Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00682 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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	7	+	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 682
	8	+	January Session, 2019
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4		-	Substitute Senate Bill No. 682
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6		-	Public Act No. 19-10
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9	14		AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REWARD PROGRAM FOR STATE
10	15		EMPLOYEE REPORTING O F WASTEFUL PRACTICES.
11	16		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
12	17		Assembly convened:
13	18
14		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2019) (a) As used in this
15		-	section:
16		-	(1) "State employee" means any employee in the executive,
17		-	legislative or judicial branch of state government, including employees
18		-	in the classified and unclassified service and full-time and part-time
19		-	employees;
20		-	(2) "State agency" means any office, department, board, council,
21		-	commission, institution, constituent unit of the state system of higher
22		-	education, technical education and career school or other agency in the
23		-	executive, legislative or judicial branch of state government;
24		-	(3) "Gross waste of funds" means more than a merely debatable
25		-	expenditure that is significantly out of proportion to the benefit
26		-	reasonably expected to accrue to the government and includes, but is
27		-	not limited to, gross mismanagement; and
28		-	(4) "Gross mismanagement" means a management action or inaction
29		-	which creates a substantial risk of significant adverse impact upon the Substitute Senate Bill No. 682
	19	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2019) (a) As used in this 1
	20	+	section: 2
	21	+	(1) "State employee" means any employee in the executive, 3
	22	+	legislative or judicial branch of state government, including employees 4
	23	+	in the classified and unclassified service and full-time and part-time 5
	24	+	employees; 6
	25	+	(2) "State agency" means any office, department, board, council, 7
	26	+	commission, institution, constituent unit of the state system of higher 8
	27	+	education, technical education and career school or other agency in the 9
	28	+	executive, legislative or judicial branch of state government; 10
	29	+	(3) "Gross waste of funds" means more than a merely debatable 11
	30	+	expenditure that is significantly out of proportion to the benefit 12
	31	+	reasonably expected to accrue to the government and includes, but is 13
	32	+	not limited to, gross mismanagement; and 14
	33	+	(4) "Gross mismanagement" means a management action or inaction 15
	34	+	which creates a substantial risk of significant adverse impact upon the 16
	35	+	agency's ability to accomplish its mission, and excludes de minimis 17 Substitute Bill No. 682
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31		-	Public Act No. 19-10 2 of 4
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33		-	agency's ability to accomplish its mission, and excludes de minimis
34		-	wrongdoing or negligence.
35		-	(b) There is established a program to award state employees who
36		-	make a suggestion (1) concerning a practice that is an alleged gross
37		-	waste of funds in the state agency where such employee is employed
38		-	to the state agency suggestion coordinator, (2) that is subsequently
39		-	implemented by the agency, and (3) that results in cost savings to the
40		-	agency. Not later than November 1, 2019, each state agency shall
41		-	designate an existing employee within the agency to serve as the state
42		-	agency suggestion coordinator, who shall not be eligible to participate
43		-	in the program established under this section. Any state employee
44		-	other than a state agency suggestion coordinator or agency or
45		-	department head may make a written suggestion to the agency's state
46		-	agency suggestion coordinator concerning an alleged gross waste of
47		-	funds. The state agency suggestion coordinator shall review any
48		-	suggestion received to determine whether the suggestion is eligible for
49		-	consideration under this section and shall submit any eligible
50		-	suggestions to the executive head of the state agency, or a designee, for
51		-	consideration.
