Bill Text: NY S05205 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Provides procedures to be followed in appointing a hearing officer for removal and disciplinary action against certain public employees not in the service of the city of New York, including the use of a member of the American Arbitration Association as the hearing officer and the fees to be paid therefor; provides for suspension, with pay, pending the determination except where the employee has entered a guilty plea to a felony crime involving criminal sale or possession of a controlled substance.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-03-05 - PRINT NUMBER 5205B [S05205 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05205-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         5205--B

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     April 16, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  GOUNARDES,  GAUGHRAN,  SKOUFIS  -- read twice and
          ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
          Civil  Service and Pensions -- reported favorably from said committee,
          ordered to first and  second  report,  ordered  to  a  third  reading,
          amended  and  ordered  reprinted,  retaining its place in the order of
          third reading -- recommitted to the Committee  on  Civil  Service  and
          Pensions  in  accordance  with  Senate  Rule  6,  sec.  8 -- committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to hearing procedures
          for certain public employees

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Subdivision  2 of section 75 of the civil service law, as
     2  amended by chapter 226 of the laws of 1994, is amended and a new  subdi-
     3  vision 2-a is added to read as follows:
     4    2.  Procedure;  New  York city employees. [An] For any employee in the
     5  service of the city of New York described in paragraph  (a),  (b),  (c),
     6  (d),  or  (e) of subdivision one of this section, if such employee [who]
     7  at the time of questioning appears to be a potential subject  of  disci-
     8  plinary action, he or she shall have a right to representation by his or
     9  her certified or recognized employee organization under article fourteen
    10  of  this  chapter  and shall be notified in advance, in writing, of such
    11  right. [A state employee who is designated  managerial  or  confidential
    12  under  article fourteen of this chapter, shall, at the time of question-
    13  ing, where it appears that such  employee  is  a  potential  subject  of
    14  disciplinary  action,  have a right to representation and shall be noti-
    15  fied in advance, in  writing,  of  such  right.]  If  representation  is
    16  requested  a  reasonable period of time shall be afforded to obtain such
    17  representation. If the employee is unable to obtain representation with-
    18  in a reasonable period of time the employer has the right to then  ques-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11197-04-0

