H223 - Office of State Human Resources/Various State Human Resources Act Changes. (SL 2024-23)

Overview: S.L. 2024-23 makes various technical and clarifying changes to the State Human Resources Act and related statutes and does the following:

• Requires the State Human Resources Commission (Commission) to adopt rules or policies mandating that a closing date be posted for each job opening unless an exception for critical classifications has been approved by the Commission or through a special exception through the Office of State Human Resources.
• Clarifies that a potential State or local government supervisor can inspect confidential information in a personnel file to prevent application fraud.
• Removes the requirement that job openings be filled no sooner than 21 days after listing.
• Grants the Commission the authority to adopt temporary rules and permanent rules to allow local agencies to hire and pay trainees for local government positions that are subject to the State Human Resources Act.
• Allows an applicant for State employment or a State employee to allege denial of National Guard preference and file for a contested case hearing after following the grievance appeal process.
• Makes clarifications to the statutes addressing fraudulent disclosure and willful nondisclosure on an application for State employment and the laws governing the Temporary Solutions Program.
• Permits the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to directly hire temporary employees into vacant positions if certain criteria are met and requires DHHS to report on the number and types of positions filled under this temporary authority by July 1, 2025. This section expires 180 calendar days from the date of enactment.

Except as otherwise provided, this act became effective June 28, 2024.