Bill > S754

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a Civil Service two-year pilot program that permits counties and municipalities to appoint persons through a streamlined hiring process for certain positions in the Civil Service. The purpose of the pilot program will be to streamline the hiring process for certain positions and to reduce the timeframe between the request to fill a vacancy and the hiring of a qualified candidate. Under the bill, the Chair of the Civil Service Commission will establish the scope of the pilot program and the policies and procedures for the selection of counties and municipalities eligible to participate in the pilot program. Participation by any eligible county or municipality in the pilot program will be voluntary. A county or municipality that wants to participate will submit an application to the Civil Service Commission in such form as required by the commission. The county or municipality, as part of the application, will include information on their hiring needs, including the number of positions and the rate of turnover in the positions, and such other information as required by the commission. The bill specifies that the commission will select counties and municipalities in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State; a cross section of urban, suburban, and rural areas; a cross section of counties and cities of various classes; and a diverse representation of forms of government. Under the pilot program, the chair will establish the positions, policies, and procedures for the counties and municipalities participating in the pilot program to appoint persons through the streamlined hiring process. The policies and procedures may include, but may not be limited to, permitting the counties and municipalities to post the vacancy to be filled and to administer the examination with the approval of the commission. The commission will continue the current practice of creating the examinations. In addition, after administration of the examination, by the county or municipality, as appropriate, the examination will immediately be submitted to the commission for review and completion of the certification process as under current law. Upon completion of the certification process, the county or municipality will be permitted to hire a qualified candidate. The county or municipality, with the written authorization of the Chair of the Civil Service Commission, will sign a waiver designed and authorized by the commission exempting the candidate from the civil service hiring process. The bill requires the candidate to satisfactorily complete the working test period to be considered by the commission as qualified for the position and to have civil service status. Also under the bill, the commission will not require the county or municipality to replace the candidate hired through the streamlined process established by the bill upon the issuance of a subsequent certified eligible list. This provision will apply regardless of whether or not the candidate is listed on the certified eligible list.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

John Burzichelli (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document