BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �






          SENATE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT & RETIREMENT   BILL NO:  AB 1820
          Norma Torres, Chair          HEARING DATE:  June 23, 2014
          AB 1820 (Mullin)    as amended   5/01/14     FISCAL:  YES

           STATE EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS:  ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS AND  
          NOTIFICATIONS
           
           HISTORY  :

            Sponsor:  Author

            Other legislation:  AB 989 (Mullin),
                           Chapter 459, Statutes of 2013

           ASSEMBLY VOTES  :

            PER & SS                 6-0       4/23/14
            Appropriations           17-0      4/30/14
            Assembly Floor           76-0      5/19/14
           
          SUMMARY  :

          AB 1820 requires the state Department of Human Resources  
          (CalHR) and other appointing powers to use electronic means  
          of communications with job applicants who file state  
          employment applications and examinations online.

           BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS  :
          
           1)Existing law  :

             a)   establishes the state civil service system, which  
               requires a hiring process that is to be based on merit  
               ascertained by competitive examination.

             b)   establishes CalHR, which is the state's human  
               resources department, providing oversight and guidance  
               to state departments and agencies with regard to state  
               hiring practices.

             c)   requires every applicant for examination for state  
               employment to file an application with CalHR or an  
               appointing power designated by CalHR.  Many examinations  
          Pamela Schneider
          Date:  June 13, 2014                                    Page  
          1









               are available to be taken online.  In such cases, the  
               examinations are filed online via the CalHR website.

           2)This bill  :  
           
             a)   requires CalHR or the designated appointing power to  
               do all of the following when an application for  
               examination was filed online:

               i)     provide CalHR's or the designated appointing  
                 power's electronic communication address to the  
                 applicant;
               ii)    use electronic communication to contact the  
                 applicant unless otherwise requested by the applicant;  
                 and,
               iii)   inform the applicant that any notifications and  
                 his or her score and rank on the examination will be  
                 provided using electronic communication unless the  
                 applicant specifically requests notification by postal  
                 mail.

             b)   makes these requirements operative as of July 1,  
               2017.

           FISCAL  :

          According to Assembly Appropriations, "Minor and absorbable  
          costs to CalHR to implement changes, most of which are  
          already consistent with current practice."

           COMMENTS  :

           1)Argument in Support  :

          According to the Author:

               AB 1820 will improve the delivery of employment inquiry  
               notifications and examination scores and ranks because  
               currently such transactions are sent by mail, with no  
               assurance that the information is actually received by  
               the applicant.  This bill would allow the applicant to  
               have this information handled by email.  If the  
               applicant wishes to continue receiving this information  
          Pamela Schneider
          Date:  June 13, 2014                                    Page  
          2









               by mail, they could continue to do so.

               This bill is environmentally and fiscally responsible as  
               it would reduce the need for paper copies of employment  
               inquiry notifications, examination scores and ranks, and  
               reduce the amount of tax-payer dollars departments spend  
               on postage.

           2)OPPOSITION  :

            None.




                                      #####
          
























          Pamela Schneider
          Date:  June 13, 2014                                    Page  
          3