        S. 5205--B                          2

     1  tion  the  employee. A hearing officer under this section shall have the
     2  power to find that a reasonable period of time was or was not  afforded.
     3  In  the event the hearing officer finds that a reasonable period of time
     4  was  not  afforded  then any and all statements obtained from said ques-
     5  tioning as well as any evidence or information obtained as a  result  of
     6  said  questioning shall be excluded, provided, however, that this subdi-
     7  vision shall not modify or  replace  any  written  collective  agreement
     8  between  a public employer and employee organization negotiated pursuant
     9  to article fourteen of this chapter. A person against  whom  removal  or
    10  other  disciplinary action is proposed shall have written notice thereof
    11  and of the reasons therefor, shall be furnished a copy  of  the  charges
    12  preferred  against  him  or her and shall be allowed at least eight days
    13  for answering the same in writing. The hearing upon such  charges  shall
    14  be  held  by  the  officer or body having the power to remove the person
    15  against whom such charges are preferred, or by a deputy or other  person
    16  designated  by such officer or body in writing for that purpose. In case
    17  a deputy or other person is so designated, he  or  she  shall,  for  the
    18  purpose  of  such hearing, be vested with all the powers of such officer
    19  or body and shall make a record of such hearing which shall, with his or
    20  her recommendations, be referred to such officer or body for review  and
    21  decision.  The  person  or  persons holding such hearing shall, upon the
    22  request of the person against whom charges are preferred, permit him  or
    23  her to be represented by counsel, or by a representative of a recognized
    24  or certified employee organization, and shall allow him or her to summon
    25  witnesses  in  his  or her behalf. The burden of proving incompetency or
    26  misconduct shall be upon the person alleging the same.  Compliance  with
    27  technical rules of evidence shall not be required.
    28    2-a.   Procedure;  non-New  York  city  employees.  For  any  employee
    29  described in paragraph (a), (b), (c), or (e) of subdivision one of  this
    30  section not in the service of the city of New York, the following proce-
    31  dure  shall apply: An employee under this subdivision who at the time of
    32  questioning appears to be a potential  subject  of  disciplinary  action
    33  shall  have  a right to representation by his or her certified or recog-
    34  nized employee organization under article fourteen of this  chapter  and
    35  shall be notified in advance, in writing, of such right. A state employ-
    36  ee  who  is designated managerial or confidential under article fourteen
    37  of this chapter, shall, at the time of  questioning,  where  it  appears
    38  that such employee is a potential subject of disciplinary action, have a
    39  right to representation and shall be notified in advance, in writing, of
    40  such  right.  If representation is requested a reasonable period of time
    41  shall be afforded to obtain such  representation.  If  the  employee  is
    42  unable  to  obtain representation within a reasonable period of time the
    43  employer has the right to then question the employee. A hearing  officer
    44  under this section shall have the power to find that a reasonable period
    45  of  time was or was not afforded. In the event the hearing officer finds
    46  that a reasonable period of time was  not  afforded  then  any  and  all
    47  statements  obtained  from  said  questioning as well as any evidence or
    48  information obtained as a result of said questioning shall be  excluded,
    49  provided, however, that this subdivision shall not modify or replace any
    50  written  collective  agreement  between  a  public employer and employee
    51  organization negotiated pursuant to article fourteen of this chapter.  A
    52  person  against  whom  removal  or other disciplinary action is proposed
    53  shall have written notice thereof and of the reasons thereof,  shall  be
    54  furnished  a  copy of the charges preferred against him or her and shall
    55  be allowed at least eight days for answering the same  in  writing.  The
    56  hearing  upon  such charges shall be held by a hearing officer who shall

        S. 5205--B                          3

     1  be a member of the American Arbitration Association,  and  such  hearing
     2  officer  shall be selected by the mutual agreement of the person against
     3  whom disciplinary action is proposed and of  the  employing  officer  or
     4  body. If such mutual agreement cannot be reached, then the hearing offi-
     5  cer  shall be selected pursuant to the rules of the American Arbitration
     6  Association. Such hearing officer shall, for the purpose of  such  hear-
     7  ing,  be  vested  with  all the powers of such officer or body and shall
     8  make a record of such hearing which shall, with his or  her  recommenda-
     9  tions  and decision, be referred to such officer or body for implementa-
    10  tion. The hearing officer holding such hearing shall, upon  the  request
    11  of  the  person against whom charges are preferred, permit him or her to
    12  be represented by counsel, or by a representative  of  a  recognized  or
    13  certified  employee  organization,  and shall allow him or her to summon
    14  witnesses on his or her behalf. The burden of  proving  incompetency  or
    15  misconduct  shall  be upon the person alleging the same. Compliance with
    16  technical rules of evidence shall not be required. The  hearing  officer
    17  shall  be paid a fee which is equivalent to the normal and customary fee
    18  paid to him or her for services as an arbitrator under the  auspices  of
    19  the  American  Arbitration  Association.  Provided,  however,  that  the
    20  provisions of this subdivision shall not supersede or apply to an exist-
    21  ing hearing officer policy and procedure that is the result of a collec-
    22  tive bargaining agreement between an employer and a recognized or certi-
    23  fied employee organization which was in effect on the effective date  of
    24  this subdivision.
    25    §  2. Subdivision 3 of section 75 of the civil service law, as amended
    26  by chapter 710 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
    27    3. Suspension pending determination of charges;  penalties;  New  York
    28  city employees. [Pending] For any employee in the service of the city of
    29  New  York described in paragraph (a),  (b),  (c),  (d), or (e) of subdi-
    30  vision one of this section, pending the  hearing  and  determination  of
    31  charges  of  incompetency or misconduct, the officer or employee against
    32  whom such charges have been preferred may be suspended without pay for a
    33  period not exceeding thirty days. If such officer or employee  is  found
    34  guilty of the charges, the penalty or punishment may consist of a repri-
    35  mand,  a  fine not to exceed one hundred dollars to be deducted from the
    36  salary or wages of such officer or employee, suspension without pay  for
    37  a  period  not  exceeding  two  months,  demotion in grade and title, or
    38  dismissal from the service; provided,  however,  that  the  time  during
    39  which  an officer or employee is suspended without pay may be considered
    40  as part of the penalty. If he or she is acquitted, he or  she  shall  be
    41  restored  to his or her position with full pay for the period of suspen-
    42  sion less the amount of any unemployment insurance benefits  he  or  she
    43  may  have  received  during  such period. If such officer or employee is
    44  found guilty, a copy of the charges, his or her written answer  thereto,
    45  a transcript of the hearing, and the determination shall be filed in the
    46  office of the department or agency in which he or she has been employed,
    47  and  a  copy  thereof  shall  be filed with the civil service commission
    48  having jurisdiction over such position. A copy of the transcript of  the
    49  hearing  shall,  upon  request  of  the officer or employee affected, be
    50  furnished to him or her without charge.
    51    § 3. Subdivision 3-a of section 75 of the civil service law, as  added
    52  by chapter 753 of the laws of 1990, is amended and a new subdivision 3-b
    53  is added to read as follows:
    54    3-a.  Suspension pending determination of charges and penalties relat-
    55  ing to police officers of the police department of the city of New York.
    56  [Pending] Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision  three  of  this

