Report Title:

Child Welfare Services Employees; Civil Service Status

Description:

Grants civil service status to certain temporary exempt employees of the child welfare services branch, under the department of human services' social services division. (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

864

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to child welfare services.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the child welfare services branch (CWS) under the department of human services provides program services to ensure the safety and permanency of children in their own homes, or, where necessary, in out-of-home placements. Over the last seven years, CWS cases have increased by thirty per cent, and the number of confirmed reports of child abuse or neglect increased by thirty-two per cent. A total of 4,827 children were in foster care during fiscal year 2001-2002, a ten per cent increase from the previous year.

As a result, the department of human services created twenty-one case support services aide (CSA) positions and eight multi-agency case coordinator (MACC) positions within the child welfare services branch to provide additional support to CWS social workers in delivering essential work tasks. Ten exempt CSA positions were created under a child welfare services demonstration project in 1999, and the remaining exempt positions were created in response to a federal court order in 2000. Subsequently, the 2001 legislature authorized funding for thirty-one CSA and eight MACC positions.

Due to the temporary exempt status of these positions, however, the department has experienced high turnover, which has affected its ability to provide consistent, cost-effective services and to satisfy statutory and court-ordered mandates.

The purpose of this Act is to convert thirty-nine exempt positions within the child welfare services branch, under the department of human services' social services division, from temporary to permanent status.

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding section 346-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and any other law to the contrary, the following temporary exempt positions within the child welfare services branch under the department of human services' social services division, shall be converted to civil service status and subject to chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes:

(1) Thirty-one case support services aide (CSA) positions; and

(2) Eight multi-agency case coordinator (MACC) positions.

SECTION 3. Any incumbent officer or employee may be given a civil service appointment to the civil service position replacing their exempt position as follows. Employees who have performed the work of the position satisfactorily for a period of not less than six months as of the effective date of this Act, may be given an initial probationary appointment to the position without the necessity of an examination; provided that they possess the minimum qualifications of the position. The pay rate of an employee so appointed shall be determined so as to be comparable to the pay rate of other civil service employees in comparable positions with the same length of creditable service. An employee so appointed shall not suffer the loss of seniority, prior service credit, vacation, sick leave, or other employee benefits or privileges as a result of the appointment.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.