HB206 By Representative Ford RFD Ways and Means Education Rd 1 11-FEB-16

SYNOPSIS: This bill would increase the salaries of public education employees.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

Relating to the salaries of public education employees, to provide for a revision of the State Minimum Salary Schedule to reflect pay increases of at least five percent beginning with fiscal year 2016-17; to provide that each employee of certain boards of education shall receive the pay increase according to placement on the appropriate salary step; to require the appropriate increases on the State Minimum Salary Schedule; to provide support employees with at least a five percent salary increase; to require salary schedules; to provide the employees of certain other public educational institutions and schools with a five percent salary increase; to provide for an across-the-board salary increase on all two-year postsecondary institutions' salary schedules, and to establish other requirements on the two-year postsecondary institutions' salary schedules; to establish miscellaneous pay provisions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. PAY INCREASES, FY 2016-17. (a) The State Budget Officer shall allocate to the State Board of Education, the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, the Board of Youth Services School District, the Board of Directors of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and the Board of Trustees of the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science for disbursement to the employees thereof funds based on the criteria established in this act.

(1) Certificated Personnel (K-12). For the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2016, and each year thereafter, each certificated employee at all city and county school systems and the teachers at the Department of Youth Services School District shall receive a five percent salary increase. Each step and cell on the State Minimum Salary Schedule contained in the annual budget act for the public schools shall be increased by the amounts below for fiscal year 2016-17, the State Minimum Salary Schedule shall reflect the following percentage increases:

Step Years of Experience Increase 1 Less than 3 5.0% 2 3 but less than 6 5.0% 3 6 but less than 9 5.0% 4 9 but less than 12 5.0% 5 12 but less than 15 5.0% 6 15 but less than 18 5.0% 7 18 but less than 21 5.0% 8 21 or greater 5.0% 9 24 but less than 27 5.0% 10 27 or more 5.0%

All certificated employees, including the Adult Basic Education and Science in Motion employees, shall be guaranteed pay increases in the amounts indicated above for their years of experience and degrees earned and the corresponding pay increases shall be reflected in the appropriate local salary schedule and paid to each certificated employee. The provisions and requirements of this act shall be in addition to the provisions of Section 16-13-231.1, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the State Minimum Salary Schedule. Each certificated employee shall be properly placed on the local salary schedule according to degree earned and years of public education service (either in-state or out-of-state), which shall be not less than the amounts appropriated for the State Minimum Salary Schedule. The employee shall be paid according to degree earned and length of public education experience. The pay increase shall be given to each person employed for the 2016-17 fiscal year in addition to any state or local step increase to which the employee is otherwise entitled. The local board of education shall transmit to the State Department of Education the appropriate notice of the earned advanced degree for each employee in a timely fashion; thereafter, the employee shall be paid for the advanced degree as soon as the degree is certified to the State Department of Education as being earned.

(2) Education Support Personnel (K-12). A five percent salary increase shall be paid to each public education support worker and adult bus driver, including Adult Basic Education and Science in Motion personnel, employed for the 2016-17 fiscal year in addition to the salary received during the 2016-17 fiscal year, except employees covered under the State Merit System at the Department of Youth Services District. Each governing body or authority shall establish and maintain a salary schedule for each class and type of employee and each step of each salary schedule shall be increased to reflect a five percent pay increase, which shall be given to the person employed full-time for the 2016-17 fiscal year and each year employed full-time thereafter. The base rate of pay for part-time support employees shall be increased by five percent. A separate local salary schedule shall be established and maintained for each specific job performed.

(3) AIDB. For the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2016, and each year thereafter, employees at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind shall receive pay increases which shall be in excess of their salaries received during the 2015-16 fiscal year. The increases shall be as follows:

a. Certificated. The salary schedule for certificated employees shall be revised to reflect at least the following amount of raises:

Step Years of Experience Increase 1 Less than 3 5.0% 2 3 but less than 6 5.0% 3 6 but less than 9 5.0% 4 9 but less than 12 5.0% 5 12 but less than 15 5.0% 6 15 but less than 18 5.0% 7 18 but less than 21 5.0% 8 21 or greater 5.0% 9 24 but less than 27 5.0% 10 27 or more 5.0%

b. Support. A five percent salary increase shall be given to each support worker employed full-time by the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. A separate local salary schedule shall be established and maintained for each specific job performed. The pay increase in this act shall be incorporated into the support employees' salary schedules. The base rate of pay for part-time support employees shall be increased by five percent.

c. Miscellaneous Requirements. The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind shall establish and maintain a salary schedule for each class and type of employee and each step of each salary schedule for fiscal year 2016-17 shall be increased to reflect the pay increases above to be given to each person employed for the 2016-17 fiscal year and each year employed thereafter. The raises contained in this subsection shall be paid to each employee.

(4) Two-Year Postsecondary Institutions. The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Community College System shall revise all salary schedules of the two-year postsecondary institutions to reflect an increase of five percent for the 2016-17 fiscal year. The pay increase shall be given to each person employed in addition to any step increase to which the employee is otherwise entitled. The Alabama Community College System shall take proper steps to ensure that employees on all salary schedules (including the C-3 schedules) are given full credit for prior work experience in the public schools and colleges, and shall take care to ensure proper placement on the salary schedules. Placement on the revised salary schedules shall be in accordance with the employee's length of service in public education. No pay increase shall be given to any two-year postsecondary institution employee in excess of five percent, except as specifically provided in this act.

(5) Miscellaneous provisions. The following provisions are hereby established:

a. Fiscal Year. All salaries and salary increases which are established by the State Board of Education and the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Community College System shall be paid in full to each person employed before the end of the applicable fiscal year as defined in Section 16-1-1 of the Code of Alabama 1975, as amended.

b. Extended Work. Public K-12 school employees on contracts which extend beyond 187 days, or the hourly equivalent thereof, shall be given a pro rata salary increment for each or partial day of work extending beyond 187 days, or the hourly equivalent thereof.

c. Local Increment. Any cost-of-living adjustment and/or increase on the State Minimum Salary Schedule for teachers as provided in this act shall be exclusive of any local pay increase granted or due to teachers under provisions of any local salary schedule. Any cost-of-living adjustment and/or pay increase required by this act for public school support personnel shall be in addition to any pay increase due or granted to the employee under provisions of any local salary schedules. The pay raise provisions of this act shall not apply to any salary supplements granted by local boards of education, bonuses earned for certification by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, or the federal portion of the salary paid to a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) instructor employed by a local school board.

d. Reduced Pay. No employee shall be dismissed or have his or her work hours reduced or extended or have his or her salary reduced because of the provisions of any pay raise enacted by the Legislature or required by the State Board of Education.

e. Community Education. Each county and city board of education shall have the option to exclude from the provisions of this act any part-time employees of community education or school-sponsored child care or child enrichment program which is supplemental to the state-required educational program.

f. Local Chief Executive Officers. The pay raise provisions of this act shall not apply to superintendents of education of any school system or institution. Any pay increase given to the superintendent shall be by majority recorded vote of the governing body or authority.

Section 2. It is not the intent of this act to make appropriations, but the appropriations required by this act shall be made in the annual budget act for the public schools and colleges for the designated fiscal years.

Section 3. This act shall take precedence over any other act of law.

Section 4. The provisions of this act are severable. If any part of this act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, that declaration shall not affect the part which remains.

Section 5. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Education

Teachers

Public Education Employees

Education Trust Fund

Compensation

Cost-of-Living Raise

Appropriations

Teachers' Retirement System

Employees' Retirement System

Retirement