FOR CAUCUS & FLOOR ACTION

REVISED

 

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

RESEARCH STAFF

 

 

JAMES F. KEANE

LEGISLATIVE  RESEARCH ANALYST

GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 542-3171

Facsimile: (602) 542-7833

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

                       

DATE:             March 29, 2001

 

SUBJECT:       Strike Everything Amendment to H.B. 2257

                                                                                                                                                           

           

 

Purpose

 

Allows the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) to utilize industrial leave to help offset negative impacts to officer’s salaries due to a job related injury.  Allows DPS employees to transfer annual leave to family members who work in other agencies.

 

Background

 

Last year, S.B. 1075 required the Arizona Department of Administration personnel rules to provide for the transfer of accumulated leave from one employee to another employee in a different agency if the employees are members of the same family.  Because DPS has its own personnel system, last year’s change did not affect them.  This legislation provides the same option to employees of DPS.

 

According to DPS, its sworn officers are subject to a great potential for injury.  Presently, workers compensation covers approximately two-thirds of their pay while they are injured and cannot perform their duties.  DPS is requesting the ability to grant industrial injury leave to injured employees and believes that an injured officer should not be financially impacted due to a job related injury.

 

Though additional costs may arise from this strike everything amendment, DPS has pledged to absorb the costs within its current budget.

 

Provisions

 

1.      Requires the Director of DPS to grant a maximum of 2,080 hours of industrial injury leave to any sworn DPS employee who is injured in the course of the employee’s duties and whose injuries prevent the performance of the employee’s normal duties.  Stipulates that the industrial leave is in addition to vacation and sick leave and does not affect eligibility for other benefits.

 

2.      Requires Law Enforcement Merit System Council rules to provide for the transfer of annual leave from one DPS employee to another employee of another agency, department, board or commission if the employees are members of the same family.  Defines “family.”

 

3.      Forfeits a DPS employee’s unused industrial leave upon retirement or separation of the employee from DPS or reclassification to civilian status.

 

4.      Requires the Director of DPS to adopt rules and procedures regarding granted industrial leave hours subject to the approval of the Law Enforcement Merit System Council.

 

5.      Clarifies duties of the Director of DPS relating to providing the Law Enforcement Merit System Council with a table of organization.

 

6.      Makes technical changes.

 

7.      Provides for a general effective date.

 

House Action                                                               Senate Action                                                              

JUD                 1/30/01            DPA    9-0-1-0            GOV                4/2/01      DPA/SE     6-0-0-0

3rd Read           2/19/01                        52-6-2-0

 

 

JFK/ac