1998 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 478 – Prosecuting attys, retirement

HOUSE BILL NO. 478

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H0478................................by JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION
PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS - Amends existing law to provide that latent
fingerprint examiners employed by the Department of Law Enforcement, county
prosecuting attorneys, deputy prosecuting attorneys, public defenders and
assistant public defenders shall have police officer status for purposes of
retirement calculation.

01/20    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/21    Rpt prt - to Jud

Bill Text


H0478


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                             IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 478

                     BY JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM; AMENDING  SECTION  59-1303,
 3        IDAHO  CODE,  TO PROVIDE THAT LATENT FINGERPRINT EXAMINERS EMPLOYED BY THE
 4        DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS, DEPUTY PROSE-
 5        CUTING ATTORNEYS, PUBLIC DEFENDERS AND ASSISTANT  PUBLIC  DEFENDERS  SHALL
 6        HAVE  POLICE OFFICER STATUS FOR PURPOSES OF RETIREMENT  CALCULATION AND TO
 7        MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

 8    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

 9        SECTION 1.  That Section 59-1303, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
10    amended to read as follows:

11        59-1303.  ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS FOR POLICE OFFICER STATUS. (1) As used in
12    this chapter, each of the terms defined in this section shall have the meaning
13    given  in  this  section unless a different meaning is clearly required by the
14    context.
15        (2)  Police officer membership status for retirement purposes may be fixed
16    only by law, or by order of the retirement board.
17        (3)  Members holding or filling the following  positions  or  offices  are
18    designated by law as police officer members for retirement purposes during the
19    time of their appointment to that position or during their term of office:
20        (a)  (i)   The  director  and  deputy  director  of  the department of law
21             enforcement, the administrator of the Idaho state police division and
22             the assistant director of the police services division.
23             (ii)  Commissioned personnel of the  state  police  division,  police
24             services division and alcohol beverage control division holding posi-
25             tions  which  involve active law enforcement services, for which cur-
26             rent POST certification is required to continue in employment in  the
27             position,  POST instructors, and department of law enforcement train-
28             ing instructors.
29             (iii) Brand inspectors and brand inspector supervisors.
30              (iv)  Latent fingerprint examiners employed by  the  department
31             of law enforcement. 
32             (  i  v)   Employees  of the department of law enforcement
33             serving in positions of personnel management, accounting, data  proc-
34             essing,  clerical  services and in like general classifications found
35             in departments throughout state government and not within  the  scope
36             of active law enforcement service are not eligible for police officer
37             member status.
38        (b)  (i)   County sheriffs;
39             (ii)  Deputy county sheriffs holding positions for which current POST
40             certification is necessary to continue in employment in the position,
41             the  principal  duties  of  which are active law enforcement service;
42             deputy county sheriffs holding positions which require accountability
43             for the safety and safekeeping of  persons  confined  in  a  city  or


                                          2

 1             county confinement facility or whose duties require active participa-
 2             tion in county law enforcement activities pertaining to crime preven-
 3             tion  or  reduction;  deputy  sheriffs, even though POST certified or
 4             required to be POST  certified,  holding  positions  whose  principal
 5             full  -  time  duties  are  those of a telephone operator,
 6             clerk, stenographer, animal control officer, records  specialist,  or
 7             duties not within the scope of active law enforcement service are not
 8             eligible for police officer member status.
 9        (c)  (i)   City police chiefs;
10             (ii)  City  police  officers holding positions for which current POST
11             certification is necessary to continue in employment in the position,
12             the principal duties of which are  active  law  enforcement  service;
13             city  police  officers holding positions which require accountability
14             for the safety and safekeeping of  persons  confined  in  a  city  or
15             county confinement facility or whose duties require active participa-
16             tion  in  city law enforcement activities pertaining to crime preven-
17             tion or reduction; police officers, even  though  POST  certified  or
18             required  to  be  POST  certified,  holding positions whose principal
19             full - time duties are  those  of  a  telephone  operator,
20             clerk,  stenographer,  animal control officer, records specialist, or
21             duties not within the scope of active law enforcement service are not
22             eligible for police officer member status.
23        (d)  Employees of the department of fish and game serving in  a  conserva-
24        tion officer position for which current POST certification is necessary to
25        continue in employment in that position and which position has as its pri-
26        mary  accountability the enforcement of wildlife protection laws and regu-
27        lations.
28        (e)  (i)   The director of the department of correction, the deputy direc-
29             tor for probation and parole, and wardens of institutions;
30             (ii)  Employees of the department of correction accountable  for  the
31             custody,  safety, safekeeping or supervision of persons confined in a
32             department confinement facility and whose  work  station  is  located
33             within the confinement facility;
34             (iii) Probation and parole supervisors, probation and parole investi-
35             gators, and probation and parole officers;
36             (iv)  Correctional peace officer training instructors;
37             (v)   Employees  of the department of correction serving in positions
38             of personnel management, accounting, data processing,  clerical  ser-
39             vices  and  in  like  general  classifications  found  in departments
40             throughout state government and not within the scope  of  active  law
41             enforcement  service  are not eligible for police officer member sta-
42             tus.
43        (f)  Employees of the adjutant general and military division of the  state
44        where military membership is a condition of employment.
45        (g)  Magistrates  of the district court, and court employees designated by
46        court order to have primary responsibility for court security or transpor-
47        tation of prisoners.
48        (h)  Paramedics and paramedic trainees.
49        (i)  Criminal investigators of the attorney general's office, and criminal
50        investigators of a prosecuting attorney's office.
51        (j)  The director of security and the criminal investigators of the  Idaho
52        state lottery.
53         (k)  Prosecuting attorneys and deputy prosecuting attorneys.
54        (l)  Public defenders and assistant public defenders. 
55        (4)  A  member may be designated by the retirement board as a police offi-


