HB650 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mack N. ButlerRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Etowah Co., personnel board created for employees of office of the sheriff, terms, compensation, and duties provided, operation of board financed by co. commission

Summary

HB650 creates a Sheriff’s Office Personnel Board in Etowah County to manage classified employees, set rules, handle discipline and appeals, and oversee the sheriff’s hiring process.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a five‑member personnel board to govern the sheriff’s office staff, including hiring, pay, promotions, and discipline. It gives the board disciplinary hearing and appeal authority for both employees and the sheriff, with meetings open to the public and appeals to the circuit court. It requires the board to be funded by the county and confirms the sheriff’s control over discretionary funds, while outlining the hiring process and classifications for classified employees.

Who It Affects

• Classified employees of the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office who would be governed by the board’s rules, subject to hiring, promotion, salary, discipline, and appeal processes.
• The sheriff and exempt staff (appointed by the sheriff and not governed by the board), along with the county government and the public (through open meetings, public records, and funding arrangements).

Key Provisions

• Creates the five-member Etowah County Sheriff’s Office Personnel Board, with appointments by the sheriff and by four members of the county's legislative delegation, and outlines initial and subsequent four-year terms.
• Exempts specific high-level sheriff’s office positions from board rules; salaries for these exempt positions are set by the sheriff and paid from the county treasury, with discretionary funds; if exempt staff are dismissed, they may return to the classified service at the sheriff’s discretion.
• Applies board rules to all classified sheriff’s office employees, ensuring merit-based appointments and nonpartisan administration of employment policies.
• The board's duties include classifying service, setting minimum qualifications, establishing salary ranges, rating performance, and creating rules on appointments, promotions, pay changes, layoffs, leaves, suspensions, and dismissals; it also hears employee appeals.
• Hiring and staffing processes require a personnel director to collect applications, administer examinations, and select qualified applicants based on merit; temporary and probationary appointments are defined with recall and layoff rules.
• Disciplinary procedures allow the sheriff to discipline, with mandatory board hearings for certain actions; hearings are open to the public, and back pay or other remedies can be ordered; rehearing and circuit court appeals are provided.
• Board powers include subpoenas, administering oaths, and enforcing subpoenas through the circuit court; board meetings and records are subject to public access, with confidential elements handled per board rules.
• Funding and administration responsibilities place the board’s expenses under the county treasury; the sheriff retains authority over discretionary funds; the act repeals conflicting laws and requires a constitutional amendment for effectiveness.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Civil Service Systems