State Classification Office Legislative Recap Texas State Human Resources Association July 15, 2005

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State Classification OfficeLegislative
RecapTexas State Human Resources
AssociationJuly 15, 2005
2
79th Legislative Session

• 5,484 bills filed
• 1,401 bills passed
• The State Classification Office tracked 160 human
  resources-related bills

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General Appropriations Act

• Article IX
• Updates the Position Classification Plan
• Updates Salary Schedules A and B
• Revises Salary Schedule C
• Provides stipends for education and certification
  levels for law enforcement positions at certain
  state agencies
• Provides authority for agencies to grant equity
  pay adjustments
• Authorizes an across-the-board pay increase for
  most state agency employees
• Increases longevity and hazardous duty pay
  (statutory authority in SB 1863)

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Classification Plan Changes

• Changes
• 54 additions (includes 18 new job
  classifications)
• 115 deletions
• 98 reallocations
• 36 title changes
• FY 2006/2007 Classification Plan
• 242 job class series
• 829 job classifications

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Timeline for Changes
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New Positions

• Accounting Technician
• Certified Nurse Assistant
• Claims Assistant
• Contract Administration Manager
• Customer Service Representative
• Earth Science Technician
• Electronics Technician
• Equipment Operator
• Government Relations Representative

• Grants Coordinator
• HHS Program Coordinator
• Health Physicist
• Lifeguard
• Management Analyst
• Physician Assistant
• Program Supervisor
• Rehabilitation Therapy Technician
• Research and Statistics Technician

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Agency Responsibilities

• Review employees to ensure proper classification
  and level of work
• Identify employees for new classifications
• Choose occupationally-specific job
  classifications versus general jobs (i.e. HR
  Specialist vs. Program Specialist)
• Update and/or create functional job descriptions
  for your own agencies

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Resources

• Conversion Manual
• Available online
• Identifies automatic and manual conversions
• Includes list of frequently asked questions
• Job Descriptions
• New and revised descriptions available online
• Includes list of frequently asked questions
• Categorizes jobs as entry, journey or senior-level

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Levels in the Classification Plan

• Entry
• Generally, this level requires little or no
  previous training or experience. Work is usually
  performed under close supervision.
• Journey
• Generally, this level requires previous training
  or experience and specific skills. Work is
  usually performed under moderate supervision.
• Senior
• Generally, this level requires a high level of
  responsibility, training, experience and
  competence. Work is usually performed under
  minimal supervision.

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Example
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Occupational Group Highlights

• Accounting and Finance
• Creation of Accounting Technician
• Deletion of first level Accountant and Auditor
  positions
• Addition of higher level Accountant and Auditor
  positions
• Administrative Support
• Customer Service Representative
• Administrative roles
• Focus is on external customer support
• Word Processing Operator
• Move to Clerk or Administrative Assistant
  positions
• Education
• Additional level in Teachers Aide

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Occupational Group Highlights

• Engineering and Design
• Engineering Assistant and Specialists
• Streamline levels
• Deletion of first level of Engineer
• Addition of higher level Engineer
• Project Design Assistant
• Architect in training
• Inspectors and Investigators
• Sample Technicians
• Move to Natural Resource positions
• Insurance
• Claims Assistant and Claims Analyst

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Occupational Group Highlights

• Maintenance
• Equipment Operator
• Electronics Technician
• Maintenance Supervisor
• Natural Resources
• Earth Science Technician
• Sanitarians
• Planning, Research and Statistics
• Deletion of lower two Statistician levels
• Creation of higher level Statisticians
• Research and Statistics Technician
• Procedures and Information
• Methods and Procedures Specialist
• Management Analyst

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Occupational Group Highlights

• Program Management
• Program Administrator to Program Supervisor
• Program Specialists
• Property Management
• Grants Coordinator
• Contract Administration Manager
• Public Safety
• Security Workers and Officers
• Social Services
• Rehabilitation Therapy Technician
• Certified Nurse Assistant
• Case Workers and Case Managers
• Health and Human Service Program Coordinator

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Salary Stipends

• Applicable to
• Department of Public Safety
• Department of Criminal Justice
• Parks and Wildlife Department
• Alcoholic Beverage Commission
• Pertains only to Schedule C commissioned law
  enforcement officers
• Individual departments are responsible for
  reviewing skills and/or applicable certifications
• Education level (Associates, Bachelors or
  Masters)
• TCLEOSE Certification (Intermediate, Advanced or
  Masters)
• Bilingual capabilities
• Comptrollers Office will create special pay codes

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Equity Adjustments

• Authorizes agencies to adjust employees pay to
  maintain desirable salary relationships
• Between employees within the agency
• Between agency employees and positions in the
  relevant labor market
• Eligible employees
• In their position a minimum of six months
• Maintain satisfactory level of job performance
• Only one equity adjustment per fiscal year
• Consider the following
• Criticality of the job
• Turnover rates
• Education, skills, related work experience,
  length of service and job performance
• Agencies are responsible for adopting internal
  written rules and procedures

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Other Legislation

• Senate Bill 1863
• Affects some benefits for return-to-work retirees
  such as benefit replacement pay, longevity pay
  and vacation leave accruals
• Senate Bill 1345
• Exempts combat zone pay, hardship pay, and family
  separation pay from computing differential pay
• The State Auditor is required to establish
  guidelines for the amount of emergency leave to
  grant military members when providing
  differential pay
• Senate Bill 1485
• Prohibits the disclosure of an individuals
  social security number under the public
  information law.

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Other Legislation

• House Bill 912
• Changes the cap of the cost of awards for an
  individual employee from 50 to 100
• House Bill 7
• Abolishes the Texas Workers Compensation
  Commission and assigns responsibilities to the
  Texas Department of Insurance
• House Bill 952
• Requires a pilot program at Texas Commission on
  Environmental Quality to provide health services
  to state employees within their office complex
• House Bill 2018
• Employee on military leave may not be subjected
  to loss of time, efficiency rating, personal
  time, sick leave, or vacation time

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On the Horizon

• Classification Compliance Audits
• Two Statewide in FY 2006
• Two Agency specific in FY 2006
• Continued review of Program Specialist and
  Program Supervisor positions
• Increased involvement in Audit processes
• HR Statutes Inventory (Fall release)

NOTE Subject to work plan approval