PRINTER'S NO. 328
No. 14 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY GERLACH, CORMAN, MOWERY, TOMLINSON, AFFLERBACH,
SCHWARTZ AND O'PAKE, JANUARY 31, 1997
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 31, 1997
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2 conduct a study and make recommendations on civil service
3 reform.
4 WHEREAS, The first civil service system in this Commonwealth
5 was created by Act 4 of the Special Session of 1933, which
6 provided for the selection and appointment of employees of the
7 Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; and
8 WHEREAS, The State Civil Service Commission was created by
9 Act 144 of 1939; and
10 WHEREAS, The primary purpose of the Civil Service Act was to
11 bring about greater efficiency and economy in the administration
12 of the government of this Commonwealth through the appointment
13 and promotion of qualified, able and principled persons on the
14 basis of merit; and
15 WHEREAS, In July 1996, 57,926 employees, or 72% of the 80,920
16 State employees, were covered by civil service; and
17 WHEREAS, The Civil Service Act, enacted more than 50 years
18 ago, may contain provisions which are outdated, subject to
1 misinterpretation or unnecessarily restrictive; and
2 WHEREAS, The State Civil Service Commission and other State
3 personnel rules and laws can make it complicated and difficult
4 to hire, promote and terminate Commonwealth employees; and
5 WHEREAS, There is duplication of Commonwealth personnel
6 administration between the State Civil Service Commission and
7 the Office of Administration; and
8 WHEREAS, The Federal Government and some states have
9 centralized personnel management and have established separate
10 and distinct merit system protection boards; and
11 WHEREAS, Eligibility for funding for certain Federal programs
12 requires adherence to merit principles in personnel practices;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, Fair and valid personnel selection and promotion
15 procedures can help assure equal employment opportunity and fair
16 treatment, in addition to cost savings to the Commonwealth, and
17 can result in more efficiency, effectiveness and productivity;
18 and
19 WHEREAS, The IMPACCT Commission recommended a review of State
20 Civil Service Commission rules and regulations that inhibit
21 effective personnel management; therefore be it
22 RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and
23 Finance Committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the
24 Commonwealth's personnel system, including the Civil Service Act
25 and all relevant laws; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
27 study changes made to the civil service acts and personnel
28 systems in other states in the past 25 years; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and
30 Finance Committee to prepare a report, recommendations and
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1 legislation which address the following issues:
2 (1) creating the most efficient, effective and
3 productive personnel system for the Commonwealth;
4 (2) making it less burdensome to hire, promote and
5 terminate Commonwealth employees;
6 (3) creating a personnel system that ensures appointment
7 and promotion of the most qualified, able and principled
8 persons to Commonwealth service;
9 (4) eliminating duplication of personnel services;
10 (5) assuring that the personnel system affords equal
11 employment opportunities and fair treatment to all candidates
12 for State employment; and
13 (6) maintaining eligibility for funding for Federal
14 programs which require adherence to merit principles in
15 personnel practices;
16 and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and
18 Finance Committee to study and, if appropriate, make
19 recommendations and draft legislation with regard to
20 decentralizing personnel decisions and the merit system to each
21 agency of the Commonwealth; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
23 include its findings, recommendations and necessary corrective
24 legislation in its review and deliver such findings,
25 recommendations and legislative proposals to each House of the
26 Senate on or before September 1, 1997.
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