ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE  June 9, 2008 8:33 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative John Coghill, Chair Representative John Harris Representative Anna Fairclough Representative Craig Johnson Representative Ralph Samuels Representative Beth Kerttula Representative David Guttenberg (via teleconference) MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR  ADOPT NEW PERSONNEL POLICY TO COMPLY WITH HB 417 - ADOPTED PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  No previous action to record WITNESS REGISTER SKIFF LOBAUGH, Human Resources Manager Personnel Office Legislative Administrative Services Legislative Affairs Agency Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Explained the personnel policy that would comply with HB 417. ACTION NARRATIVE CHAIR JOHN COGHILL called the House Rules Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:33:12 AM. Representatives Coghill, Harris, Fairclough, Johnson, Samuels, and Kerttula were present at the call to order. Representative Guttenberg (via teleconference) arrived as the meeting was in progress. ^Adopt New Personnel Policy to Comply with HB 417 8:33:29 AM CHAIR COGHILL announced that the only order of business would be consideration of the new personnel policy, regarding longevity, to comply with HB 417. 8:33:38 AM SKIFF LOBAUGH, Human Resources Manager, Personnel Office, Legislative Administrative Services, Legislative Affairs Agency, explained that as a result of the passage of HB 417 a new personnel policy related to longevity is necessary. In the past, the legislature had a longevity policy that was based on years of service once an individual was beyond F step. The amount of time to pass through steps J-M varied. For instance, to move from K step to L it took five years of service and to move from L to M it took four years of service and then one remained at M step. Under HB 417, the aforementioned portion of the statute was eliminated and the regular salary schedule extended by 3.75 percent. Therefore, under the new proposed personnel policy to move from step K to L it takes two years and continues in the same fashion for the subsequent steps. The aforementioned is found in AS 39.27.011(h), which will only apply to the legislative branch if the committees responsible for policy over legislative employees adopt such a policy. 8:35:29 AM CHAIR COGHILL clarified that the House Rules Standing Committee performs the hiring of all staff and thus this is one of the committees that has to adopt the aforementioned policy. Each committee with hiring authority will have to adopt this policy as well, he noted. 8:36:12 AM MR. LOBAUGH, in response to Representative Johnson, explained that the salary schedule does begin with steps A-F and then skips to steps J through M. If this proposed personnel policy is adopted, effective July 1, 2008, the new salary schedule will have steps that proceed to step Z. Basically, it's a 3.75 percent increase every two years [in the longevity steps]. 8:36:54 AM REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS inquired as to how long takes to get to step M under the [existing] salary schedule. MR. LOBAUGH responded that it would take roughly 20-21 years. REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS posed a scenario in which an individual worked for the state for 35 years, and asked how much of an increase that individual would receive. MR. LOBAUGH answered that an individual [in longevity steps] would receive an increase of 3.75 percent every two years. REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS surmised then if that individual worked an additional 10 years, that individual would receive an increase of 15 percent. He asked if the 3.75 percent is based on the individual's new salary. MR. LOBAUGH said that it's based on the adopted salary schedule, AS 39.27.011. He clarified that an increase in the salary schedule is separate from step increases. 8:38:26 AM REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS then inquired as to what other committees hire employees. MR. LOBAUGH said that there are two distinct hiring authorizations. The statute AS 24.10.200 refers to House and Senate employees, which are hired by the House and Senate Rules Standing Committees that make the rules for those legislative employees hired whether during session or the interim. Those employees hired under AS 24.10.210 are the permanent interim committee employees, who include the employees of the following: Legislative Finance Division, Legislative Affairs Agency, Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, Legislative Council, Joint Armed Services Committee, Administrative Regulation Review Committee, and Select Committee on Legislative Ethics. REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS related his understanding that each of those committees have to take action on this matter. MR. LOBAUGH replied yes. 8:40:22 AM REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS informed the committee that the Joint Armed Services Committee recently had a meeting to address this subject. The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee and Legislative Council will also meet on this matter in an upcoming meeting, he related. 8:40:45 AM REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS moved that the committee adopt the printed House & Senate longevity personnel policy effective July 1, 2008. There being no objection, it was so ordered. 8:41:25 AM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:41:28 AM.