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128th Ohio General Assembly
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S. B. No. 20  As Reported by the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee
As Reported by the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee

128th General Assembly
Regular Session
2009-2010
S. B. No. 20


Senator Carey 

Cosponsors: Senators Patton, Stewart, Hughes, Fedor, Turner, Grendell, Miller, R., Wagoner, Coughlin, Goodman 



A BILL
To amend sections 9.44 and 124.181 of the Revised Code to permit state employees to receive longevity and vacation credit for prior military service.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 9.44 and 124.181 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 9.44.  (A) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a for the purpose of computing the amount of an employee's vacation leave:
(1) A person employed, other than as an elective officer, by the state or any political subdivision of the state, earning vacation credits currently, is entitled to have the employee's prior service with any of these employers counted as service with the state or any political subdivision of the state, for the purpose of computing the amount of the employee's vacation leave. The
(2) A person employed, other than as an elective officer, by the state, earning vacation credits currently, is entitled to have the employee's prior service as a member of the armed forces of the United States or a reserve component thereof counted as service with the state.
The anniversary date of employment for the purpose of computing the amount of the employee's vacation leave, unless deferred pursuant to the appropriate law, ordinance, or regulation, is the anniversary date of such prior service.
(B) To determine prior service for the purpose of computing the amount of vacation leave for a person initially employed on or after July 5, 1987, by:
(1) A municipal corporation, the person shall have only prior service within that municipal corporation counted;
(2) A township, the person shall have only prior service with a township counted.
(C) An employee who has retired in accordance with the provisions of any retirement plan offered by the state and who is employed by the state or any political subdivision of the state on or after June 24, 1987, shall not have prior service with the state, any political subdivision of the state, or a regional council of government established in accordance with Chapter 167. of the Revised Code counted for the purpose of computing vacation leave.
Sec. 124.181.  (A) Except as provided in division (M) of this section, any employee paid in accordance with schedule B of section 124.15 or schedule E-1 or schedule E-1 for step seven only of section 124.152 of the Revised Code is eligible for the pay supplements provided in this section upon application by the appointing authority substantiating the employee's qualifications for the supplement and with the approval of the director of administrative services except as provided in division (E) of this section.
(B)(1) Except as provided in section 124.183 of the Revised Code, in computing any of the pay supplements provided in this section for an employee paid in accordance with schedule B of section 124.15 of the Revised Code, the classification salary base shall be the minimum hourly rate of the pay range, provided in that section, in which the employee is assigned at the time of computation.
(2) Except as provided in section 124.183 of the Revised Code, in computing any of the pay supplements provided in this section for an employee paid in accordance with schedule E-1 of section 124.152 of the Revised Code, the classification salary base shall be the minimum hourly rate of the pay range, provided in that section, in which the employee is assigned at the time of computation.
(3) Except as provided in section 124.183 of the Revised Code, in computing any of the pay supplements provided in this section for an employee paid in accordance with schedule E-1 for step seven only of section 124.152 of the Revised Code, the classification salary base shall be the minimum hourly rate in the corresponding pay range, provided in schedule E-1 of that section, to which the employee is assigned at the time of the computation.
(C) The effective date of any pay supplement, except as provided in section 124.183 of the Revised Code or unless otherwise provided in this section, shall be determined by the director.
(D) The director shall, by rule, establish standards regarding the administration of this section.
(E)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this division, beginning on the first day of the pay period within which the employee completes five years of total service with the state government or any of its political subdivisions, each employee in positions paid in accordance with schedule B of section 124.15 of the Revised Code or in accordance with schedule E-1 or schedule E-1 for step seven only of section 124.152 of the Revised Code shall receive an automatic salary adjustment equivalent to two and one-half per cent of the classification salary base, to the nearest whole cent. Each employee shall receive thereafter an annual adjustment equivalent to one-half of one per cent of the employee's classification salary base, to the nearest whole cent, for each additional year of qualified employment until a maximum of ten per cent of the employee's classification salary base is reached. The granting of longevity adjustments shall not be affected by promotion, demotion, or other changes in classification held by the employee, nor by any change in pay range for the employee's class or grade. Longevity pay adjustments shall become effective at the beginning of the pay period within which the employee completes the necessary length of service, except that when an employee requests credit for prior service, the effective date of the prior service credit and of any longevity adjustment shall be the first day of the pay period following approval of the credit by the director of administrative services. No employee, other than an employee who submits proof of prior service within ninety days after the date of the employee's hiring, shall receive any longevity adjustment for the period prior to the director's approval of a prior service credit. Time spent on authorized leave of absence shall be counted for this purpose.