        S. 5205--B                          4

     1  section, pending the hearing and determination of charges of incompeten-
     2  cy  or misconduct, a police officer employed by the police department of
     3  the city of New York may be suspended  without  pay  for  a  period  not
     4  exceeding  thirty  days. If such officer is found guilty of the charges,
     5  the police commissioner of such department may punish the police officer
     6  pursuant to the provisions of sections 14-115 and 14-123 of the adminis-
     7  trative code of the city of New York.
     8    3-b. Suspension pending determination of charges;  penalties;  non-New
     9  York  city employees. For any employee described in paragraph (a),  (b),
    10  (c), or  (e) of subdivision one of this section not in  the  service  of
    11  the  city  of New York, pending the hearing and determination of charges
    12  of incompetency or misconduct, the officer or employee against whom such
    13  charges have been preferred may be suspended for a period not  exceeding
    14  thirty  days.  The suspension shall be with pay, except the employee may
    15  be suspended without pay if the employee has entered a guilty plea to or
    16  has been convicted of a felony crime concerning  the  criminal  sale  or
    17  possession  of  a  controlled  substance  or a precursor of a controlled
    18  substance. If such officer or employee is found guilty of  the  charges,
    19  the  penalty  or  punishment  may  consist of a reprimand, a fine not to
    20  exceed one hundred dollars to be deducted from the salary  or  wages  of
    21  such  officer  or  employee,  suspension  without  pay  for a period not
    22  exceeding two months, demotion in grade and title, or dismissal from the
    23  service; provided, however, that the time during  which  an  officer  or
    24  employee  is  suspended  without  pay  may  be considered as part of the
    25  penalty. If he or she is acquitted, he or she shall be restored  to  his
    26  or  her position. If such officer or employee is found guilty, a copy of
    27  the charges, his or her written answer  thereto,  a  transcript  of  the
    28  hearing,  and  the  determination  shall  be  filed in the office of the
    29  department or agency in which he or she has been employed,  and  a  copy
    30  thereof  shall  be filed with the civil service commission having juris-
    31  diction over such position. A copy of  the  transcript  of  the  hearing
    32  shall, upon request of the officer or employee affected, be furnished to
    33  him or her without charge.
    34    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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