Vermont H. 9: An act relating to deferred sentences

Bill Text

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VT LEG #378849 v.2
H.9 1
Introduced by Representative Casey of Montpelier 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Executive; State employees; Cost-Savings Incentive Program 5
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to reinstate an 6
incentive program for Executive Branch and Judicial Branch employees whose 7
adopted suggestions result in financial savings for State government. 8
An act relating to the Vermont State and Judiciary Employees’ Cost-9
Savings Incentive Program 10
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 11
Sec. 1. 3 V.S.A. § 266 is added to read: 12
§ 266. VERMONT STATE AND JUDICIARY EMPLOYEES’ 13
COST-SAVINGS INCENTIVE PROGRAM 14
(a) As used in this section: 15
(1) “State employee” means any classified, nonmanagement State 16
employee in the Executive Branch or Judicial Branch. 17
(2) “Suggestion” means a proposal by a State employee that has been 18
submitted to the branch in which the employee is employed that may result in 19
financial savings for that branch. 20

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(b) There is established the Vermont State and Judiciary Employees’ 1
Cost-Savings Incentive Program. The Program shall provide financial 2
incentives to State employees who make suggestions that are adopted and 3
result in financial savings for any Executive agency, department, board, 4
bureau, commission, or other administrative unit of the State or for the 5
Judiciary. 6
(c) To be eligible for an award under this Program, a State employee or 7
group of employees shall submit a suggestion to reduce expenditures on a form 8
created by the Department of Human Resources designated for this purpose. 9
An employee who is otherwise eligible for an award under this section shall 10
not receive the award until the employee has satisfied any and all State tax 11
obligations. 12
(d) Within 60 days following the receipt of a suggestion, the agency, 13
department, board, bureau, commission, or other administrative unit of the 14
State or the Judiciary that receives a suggestion shall determine whether: 15
(1) the suggestion is feasible and desirable; 16
(2) the suggestion is an idea that is not already under active study or has 17
not been under continual review by the State; 18
(3) the suggestion is beyond the reasonable expectations of job 19
performance, as informed by the employee’s job specifications; and 20

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(4) implementation of the suggestion will not negatively impact the 1
quality of services presently provided by the State. 2
(e) An employee shall be entitled to an award only if the employee’s 3
suggestion meets each of the criteria set forth in subsection (d) of this section 4
and the suggestion is implemented. 5
(f) Any Executive agency, department, board, bureau, commission, or other 6
administrative unit of the State or the Judiciary that receives a suggestion, shall 7
present its assessment of the criteria set forth in subsection (d) of this section 8
on the form designated for this purpose and shall state whether it intends to 9
implement the suggestion. A copy of this form shall be sent to the employee 10
or employees making the suggestion, the Department of Human Resources, 11
and the Department of Finance and Management if the employee making the 12
suggestion is an Executive Branch employee, and to the Court Administrator if 13
the employee making the suggestion is a Judiciary employee. 14
(g) If each of the criteria set forth in subsections (d) and (e) of this section 15
is met, the Executive agency, department, board, bureau, commission, or other 16
administrative unit of the State or the Judiciary shall implement the suggestion. 17
The employee or group of employees making the suggestion shall then be 18
entitled to a total monetary award equal to 25 percent of the savings realized as 19
a direct result of the suggestion in the first year of its implementation, but the 20
maximum total monetary award shall not exceed $25,000.00 under any 21

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circumstances. If the suggestion is simultaneously made by more than one 1
employee, the award shall be divided equally among the employees who 2
submitted the suggestion. The sum awarded shall be reportable as wages and 3
subject to applicable State and federal taxes, as appropriate. The award shall 4
be computed on the actual savings for a 12-month period, with the period to 5
run from the time that the suggestion is fully implemented. An award made 6
pursuant to this section shall be paid out of funds appropriated to the agency, 7
department, board, bureau, commission, or other administrative unit of the 8
State or the Judiciary that realizes the cost savings and shall be paid to the 9
employee within one year and 30 days following full implementation of the 10
suggestion. An award shall not be included