HB 30 -- CASELOAD STANDARDS

CO-SPONSORS:  Dougherty, Boucher

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Social
Services, Medicaid and the Elderly by a vote of 18 to 0.

This bill requires the Director of the Department of Social
Services to convene, at least biannually, a Caseload Standards
Committee, to recommend minimum and maximum caseloads for each
category of employees in the department.  The committee will
include 7 nonsupervisory departmental employees and 3 division
directors or their designees.  A representative of the
employees' certified majority organization will also serve on
the committee, but in a nonvoting, advisory capacity.

This bill also requires the director to develop caseload
standards for employees in each program area within the
department, based on the actual duties of caseworkers, and
consistent with existing professional caseload standards, taking
into account the recommendations of the Caseload Standards
Advisory Committee.  In developing caseload standards, the
director is to consider the standards developed by other states
for workers employed in similar positions.  The caseload
standards developed by the director must form the basis for the
department's annual personnel budget request, and will be used,
subject to appropriations, to assign caseloads to individual
employees.  Good faith efforts on the part of an employee who
does not meet assignments exceeding caseload standards will be
considered in evaluating the employee's work performance.  A
provision is made for employee grievances should a performance
evaluation be lowered or discipline imposed, based on work
expectations which exceed caseload standards.

FISCAL NOTE:  Savings to General Revenue Fund is $0 in FY 2000,
and Unknown in FY 2001 and FY 2002.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that implementing caseload standards
will promote more effective delivery of services through the
Department of Social Services.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Dougherty;
Communication Workers; and Service Employees International Union.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Debra Cheshier, Senior Legislative Analyst

HB 30 -- Caseload Standards

Co-Sponsors:  Dougherty, Boucher

This bill requires the Director of the Department of Social
Services to convene, at least biannually, a Caseload Standards
Committee, to recommend minimum and maximum caseloads for each
category of employees in the department.  The committee will
include 7 nonsupervisory departmental employees and 3 division
directors or their designees.  A representative of the
employees' certified majority organization will also serve on
the committee, but in a nonvoting, advisory capacity.

This bill also requires the director to develop caseload
standards for employees in each program area within the
department, based on the actual duties of caseworkers, and
consistent with existing professional caseload standards, taking
into account the recommendations of the Caseload Standards
Advisory Committee.  In developing caseload standards, the
director is to consider the standards developed by other states
for workers employed in similar positions.  The caseload
standards developed by the director must form the basis for the
department's annual personnel budget request, and will be used,
subject to appropriations, to assign caseloads to individual
employees.  Good faith efforts on the part of an employee who
does not meet assignments exceeding caseload standards will be
considered in evaluating the employee's work performance.  A
provision is made for employee grievances should a performance
evaluation be lowered or discipline imposed, based on work
expectations which exceed caseload standards.