HB15 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Wes KitchensSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Public officers and employees, state personnel dept, state employees, suspensions without pay, total time not to exceed 30 business days, state employee must accept or request hearing within 10 business days, Sec.36-26-28 am'd.

Summary

HB 15 caps suspensions without pay for state employees at 30 business days per year and gives employees 10 business days to accept the suspension or request an independent hearing.

What This Bill Does

If passed, the bill limits total suspension time to 30 business days in any year of service. It requires written charges for suspensions with loss of pay and gives the employee 10 business days to either accept the suspension or request a suspension hearing. If a hearing is requested, an independent hearing officer is appointed to review the case, and the appointing authority may accept or reject the officer’s recommendation with justification. The burden of proof lies with the appointing authority, and existing due process safeguards can continue; the process relies on the State Personnel Department to manage the pool of hearing officers and related procedures.

Who It Affects

• State employees who could be suspended without pay: their maximum suspension time is limited to 30 business days per year, and they have 10 business days to respond to a suspension or request a hearing.
• Appointing authorities (state agencies): they must follow the 30-day cap, issue written charges, appoint independent hearing officers if a hearing is requested, and decide whether to accept or reject the officers’ recommendations with justification.
• Independent hearing officers and the State Personnel Department: they oversee the hearing process, maintain lists of eligible officers, and ensure officers are independent from the employee’s work area.
• Departments with existing disciplinary hearing procedures: they may continue their current process if they meet the bill’s due process requirements; the bill does not override those pre-existing systems where already in place.

Key Provisions

• Cap suspensions without pay at 30 business days in any year of service.
• Employee must accept the suspension or request a suspension hearing within 10 business days of notice.
• If a hearing is requested, an independent hearing officer is appointed to receive evidence and issue a recommendation; the appointing authority may accept or reject this recommendation and must provide written justification if rejected.
• Independent hearing officers are chosen from a list maintained by the State Personnel Department and must be independent of the employee’s division; challenges to officer appointments go to the State Personnel Director within five days.
• Burden of proof for the suspension rests with the appointing authority; the act preserves or allows existing due process safeguards and pre-disciplinary practices where already used.
• Effective immediately upon the governor’s approval.

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

Subjects

State Employees