NY State Senate Bill 2023-S5490

Senate Bill S5490

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Creates a pilot program to examine the effects of waiving the state civil service examination fee

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to civil service and pensions
Mar 06, 2023	referred to civil service and pensions

co-Sponsors

2023-S5490 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6771
Current Committee:: Senate Civil Service And Pensions
Law Section:: Civil Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §50, Civ Serv L

2023-S5490 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Creates a pilot program to examine the effects of waiving the state civil service examination fee; requires an annual report on the results of such program.

2023-S5490 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5490

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the civil service law, in relation to creating a pilot
program to examine the effects of waiving the state civil service exam-
ination fee; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the
expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE:

To eliminate financial barriers for New Yorkers to enter the state civil
service system.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends civil service law to create a pilot program to waive
state civil service examination fees from July 1, 2023, through March
31, 2027, and allow local governments the option of waiving such fees.

Section 2 requires an annual report on the impact of this program begin-

ning from 2024-2028 for the previous year.

Section 3 provides for the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In order to take a state civil service examination, applicants must
apply and pay an application fee. For some qualified candidates the
application fee may serve as a deterrent to them applying for a job in
the State civil service. The State may be losing qualified and talented
workers simply because they are deterred from taking an examination that
will cost them money. The State workforce has been decimated over the
past 15 years and we must begin to rebuild it. The State should encour-
age anyone interested in a job in the civil service to apply and not be
deterred due to a fee in order to take a test. This will encourage more
people to apply and diversify the State's workforce going forward.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on April 1, 2023 and shall expire and be
deemed repealed July 1, 2028; provided, however, if section 35 of part
PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022 has not taken effect on or before
such date, then this act shall take effect on the same date and in the
same manner as such section of such part of such chapter of the laws of
2022, takes effect.

2023-S5490 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5490
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 6, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
 
 AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to creating  a  pilot
   program  to  examine  the  effects  of waiving the state civil service
   examination fee; and providing for the repeal of such provisions  upon
   the expiration thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 5 of section 50 of  the  civil
 service  law,  as  amended by section 35 of part PP of chapter 56 of the
 laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
   (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of  this  subdivi-
 sion, the state civil service department, subject to the approval of the
 director  of the budget, a municipal commission, subject to the approval
 of the governing board or body of the city or county, as  the  case  may
 be,  or  a regional commission or personnel officer, pursuant to govern-
 mental agreement, may elect to waive application  fees,  or  to  abolish
 fees  for  specific  classes  of  positions  or types of examinations or
 candidates, or to  establish  a  uniform  schedule  of  reasonable  fees
 different  from  those  prescribed in paragraph (a) of this subdivision,
 specifying in such schedule the classes of positions or types  of  exam-
 inations  or candidates to which such fees shall apply; provided, howev-
 er, that fees shall be waived for candidates who certify  to  the  state
 civil  service  department, a municipal commission or a regional commis-
 sion that they are unemployed and primarily responsible for the  support
 of  a  household,  or are receiving public assistance. Provided further,
 the state civil service department shall waive the state application fee
 for examinations for original appointment  for  all  veterans.  PROVIDED
 FURTHER,  THE  STATE  CIVIL  SERVICE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL, AND A MUNICIPAL
 COMMISSION MAY, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNING BOARD  OR  BODY
 OF  THE  CITY OR COUNTY, AS THE CASE MAY BE, OR A REGIONAL COMMISSION OR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07722-01-3

 S. 5490                             2
 
 PERSONNEL OFFICER, PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT, WAIVE THE  APPLI-
 CATION  FEE  FOR  ALL EXAMINATIONS HELD BETWEEN JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY-THREE  AND  DECEMBER  THIRTY-FIRST,  TWO   THOUSAND   TWENTY-SIX.
 Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of  law,  for  purposes  of this
 section, the term "veteran" shall mean a person who has  served  in  the
 armed  forces  of  the  United States or the reserves thereof, or in the
 army national guard, air national guard, New York guard, or the New York
 naval militia, and who (1) has been  honorably  discharged  or  released
 from  such  service  under honorable conditions, or (2) has a qualifying
 condition, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law,  and
 has  received  a  discharge  other than bad conduct or dishonorable from
 such service, or (3) is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section
 one of the veterans' services law, and has received  a  discharge  other
 than  bad  conduct  or  dishonorable  from such service. The term "armed
 forces" shall mean the army, navy, air force, marine  corps,  and  coast
 guard.
   § 2. The department of civil service shall study and produce an annual
 report  by  July  1,  2024  and annually thereafter, until July 1, 2028,
 covering the previous  year,  regarding  the  impact  of  waiving  civil
 service  application fees and shall deliver a copy of such report to the
 governor, the temporary president of the  senate,  and  speaker  of  the
 assembly.  Such report shall contain information comparing the reporting
 year to previous years regarding:
   1. The number of applications for civil  service  examinations  broken
 down by employer, job title, and examination type;
   2.  The  number of new hires in all state agencies and municipalities;
 and
   3. Demographic information on applicants, including  sex,  race,  age,
 geography, and educational attainment.
   §  3. This act shall take effect on April 1, 2023 and shall expire and
 be deemed repealed July 1, 2028; provided, however,  if  section  35  of
 part  PP  of  chapter  56 of the laws of 2022 has not taken effect on or
 before such date, then this act shall take effect on the same  date  and
 in  the  same manner as such section of such part of such chapter of the
 laws of 2022, takes effect.

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Senate Bill S5490

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Sponsored By

Robert Jackson