Bill Text - SB639 (2020)

Relative to hazardous pay for certain employees of the state prison and New Hampshire hospital.


Revision: Jan. 14, 2020, 12:58 p.m.

SB 639-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2020 SESSION

20-2841

04/03

 

SENATE BILL 639-FN

 

AN ACT relative to hazardous pay for certain employees of the state prison and New Hampshire hospital.

 

SPONSORS: Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Morgan, Dist 23; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Rep. Cushing, Rock. 21; Rep. Ford, Graf. 3; Rep. Walz, Merr. 23

 

COMMITTEE: Finance

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

ANALYSIS

 

This bill increases the weekly adjustment to the pay of certain classified employees of the state prison and the New Hampshire hospital.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

20-2841

04/03

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty

 

AN ACT relative to hazardous pay for certain employees of the state prison and New Hampshire hospital.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Adjustment of Salaries of State Employees; State Prison and New Hampshire Hospital.  Amend RSA 99:10 to read as follows:

99:10  N.H. State Prison and N.H. Hospital.  Classified employees at the state prison and the New Hampshire hospital who are continuously exposed to inmates or forensic patients daily in the normal course of their duties shall be paid, in addition to their regular salary, hazardous duty pay in the amount of [$25] $100 per week unless otherwise collectively bargained.

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 

LBAO

20-2841

12/18/19

 

SB 639-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to hazardous pay for certain employees of the state prison and New Hampshire hospital.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

   Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

$0

$2,400,000-$3,000,000

$2,400,000-$3,000,000

$2,400,000-$3,000,000

Funding Source:

  [ X ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [    ] Other

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill increases the hazardous duty pay for classified state employees at the state prison and the New Hampshire Hospital from $25 to $100 per week. Such pay is afforded to those who are continuously exposed to inmates or forensic patients daily in the normal course of their duties.

 

The Department of Health and Human Services indicates qualified New Hampshire Hospital  employees currently earn a direct care pay differential of $5 per week pursuant to RSA 99:11 and a salary increase of $15 per week for registered or licensed practical nurses pursuant to RSA 99:12.  Both of these provisions prohibit the additional receipt of hazardous duty pay as provided in RSA 99:10 when employees are receiving direct care and nursing increases.  The Department assumes the bill would be effective June 30, 2020 (FY 2021).  There is no appropriation in the proposed bill in the event it was available to New Hampshire Hospital employees.  The Department's operating budget for FY 2021 does not have an appropriation for hazardous duty pay.  The Department indicates there is no fiscal impact to the Department as a result of the bill as currently drafted.

 

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections indicates there are 773 full time positions receiving hazardous duty pay and 18 part time positions receiving hazardous duty pay.  Assuming a July 1, 2020 start date, the Department estimates an increase in hazardous duty pay for full and part-time staff at $3,056,820,  

The Department of Administrative Services queried the payroll system and as of November 7, 2019 there are 619 employees at the Department of Corrections receiving the $25 hazardous duty pay and 2 employees of the Department of Information Technology working at the prison receiving hazardous duty pay.  The Department indicates there would be no cost to implement the change assuming it is effective on the first day of a payroll and no change to the funding source for these positions at the Department of Corrections.  The Department estimates the increase in hazardous duty pay would cost $2,421,900 ( 621 employees x $75 increase in pay x 52 weeks).

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Departments of Health and Human Services, Corrections and Administrative Services