BILL ANALYSIS
AB 385
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 18, 2007
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL
SECURITY
Ed Hernandez, O.D., Chair
AB 385 (Ruskin) - As Introduced: February 15, 2007
SUBJECT : Public employees: salaries: professional scientists.
SUMMARY : Requires the state and the exclusive representative
for State Bargaining Unit 10 (BU 10), Professional Scientific,
to jointly survey, annually, salaries in scientific
classifications in California public agencies and to report
their findings to the Legislature by January 10 of each year.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) and
the exclusive representative for BU 10 to annually jointly
survey salaries of comparable occupations in other public
agencies, as specified.
2)Requires the state and the exclusive representative for BU 10
to meet and confer, pursuant to the Ralph C. Dills Act,
regarding the methodology to be used in conducting the survey.
3)Requires DPA to submit a report to the Legislature, by January
10 of each year, containing the survey's findings related to
the salaries of employees in comparable occupations in the
other public sector agencies.
4)Declares that it is the policy of the state to consider
comparable salaries prior to making salary recommendations and
requires DPA to take into consideration the salary of other
scientists in public employment as determined by the survey.
EXISTING LAW requires DPA to set and adjust salaries for each
classification in state service. Additionally, at least six
months before the end of the term of an existing memorandum of
understanding, DPA is required to submit a report containing the
department's finding relating to the salaries of employees in
comparable occupations in private industry and other
governmental agencies.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
AB 385
Page 2
COMMENTS : According to supporters, "There is increasing
evidence that substandard state scientific salaries threaten
California's vital environmental and public health programs
because state agencies can't keep or recruit skilled scientific
personnel. According to a recent Cal/EPA report 'fair and
equitable salaries must be part of the foundation for securing
and keeping our scientific expertise. If we lose our scientific
expertise, we will go unarmed in the battle against greenhouse
gas emissions, air quality, and the overall protection of our
children's health." According to recent surveys, state
scientists earn on average about 20 percent less than scientist
working in other branches of government."
Supporters conclude this bill, "will let policy makers know the
current salaries of state-employed scientific professionals and
help them assess the impact these salary levels will have on
state programs to protect the environment, natural resources and
public health."
This bill is similar to AB 284 (Bermudez) of 2005 that required
DPA and the exclusive representative for BU 10 to jointly survey
scientific classifications in the public and private sectors.
The bill also would have provided that implementation of any new
pay scales based on the surveys for scientists in BU 10 would be
subject to collective bargaining. This bill was held in the
Senate Appropriations Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Association of Professional Scientists (Sponsor)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
California State Employees Association
Sierra Club California
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Karon Green / P.E., R. & S.S. / (916)
319-3957