What's happening
This bill allows the civil service department or municipal commission to establish continuing eligible lists for any class of positions as deemed appropriate.
Why it matters
Expands flexibility for hiring. By allowing continuing eligible lists for any job class (not just where candidates are scarce), civil service and municipal commissions can more easily fill positions as needs arise, which could speed up hiring and reduce staffing gaps.
Potential for broader and more consistent recruitment. The amendment means eligible lists can be continuously updated, potentially increasing the pool and diversity of qualified candidates over time, rather than relying on infrequent or one-off exams.
Impact on fairness and oversight. With commissions deciding when such lists are “appropriate,” there may be less uniformity in how lists are used across agencies or municipalities, raising questions about transparency and equitable access to public sector jobs.
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Who cares
New York State Department of Civil Service
The bill would let the department establish continuing eligible lists whenever it finds them appropriate, rather than only when too few well-qualified recruits are available.
Municipal civil service commissions
The bill would give commissions the same broader discretion to use continuing eligible lists for positions under their jurisdiction.
Applicants for state and municipal civil service jobs
Broader use of continuing eligible lists could allow applicants for more classes of positions to be tested and added to ranked hiring lists over time.
Headline styles
Expand Civil Service Hiring Lists
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to civil service and pensions
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7948
IN SENATE
March 12, 2018
Introduced by Sen. GOLDEN -- (at request of the Department of Civil Service) -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to establishing continuing eligible lists
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 57 of the civil service law, as added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1963, is amended to read as follows:
§ 57. Continuous recruitment for certain positions. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter or any other law, the civil service department or a municipal commission may establish a continuing eligible list for any class of positions for which it finds [inadequate numbers of well qualified persons available for recruitment] such lists appropriate. Names of eligibles shall be inserted in such list from time to time as applicants are tested and found qualified in examinations held at such intervals as may be prescribed by the civil service department or municipal commission having jurisdiction. Such successive examinations shall, so far as practicable, be constructed and rated so as to be equivalent tests of the merit and fitness of candidates. The name of any candidate who passes any such examination and who is otherwise qualified shall be placed on the continuing eligible list in the rank corresponding to his final rating on such examination. The period of eligibility of successful candidates for certification and appointment from such continuing eligible list, as a result of any such examination, shall be fixed by the civil service department or municipal commission but, except as a list may reach an announced terminal date, such period shall not be less than one year; nor shall such period of eligibility exceed four years. Subject to such conditions and limitations as the civil service department or municipal commission may prescribe, a candidate may take more than one such examination; provided, however, that no such candidate shall be certified simultaneously with more than one rank on the continuing eligible list. With respect to any candidate who applies for and is granted additional credit in any such examination as a disa-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14324-01-8
S. 7948 2
bled or non-disabled veteran, and for the limited purpose of granting such additional credit, the eligible list shall be deemed to be established on the date on which his name is added thereto.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the civil service law, in relation to establishing continuing eligible lists
Purpose of the bill
This bill would amend the Civil Service Law ("CSL") to allow the Depart- ment of Civil Service ("the Department") to establish a continuing eligible list in connection with open-competitive examinations whenever the Department deems it appropriate to do so.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill would amend CSL § 57 to provide that the Depart- ment of Civil Service may establish a continuing eligible list for any open-competitive class position whenever the Department deems it appro- priate to do so.
Section 2 of the bill would make the bill effective immediately.
Justification
Current law only allows the use of continuing eligible lists where there is a limited number of well-qualified candidates for open-competitive class positions. Continuous recruitment examinations offer a flexible, valuable selection tool under various circumstances and should be used when the Department considers it appropriate. Eliminating the require- ment that there must be a limited number of well-qualified candidates for the open-competitive class positions will permit wider use of this device for positions open to the public at large, while maintaining the status quo for existing State employees who take promotional, rather than open-competitive examinations, to advance.
Prior legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This bill would take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.