Bill > H1471

This bill establishes an independent commission to investigate a "rigged hiring system" that allegedly operated for nearly a decade within the Probation Department. The commission will be comprised of the inspector general, attorney general, state auditor (or their designees), two members of the House of Representatives (one appointed by the minority leader, who will also serve as chair), and two members of the Senate (one appointed by the minority leader). This commission is tasked with determining how the hiring system was allowed to function unchecked, its financial cost to taxpayers, whether these problematic hiring practices were widespread throughout the entire department, and the reasons behind employees' reluctance to report the system. The commission's findings and report are due by October 15, 2016, and will be submitted to key legislative committees, including the House and Senate committees on ways and means, and the clerks of both legislative chambers.