52		-	(c) If the agency implements the employee's suggestion, not later
53		-	than a calendar year after such implementation, the agency shall
54		-	determine the cost savings attributable to such implementation and
55		-	submit its calculations to the Auditors of Public Accounts for
56		-	verification. Once verified by the Auditors of Public Accounts, the
57		-	agency shall make a lump-sum payment to the employee using the
58		-	funds of the division or department within the agency that benefited
59		-	from the cost savings. Such award shall be equivalent to five per cent
60		-	of the state agency's estimated cost savings for the first calendar year
61		-	after implementing the employee's suggestion and remedying the
62		-	reported wasteful practice, provided such award shall not exceed ten
63		-	thousand dollars. Any award under this section shall not be added to Substitute Senate Bill No. 682
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	42	+	wrongdoing or negligence. 18
	43	+	(b) There is established a program to award state employees who 19
	44	+	make a suggestion (1) concerning a practice that is an alleged gross 20
	45	+	waste of funds in the state agency where such employee is employed 21
	46	+	to the state agency suggestion coordinator, (2) that is subsequently 22
	47	+	implemented by the agency, and (3) that results in cost savings to the 23
	48	+	agency. Not later than November 1, 2019, each state agency shall 24
	49	+	designate an existing employee within the agency to serve as the state 25
	50	+	agency suggestion coordinator, who shall not be eligible to participate 26
	51	+	in the program established under this section. Any state employee 27
	52	+	other than a state agency suggestion coordinator or agency or 28
	53	+	department head may make a written suggestion to the agency's state 29
	54	+	agency suggestion coordinator concerning an alleged gross waste of 30
	55	+	funds. The state agency suggestion coordinator shall review any 31
	56	+	suggestion received to determine whether the suggestion is eligible for 32
	57	+	consideration under this section and shall submit any eligible 33
	58	+	suggestions to the executive head of the state agency, or a designee, for 34
	59	+	consideration. 35
	60	+	(c) If the agency implements the employee's suggestion, not later 36
	61	+	than a calendar year after such implementation, the agency shall 37
	62	+	determine the cost savings attributable to such implementation and 38
	63	+	submit its calculations to the Auditors of Public Accounts for 39
	64	+	verification. Once verified by the Auditors of Public Accounts, the 40
	65	+	agency shall make a lump-sum payment to the employee using the 41
	66	+	funds of the division or department within the agency that benefited 42
	67	+	from the cost savings. Such award shall be equivalent to five per cent 43
	68	+	of the state agency's estimated cost savings for the first calendar year 44
	69	+	after implementing the employee's suggestion and remedying the 45
	70	+	reported wasteful practice, provided such award shall not exceed ten 46
	71	+	thousand dollars. Any award under this section shall not be added to 47
	72	+	the employee's base salary for purposes of calculating the employee's 48
	73	+	retirement income but shall be subject to the tax imposed by chapter 49
	74	+	229 of the general statutes. 50 Substitute Bill No. 682
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67		-	the employee's base salary for purposes of calculating the employee's
68		-	retirement income but shall be subject to the tax imposed by chapter
69		-	229 of the general statutes.
70		-	(d) If an employee retires or leaves state service after making a
71		-	suggestion under this section that is subsequently implemented, the
72		-	executive head of a state agency shall make a lump sum award to such
73		-	former employee. If the employee is deceased, the award shall be
74		-	made to such deceased employee's estate.
75		-	(e) If a suggestion is submitted jointly by more than one employee,
76		-	the award shall be shared equally among the employees. If the same
77		-	suggestion is submitted separately by two or more employees, the first
78		-	suggestion received shall be eligible for the full amount of the award.
79		-	(f) Any suggestion that involves the following shall not be eligible
80		-	for an award under this section: (1) Deferred maintenance or
81		-	replacement of essential equipment and supplies; (2) individual
82		-	employee compensation or position classification; (3) personal
83		-	grievances or complaints; (4) suggestions that require a change to or
84		-	that conflict with, federal or state law; (5) suggestions already
85		-	submitted by another employee; (6) matters resulting from an agency
86		-	audit, study, survey, review or research; (7) suggestions that involve
87		-	correcting a condition that exists because established procedures are
88		-	not being followed; (8) suggestions that constitute opinions only, and
89		-	which cannot be supported by demonstrating a better idea, and the
90		-	need for same; (9) suggestions concerning any matter subject to
91		-	collective bargaining; (10) suggestions circumventing competitive
92		-	procurement procedures provided by state law or policy; (11)
93		-	suggestions which recommend or require formal studies, surveys,
94		-	investigation or similar research activity to establish the benefits of a
95		-	suggestion referred to; (12) suggestions which are hypothetical, vague,
96		-	based on inconclusive justification or deal with generalities; (13)
97		-	suggestions concerning the structure of lottery games conducted by Substitute Senate Bill No. 682
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101		-	the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, including, but not limited to,
102		-	game design, prize patterns, draw dates and draw frequency; (14) any
103		-	suggestion made by the agency suggestion coordinator or agency or
104		-	department head; (15) suggestions concerning a practice that is an
105		-	alleged gross waste of funds that the suggesting employee participated
106		-	in committing; and (16) any suggestion resulting in less than ten
107		-	thousand dollars in estimated savings to the agency.
