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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED SIXTH LEGISLATURE
FIRST SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 109
Introduced by Bolz, 29.
Read first time January 10, 2019
Committee: Government, Military and Veterans Affairs
1 A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to state employees; to amend sections 81-1307
2 and 84-1601, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska; to require the
3 position classification plan and salary or pay plan to include
4 certain positions as prescribed; to harmonize provisions; and to
5 repeal the original sections.
6 Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,
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1 Section 1. Section 81-1307, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is
2 amended to read:
3 81-1307 (1) The Director of Personnel shall be responsible for the
4 administration of the personnel division. Subject to the review powers of
5 the State Personnel Board, the director shall be responsible for
6 development of recommendations on personnel policy and for development of
7 specific administrative systems and shall have the authority to adopt,
8 promulgate, and enforce rules and regulations pertaining thereto. The
9 director shall be responsible for specific administrative systems
10 including, but not limited to, the following:
11 (a) (1) Employment Services:
12 (i) (a) General employment policies and procedures;
13 (ii) (b) Position classification plans;
14 (iii) (c) Job descriptions;
15 (iv) (d) Job specifications;
16 (v) (e) Salary or pay plans;
17 (vi) (f) Staffing patterns; and
18 (vii) (g) Recruiting of qualified applicants for employment and the
19 maintenance of qualified applicants for employment for all positions in
20 state government;
21 (b) (2) Personnel Records:
22 (i) (a) A system of records and statistical reports containing
23 general data on all employees, including current salary levels and such
24 other information as may be required by the operating needs of state
25 departments and agencies and the budget division; and
26 (ii) (b) Standards for the development and maintenance of personnel
27 records to be maintained within operating departments of the state
28 government;
29 (c) (3) Personnel Management:
30 (i) (a) Minimum standards for evaluation of employee efficiency and
31 a system of regular evaluation of employee performance;
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1 (ii) (b) Administrative guidelines governing such matters as hours
2 of work, promotions, transfers, demotions, probation, terminations,
3 reductions in force, salary actions, and other such matters as may not be
4 otherwise provided for by law;
5 (iii) (c) Administrative policies and general procedural
6 instructions for use by all state agencies relating to such matters as
7 employee benefits, vacation, sick leave, holidays, insurance, sickness
8 and accident benefits, and other employee benefits as the Legislature may
9 from time to time prescribe; and
10 (iv) (d) A system of formally defined relationships between the
11 personnel division and departments and agencies to be covered by the
12 State Personnel System;
13 (d) (4) Salary and Wage Survey: Measuring, through the use of
14 surveys, the state's comparative level of employee compensation with the
15 labor market;
16 (e) (5) Staffing Patterns:
17 (i) (a) Staffing patterns for each department and agency of state
18 government that conform with those authorized by the budget division;
19 (ii) (b) Revisions to staffing patterns of all departments and
20 agencies that have been approved by the budget division;
21 (iii) (c) Merit increases provided for any employee of the state
22 that are the result of positive action by the appropriate supervisor; and
23 (iv) (d) The state's pay plan, as enacted by the Legislature,
24 together with such amendments as may occur, is explained in appropriate
25 handbooks for employees of the state;
26 (f) (6) Temporary Employees:
27 (i) (a) The director shall administer the Temporary Employee Pool
28 containing applicants from which state agencies can draw when in need of
29 a short-term labor supply; and
30 (ii) (b) State agencies must receive approval from the director
31 before hiring any temporary employee; and
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1 (g) (7) Employee Recognition Program: The director shall administer
2 an employee recognition program for state employees. The program shall
3 serve as the authorized program for honoring state employees for
4 dedicated and quality service to the government of the State of Nebraska.
5 (2) For fiscal year 2021-22 and each fiscal year thereafter, the
6 position classification plan and the salary or pay plan shall include the
7 following positions within the Department of Correctional Services:
8 (a) Corrections corporal I, corrections corporal II, and corrections
9 corporal III. Each position listed in this subdivision shall be assigned
10 to a different pay grade within the salary or pay plan;
11 (b) Corrections sergeant I, corrections sergeant II, and corrections
12 sergeant III. Each position listed in this subdivision shall be assigned
13 to a different pay grade within the salary or pay plan; and
14 (c) Corrections unit caseworker I, corrections unit caseworker II,
15 and corrections unit caseworker III. Each position listed in this
16 subdivision shall be assigned to a different pay grade within the salary
17 or pay plan.
18 Sec. 2. Section 84-1601, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is
19 amended to read:
20 84-1601 (1) There is hereby established a program of group life and
21 health insurance for all permanent employees of this state who work one-
22 half or more of the regularly scheduled hours during each pay period,
23 excluding employees of the University of Nebraska, the state colleges,
24 and the community colleges. Such program shall be known as the Nebraska
25 State Insurance Program and shall replace any current program of such
26 insurance in effect in any agency and funded in whole or in part by state
27 contributions.
28 (2) Temporary employees of the state who have a work assignment of
29 at least six months' duration and who work at least twenty hours per week
30 may purchase health insurance through the Nebraska State Insurance
31 Program. The state shall pay the same proportion of the insurance premium
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1 for temporary employees as is established through the collective
2 bargaining process for permanent employees. For purposes of this
3 subsection, temporary employees means individuals (a) employed in the
4 Temporary Employee Pool as described in subdivision (1)(f) (6) of section
5 81-1307 and (b) hired directly by state agencies. In no event shall a
6 temporary employee mean an individual hired through a private employment
7 agency.
8 (3) For purposes of sections 84-1601 to 84-1615, health insurance
9 may be construed to include coverage for disability and dental health
10 care services.
11 (4) Any commissioned employee of the Nebraska State Patrol who on or
12 after July 17, 1986, has reached fifty-one years of age or becomes
13 medically disabled and who will not receive benefits from the federal
14 social security program shall be afforded the opportunity to remain
15 enrolled in the state employees group health insurance program until age
16 sixty-five. Employees electing this option shall be responsible for the
17 entire premium cost, including the state's share, the employee's share,
18 and an administrative fee consistent with that allowed by federal
19 guidelines for continuation of health insurance.
20 Sec. 3. Original sections 81-1307 and 84-1601, Reissue Revised
21 Statutes of Nebraska, are repealed.
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Statutes affected: Introduced: 81-1307, 84-1601