soc Sec Committee: | |
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DIGEST: This resolution authorizes the payment of monetary
state merit awards to state employees whose ideas or work
products result in exceptional contributions or budgetary
savings in state government.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Authorizes CalHR to make merit awards to current or retired
state employees who:
a) Propose procedures or ideas that are subsequently
ACR 98 (Beth Gaines) Page 2 of ?
adopted and that result in eliminating or reducing state
expenditures or improving operations, provided the
proposals are placed in effect.
b) Perform special acts or special services in the public
interest.
c) By their superior accomplishments, make exceptional
contributions to the efficiency, economy or other
improvement in the operations of the state government.
2)Provides that awards shall be made pursuant to standards and
procedures established by CalHR, which may adopt rules and
regulations to administer the merit awards program and may
appoint a merit awards board made up of state officers,
employees, or citizens to consider award recipients.
3)Authorizes awards to be paid from the appropriation available
to the state agency affected by the award.
4)Requires that any award over $5,000 have legislative approval.
This bill authorizes the payment of state merit awards approved
by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to three
individuals whose proposals resulted in eliminating or reducing
state expenditures or improving state operations. Specifically,
this resolution provides that the following merit awards be
made:
1)A payment of $21,640, to Andrew Brown, an employee of the
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), for
suggesting that CDCR automate the Earliest Possible Release
Date and the Minimum Eligible Parole Date and creating an
Excel spreadsheet to do so. The spreadsheet simplified the
process of calculating release dates, reduced the chance of
error, and increased productivity. This suggestion has not
only improved efficiency at CDCR, but it also safeguards the
citizens of California from the possible erroneous release of
a violent offender. Automating this process has resulted in
annual savings to the state of $133,198. Mr. Brown's award
totals $26,640, $5,000 of which has already been paid to him.
2)A payment of $4,646.67, to Kathleen Simpson, an employee of
the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), for suggesting
and reformatting specified consumer guides that are mailed
ACR 98 (Beth Gaines) Page 3 of ?
monthly to Medi-Cal beneficiaries to help them choose the best
health care plans for themselves and their families.
Reformatting the guides resulted in less paper being used,
less mailing weight and decreased printing costs that saved
the state $48,233.36 annually. Ms. Simpson's award totals
$9,646.67, $5,000 of which has ready been paid to her.
3)A payment of $38,423, to Wayne Stalie, an employee of CDCR,
for suggesting that two institutions, the California State
Prison, Corcoran and the California Substance Abuse Treatment
Facility, Corcoran, eliminate their contracted trash service
and instead utilize existing staff and resources to share
trash collection costs and services. This suggestion resulted
in annual savings to the state of $434,226. Mr. Stalie's
award totals $43,423, $5,000 of which has already been paid to
him.
Background
The bill states that the savings generated by these ideas will
continue to be realized on an annual basis, and due to actual
savings already generated by implementation of these
suggestions, no appropriation of additional funds is necessary
to pay the awards to these employees.
According to the author, "Existing law authorizes the Department
of Human Services to grant awards to public employees who
propose procedures that result in reducing state expenditures
equal to or greater than $5,000. All such awards must be
approved by concurrent resolution in the State Legislature."
Related/Prior Legislation
ACR 61 (Gaines, Chapter 138, Statutes of 2013)
ACR 178 (Niello, Chapter 159, Statutes of 2010)
ACR 116 (Blakeslee, Chapter 85, Statutes of 2006)
SCR 41 (Soto, Chapter 143, Statutes of 2001)
ACR 135 (Wesson, Chapter 122, Statutes of 2000)
SCR 15 (Ortiz, Chapter 85 Statutes of 1999)
ACR 98 (Hurtt, Chapter 168, Statutes of 1998)
SCR 26 (Schiff, Chapter 116, Statutes of 1997)
SCR 58 (Rogers, Chapter 52, Statutes of 1996)
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.:
ACR 98 (Beth Gaines) Page 4 of ?
Yes Local:
SUPPORT:
California Department of Human Resources (source)
OPPOSITION:
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT:
According to CalHR, "The Merit Award program is an excellent
vehicle for acknowledging, recognizing, and rewarding the
outstanding efforts of creative and innovative state employees.
Since 1950, Merit Award Board implemented suggestions have saved
the state over $95 million and these savings are on-going."