Bill > H0720

This bill appropriates an additional $748,700 to the Division of Human Resources for fiscal year 2025 to cover personnel costs and authorizes five additional full-time equivalent positions. * **Personnel Costs:** $748,700 from the Division of Human Resources Fund is appropriated for personnel costs for the fiscal year July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. * **Additional Positions:** The Division of Human Resources is authorized to increase its full-time equivalent position count by five (5.00) for the fiscal year July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. * **Employee Compensation Adjustments:** The bill mandates several changes to employee compensation, including an average upward shift of 3.7% in the salary structure starting July 1, 2024, with exceptions for minimum wage and specific pay grades. It also requires the addition of new pay structures for IT/Engineering and Nursing/Healthcare roles. Additionally, agencies are appropriated 2% for permanent employees to be distributed based on merit, with flexibility for recruitment and retention in difficult-to-fill positions. State agencies are also required to increase the ongoing annual salaries of their permanent employees by 1%. * **Effective Date:** The bill declares an emergency and takes effect on July 1, 2024.