PRINTER'S NO. 157
No. 142 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY CRUZ, YOUNGBLOOD, THOMAS, LAUGHLIN, CIVERA, MELIO,
WALKO, KIRKLAND, TANGRETTI, JOSEPHS, CORRIGAN AND HORSEY,
FEBRUARY 6, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 6, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of August 5, 1941 (P.L.752, No.286), entitled
2 "An act regulating and improving the civil service of certain
3 departments and agencies of the Commonwealth; vesting in the
4 State Civil Service Commission and a Personnel Director
5 certain powers and duties; providing for classification of
6 positions, adoption of compensation schedules and
7 certification of payrolls; imposing duties upon certain
8 officers and employes of the Commonwealth; authorizing
9 service to other State departments or agencies and political
10 subdivisions of the Commonwealth in matters relating to civil
11 service; defining certain crimes and misdemeanors; imposing
12 penalties; making certain appropriations, and repealing
13 certain acts and parts thereof," further providing for nature
14 of examinations.
15 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16 hereby enacts as follows:
17 Section 1. Section 502 of the act of August 5, 1941
18 (P.L.752, No.286), known as the Civil Service Act, amended
19 August 27, 1963 (P.L.1257, No.520), is amended to read:
20 Section 502. Nature of Examinations.--The director shall
21 give examinations in English and in Spanish to establish
22 employment and promotion lists. The tests in such examination
23 may be written or oral, or a demonstration of skill, or an
1 evaluation of experience and education, or a combination of
2 these, which shall fairly appraise and determine the merit,
3 qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors. Such tests
4 shall be practical in character and shall relate to the duties
5 and responsibilities of the position for which the applicant is
6 being examined and shall fairly test the relative capacity and
7 fitness of persons examined to perform the duties of the class
8 of positions to which they seek to be appointed or promoted. An
9 applicant may be required to possess scholastic education
10 qualifications only if the position for which he is being
11 examined requires professional or technical knowledges, skills
12 and abilities, or if such scholastic qualifications are required
13 to assure the continued eligibility of the Commonwealth for
14 Federal grants-in-aid. No greater credit for experience gained
15 during a provisional, emergency or temporary appointment under
16 this act or acts repealed hereby shall be given to any person in
17 any examination than is given in such examination for experience
18 in the same type of work performed in a similar position not
19 under the provisions of this act or acts repealed hereby. In
20 evaluating experience in order to compute the final rating in
21 any examination to establish employment and promotion lists,
22 persons discharged other than dishonorably, after active service
23 during any war or armed conflict in which the United States
24 engaged, from any branch of the armed service of the United
25 States, or from any women's uniformed service directly connected
26 therewith, shall not be given less credit for experience than
27 would be given for continued experience in the position held at
28 the time of induction in the service. No question in any
29 examination shall relate to the race, religion or political or
30 labor union affiliation of the candidate.
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1 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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