(2) An employee who has retired in accordance with the provisions of any retirement system offered by the state and who is employed by the state or any political subdivision of the state on or after June 24, 1987, shall not have prior service with the state or any political subdivision of the state counted for the purpose of determining the amount of the salary adjustment provided under this division.
(3) There shall be a moratorium on employees' receipt under this division of credit for service with the state government or any of its political subdivisions during the period from July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2005. In calculating the number of years of total service under this division, no credit shall be included for service during the moratorium. The moratorium shall apply to the employees of the secretary of state, the auditor of state, the treasurer of state, and the attorney general, who are subject to this section unless the secretary of state, the auditor of state, the treasurer of state, or the attorney general decides to exempt the office's employees from the moratorium and so notifies the director of administrative services in writing on or before July 1, 2003.
If an employee is exempt from the moratorium, receives credit for a period of service during the moratorium, and takes a position with another entity in the state government or any of its political subdivisions, either during or after the moratorium, and if that entity's employees are or were subject to the moratorium, the employee shall continue to retain the credit. However, if the moratorium is in effect upon the taking of the new position, the employee shall cease receiving additional credit as long as the employee is in the position, until the moratorium expires.
(4) A state employee may have prior service as a member of the armed forces of the United States or a reserve component thereof counted for the purpose of determining the amount of the salary adjustment provided under this division.
(F) When an exceptional condition exists that creates a temporary or a permanent hazard for one or more positions in a class paid in accordance with schedule B of section 124.15 of the Revised Code or in accordance with schedule E-1 or schedule E-1 for step seven only of section 124.152 of the Revised Code, a special hazard salary adjustment may be granted for the time the employee is subjected to the hazardous condition. All special hazard conditions shall be identified for each position and incidence from information submitted to the director on an appropriate form provided by the director and categorized into standard conditions of: some unusual hazard not common to the class; considerable unusual hazard not common to the class; and exceptional hazard not common to the class.
(1) A hazardous salary adjustment of five per cent of the employee's classification salary base may be applied in the case of some unusual hazardous condition not common to the class for those hours worked, or a fraction of those hours worked, while the employee was subject to the unusual hazard condition.
(2) A hazardous salary adjustment of seven and one-half per cent of the employee's classification salary base may be applied in the case of some considerable hazardous condition not common to the class for those hours worked, or a fraction of those hours worked, while the employee was subject to the considerable hazard condition.
(3) A hazardous salary adjustment of ten per cent of the employee's classification salary base may be applied in the case of some exceptional hazardous condition not common to the class for those hours worked, or a fraction of those hours worked, when the employee was subject to the exceptional hazard condition.
(4) Each claim for temporary hazard pay shall be submitted as a separate payment and shall be subject to an administrative audit by the director as to the extent and duration of the employee's exposure to the hazardous condition.
(G) When a full-time employee whose salary or wage is paid directly by warrant of the director of budget and management and who also is eligible for overtime under the "Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938," 52 Stat. 1060, 29 U.S.C.A. 207, 213, as amended, is ordered by the appointing authority to report back to work after termination of the employee's regular work schedule and the employee reports, the employee shall be paid for such time. The employee shall be entitled to four hours at the employee's total rate of pay or overtime compensation for the actual hours worked, whichever is greater. This division does not apply to work that is a continuation of or immediately preceding an employee's regular work schedule.
(H) When a certain position or positions paid in accordance with schedule B of section 124.15 of the Revised Code or in accordance with schedule E-1 or schedule E-1 for step seven only of section 124.152 of the Revised Code require the ability to speak or write a language other than English, a special pay supplement may be granted to attract bilingual individuals, to encourage present employees to become proficient in other languages, or to retain qualified bilingual employees. The bilingual pay supplement provided in this division may be granted in the amount of five per cent of the employee's classification salary base for each required foreign language and shall remain in effect as long as the bilingual requirement exists.
(I) The director of administrative services may establish a shift differential for employees. The differential shall be paid to employees in positions working in other than the regular or first shift. In those divisions or agencies where only one shift prevails, no shift differential shall be paid regardless of the hours of the day that are worked. The director and the appointing authority shall designate which positions shall be covered by this division.