108		-	(g) Any suggestion made under this section shall be a public record,
109		-	as defined in section 1-200 of the general statutes.
110		-	Sec. 2. Section 5-263a of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective
111		-	October 1, 2019)
	81	+	(d) If an employee retires or leaves state service after making a 51
	82	+	suggestion under this section that is subsequently implemented, the 52
	83	+	executive head of a state agency shall make a lump sum award to such 53
	84	+	former employee. If the employee is deceased, the award shall be 54
	85	+	made to such deceased employee's estate. 55
	86	+	(e) If a suggestion is submitted jointly by more than one employee, 56
	87	+	the award shall be shared equally among the employees. If the same 57
	88	+	suggestion is submitted separately by two or more employees, the first 58
	89	+	suggestion received shall be eligible for the full amount of the award. 59
	90	+	(f) Any suggestion that involves the following shall not be eligible 60
	91	+	for an award under this section: (1) Deferred maintenance or 61
	92	+	replacement of essential equipment and supplies; (2) individual 62
	93	+	employee compensation or position classification; (3) personal 63
	94	+	grievances or complaints; (4) suggestions that require a change to or 64
	95	+	that conflict with, federal or state law; (5) suggestions already 65
	96	+	submitted by another employee; (6) matters resulting from an agency 66
	97	+	audit, study, survey, review or research; (7) suggestions that involve 67
	98	+	correcting a condition that exists because established procedures are 68
	99	+	not being followed; (8) suggestions that constitute opinions only, and 69
	100	+	which cannot be supported by demonstrating a better idea, and the 70
	101	+	need for same; (9) suggestions concerning any matter subject to 71
	102	+	collective bargaining; (10) suggestions circumventing competitive 72
	103	+	procurement procedures provided by state law or policy; (11) 73
	104	+	suggestions which recommend or require formal studies, surveys, 74
	105	+	investigation or similar research activity to establish the benefits of a 75
	106	+	suggestion referred to; (12) suggestions which are hypothetical, vague, 76
	107	+	based on inconclusive justification or deal with generalities; (13) 77
	108	+	suggestions concerning the structure of lottery games conducted by 78
	109	+	the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, including, but not limited to, 79
	110	+	game design, prize patterns, draw dates and draw frequency; (14) any 80
	111	+	suggestion made by the agency suggestion coordinator or agency or 81
	112	+	department head; and (15) any suggestion resulting in less than ten 82
	113	+	thousand dollars in estimated savings to the agency. 83 Substitute Bill No. 682
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	120	+	(g) Any suggestion made under this section shall be a public record, 84
	121	+	as defined in section 1-200 of the general statutes. 85
	122	+	Sec. 2. Section 5-263a of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective 86
	123	+	October 1, 2019) 87
	124	+	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
	125	+	sections:
	126	+
	127	+	Section 1 October 1, 2019 New section
	128	+	Sec. 2 October 1, 2019 Repealer section
	129	+
	130	+	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
	131	+	Section 1(b) was divided into Subsecs. (b) and (c), in Section 1(b)
	132	+	Subdiv. designators were added and in new Section 1(c) "taxation" was
	133	+	changed to "the tax imposed by chapter 229" for clarity.
	134	+
	135	+	GAE Joint Favorable Subst.
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