04/29/2022 09:00 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 416                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  relating  to   the  compensation  of  certain                                                                    
     executive  branch employees  not covered  by collective                                                                    
     bargaining agreements;  and providing for  an effective                                                                    
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:50:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MATT  CLAMAN,  SPONSOR, explained  that  the                                                                    
bill would  add a  new statute to  allow the  legislature to                                                                    
make   appropriations  for   retention  bonuses   for  state                                                                    
employees who  were not members  of a  collective bargaining                                                                    
unit. Based on  the advice he had  received from Legislative                                                                    
Legal Services, he understood that  it was necessary to pass                                                                    
temporary or  permanent legislation  to enable an  agency to                                                                    
properly compensate employees. He  thought the House Finance                                                                    
Committee was familiar with the issue.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:52:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Thompson  asked for a list  of employees that                                                                    
would be affected in the FY 23 budget.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Claman  responded that  he would be  happy to                                                                    
get  the list  to  Representative Thompson.  He thought  the                                                                    
purpose of  the bill was  to approve the bonuses  already in                                                                    
the budget.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wool  thought  that   some  of  the  bonuses                                                                    
included in  the budget  were for  the Office  of Children's                                                                    
Services  (OCS)  and  other unionized  state  employees.  He                                                                    
noted  that the  bill affected  non-union employees  and was                                                                    
curious  which  non-union  employees specifically  would  be                                                                    
affected.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:54:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson  clarified  that the  OCS  bonuses                                                                    
were provided by  the governor. The Senate's  version of the                                                                    
budget approved  classified bonuses and the  House's version                                                                    
did not. He noted that  the House Health and Social Services                                                                    
Committee added bonuses for nurses.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:54:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SHELLY WILHOITE, CHIEF BUDGET  ANALYST, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT                                                                    
AND BUDGET,  reviewed the fiscal  note by the Office  of the                                                                    
Governor  with control  code kygUp.  The fiscal  note had  a                                                                    
zero fiscal impact due to a lack of information.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick thanked Representative Claman for his                                                                          
presentation. She reviewed the agenda for the afternoon's                                                                       
meeting.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
HB 416 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further                                                                              
consideration.