(J) Whenever an employee is assigned to work in a higher level position for a continuous period of more than two weeks but no more than two years because of a vacancy, the employee's pay may be established at a rate that is approximately four per cent above the employee's current base rate for the period the employee occupies the position, provided that this temporary occupancy is approved by the director. Employees paid under this division shall continue to receive any of the pay supplements due them under other divisions of this section based on the step one base rate for their normal classification.
(K) If a certain position, or positions, within a class paid in accordance with schedule B of section 124.15 of the Revised Code or in accordance with schedule E-1 or schedule E-1 for step seven only of section 124.152 of the Revised Code are mandated by state or federal law or regulation or other regulatory agency or other certification authority to have special technical certification, registration, or licensing to perform the functions which are under the mandate, a special professional achievement pay supplement may be granted. This special professional achievement pay supplement shall not be granted when all incumbents in all positions in a class require a license as provided in the classification description published by the department of administrative services; to licensees where no special or extensive training is required; when certification is granted upon completion of a stipulated term of in-service training; when an appointing authority has required certification; or any other condition prescribed by the director.
(1) Before this supplement may be applied, evidence as to the requirement must be provided by the agency for each position involved, and certification must be received from the director as to the director's concurrence for each of the positions so affected.
(2) The professional achievement pay supplement provided in this division shall be granted in an amount up to ten per cent of the employee's classification salary base and shall remain in effect as long as the mandate exists.
(L) Those employees assigned to teaching supervisory, principal, assistant principal, or superintendent positions who have attained a higher educational level than a basic bachelor's degree may receive an educational pay supplement to remain in effect as long as the employee's assignment and classification remain the same.
(1) An educational pay supplement of two and one-half per cent of the employee's classification salary base may be applied upon the achievement of a bachelor's degree plus twenty quarter hours of postgraduate work.
(2) An educational pay supplement of an additional five per cent of the employee's classification salary base may be applied upon achievement of a master's degree.
(3) An educational pay supplement of an additional two and one-half per cent of the employee's classification salary base may be applied upon achievement of a master's degree plus thirty quarter hours of postgraduate work.
(4) An educational pay supplement of five per cent of the employee's classification salary base may be applied when the employee is performing as a master teacher.
(5) An educational pay supplement of five per cent of the employee's classification salary base may be applied when the employee is performing as a special education teacher.
(6) Those employees in teaching supervisory, principal, assistant principal, or superintendent positions who are responsible for specific extracurricular activity programs shall receive overtime pay for those hours worked in excess of their normal schedule, at their straight time hourly rate up to a maximum of five per cent of their regular base salary in any calendar year.
(M)(1) A state agency, board, or commission may establish a supplementary compensation schedule for those licensed physicians employed by the agency, board, or commission in positions requiring a licensed physician. The supplementary compensation schedule, together with the compensation otherwise authorized by this chapter, shall provide for the total compensation for these employees to range appropriately, but not necessarily uniformly, for each classification title requiring a licensed physician, in accordance with a schedule approved by the state controlling board. The individual salary levels recommended for each such physician employed shall be approved by the director. Notwithstanding section 124.11 of the Revised Code, such personnel are in the unclassified civil service.
(2) The director of administrative services may approve supplementary compensation for the director of health, if the director is a licensed physician, in accordance with a supplementary compensation schedule approved under division (M)(1) of this section or in accordance with another supplementary compensation schedule the director of administrative services considers appropriate. The supplementary compensation shall not exceed twenty per cent of the director of health's base rate of pay.
(N) Notwithstanding sections 117.28, 117.30, 117.33, 117.36, 117.42, and 131.02 of the Revised Code, the state shall not institute any civil action to recover and shall not seek reimbursement for overpayments made in violation of division (E) of this section or division (C) of section 9.44 of the Revised Code for the period starting after June 24, 1987, and ending on October 31, 1993.
(O) Employees of the office of the treasurer of state who are exempt from collective bargaining coverage may be granted a merit pay supplement of up to one and one-half per cent of their step rate. The rate at which this supplement is granted shall be based on performance standards established by the treasurer of state. Any supplements granted under this division shall be administered on an annual basis.
Section 2. That existing sections 9.44 and 124.181 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.
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