                                          3

 1    cer member for retirement purposes if the position held is one  in  which  the
 2    principal duties involve hazardous law enforcement duties.
 3        (a)  For purposes of this section, "hazardous law enforcement duties" mean
 4        principal duties which:
 5             (i)   Will  reasonably  expect  to  increase the probability of early
 6             superannuation;
 7             (ii)  Is associated with life-threatening risk or presents a position
 8             of peril either to the member or to others, or which  can  place  the
 9             public safety in jeopardy; and
10             (iii) Either  compels  others  to  observe the law, pertains to crime
11             prevention,   or  pertains  to  crime  reduction,  including  police,
12             courts, prosecution, correction, or rehabilitation.
13        (b)  If  continued  employment in a position is conditioned on maintaining
14        current POST certification, such condition shall be evidence to be consid-
15        ered that the employee is a police officer member for retirement purposes.
16             (i)   After July 1, 1985, a requirement for  POST  certification  for
17             classified  state employees may be made only by the personnel commis-
18             sion.
19        (c)  Occasional assignments to hazardous law enforcement duties  does
20          do  not create a condition for designation as a  police
21        officer member for retirement purposes.
22        (5)  Any  employer or agency that believes that any employee, not specifi-
23    cally designated as a police officer by law, is incorrectly  classified  as  a
24    nonpolice  officer  member, may petition the retirement board for inclusion of
25    that employee's position as one to be filled by a police  officer  member  for
26    retirement  purposes.  The  petition  shall be in writing and shall explain in
27    detail the principal duties of the position and include written evidence which
28    establishes that the criteria of subsection  (4)  are  met.  The  board  shall
29    review  the petition and evidence, together with such information and evidence
30    as may be presented by the staff of  the  retirement  system.  The  board  may
31    decide  the matter based upon the information supplied, may request additional
32    information, or may request an oral presentation before the board.  The  deci-
33    sion  of  the  board shall be final, but a similar petition may be resubmitted
34    after six (6) months.
35        (6)  On and after July 1, 1985, no active member shall be classified as  a
36    police  officer  for retirement purposes unless the employer shall have certi-
37    fied to the board, on a form provided by the board, that  such  member  is  an
38    employee  whose  primary  position with the employer is one designated as such
39    within the meaning of this chapter, and the board  shall  have  accepted  such
40    certification. Acceptance by the board of an employer's certification shall in
41    no  way  limit  the  board's  right  to review and reclassify the position for
42    retirement purposes based upon an audit or  other  relevant  information  pre-
43    sented to the board.
44        (7)  An  active  member classified as a police officer for retirement pur-
45    poses whose position is reclassified to that of a general member  for  retire-
46    ment  purposes  as a result of a determination that the position does not meet
47    the requirements of this chapter for police officer status for retirement pur-
48    poses shall become a general member but shall  not  lose  retirement  benefits
49    earned  and accrued prior to the reclassification. If that member continues to
50    be employed in that same position until retired,  that  member  then  will  be
51    deemed  to be a police officer member for the purposes of retirement eligibil-
52    ity.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


    





    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
         RS 07455
    
    This legislation is recommended by the Legislative Council Interim Committee on the Criminal 
    Justice Process. The legislation would give police officer membership status for retirement purposes 
    (the rule of 80) to additional categories of personnel.
    
    The first category added is fingerprint examiners employed by the Department of Law 
    Enforcement. The Department of Law Enforcement has great difficulty in recruiting qualified fingerprint 
    examiners. Persons qualified for employment as fingerprint examiners come from the ranks of police 
    departments. However, because fingerprint examiners do not have police officer status, former police 
    officers are reluctant to accept employment in that capacity because they will lose their police officer 
    status and the rule of 80. This legislation will give fingerprint examiners employed by the Department 
    police officer membership status for retirement purposes. There are currently three fingerprint 
    examiners employed by the department.
    
    This legislation also gives prosecuting attorneys and deputy prosecuting attorneys as well as 
    public defenders and assistant public defenders police officer membership status for retirement 
    purposes. Currently, all active participants in law enforcement are included within the rule of 80, except 
    prosecutors and public defenders. Police officers, magistrates, court security staff, probation and parole 
    officers, pre-sentence investigators and correctional employees are designated police officer members 
    of PERSI for retirement purposes. The rationale for including those employments within the rule of 80 
    applies equally to prosecutors and public defenders. This legislation would correct that inequity. The 
    legislation would also provide an incentive to prosecutors and public defenders to continue in public 
    service throughout their careers. The citizens of this state will be better served by seeking to retain 
    experienced prosecutors and public defenders.
    
                                FISCAL NOTE
    
    The fiscal impact of this legislation to the counties would be negligible for each county 
    prosecutor and public defender. The employer costs will increase by .24% or (twenty-four 
    one-hundredths of a percent) for each employee. This computes to approximately $100 per employee 
    each year. County governments would be responsible for county employees, and the Department of 
    Law Enforcement would be responsible for the three latent fingerprint examiners. The rate that each 
    employee is responsible for would increase 1.56%, or approximately $600 each year.
    
    CONTACT: Susan Mather
              Legislative Services
              334-4858
    
    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE
    
    Bill No. H 4 7 8