Bill to increase the Employee Suggestion Award passes House State Gov. Sub

TSEA February 8, 2018 Comments Off on Bill to increase the Employee Suggestion Award passes House State Gov. Sub
Bill to increase the Employee Suggestion Award passes House State Gov. Sub

Yesterday (2/7/18) HB1788 was amended and passed by the House State Gov. Subcommittee.

HB1788/SB1919 is sponsored by Rep. Martin Daniel and Sen. Steven Dickerson and is part of TSEA’s 2018 legislative agenda.

This bill would increase the cash award for the Employee Suggestion Award program from 10-percent to 15-percent and removes the $10K limit on the maximum cash amount awarded.

Discussion of the bill included out of session testimony from DOHR Commissioner Rebecca Hunter and F&A Commissioner Larry Martin. We encourage you to watch the 30-minute discussion here: https://goo.gl/MX4u6C

Currently, the maximum cash award is limited to ten percent (10%) of the first year’s estimated savings or ten thousand dollars ($10,000), whichever is less.

HB1788/SB1919 as drafted removes the cap of $10k, raises the award to fifteen percent (15%) of the annual savings realized in a fiscal year, requires payment within ninety (90) days of the end of each fiscal year in which the savings have been realized, and limits the award to the first three (3) fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the suggestion was made. The amendment to the bill limits the award to a one-time payout in the first year.

The bill moves on to the full House State Government Committee.

Follow us on Facebook and sign-up for our emails to stay up-to-date on the status of this and other important news impacting state employees.