File #: Int 0671-2018    Version: * Name: Establishing a task force on the cost of taking civil service exams for the first time.
Type: Introduction Status: Filed (End of Session)
Committee: Committee on Civil Service and Labor
On agenda: 3/7/2018
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law in relation to establishing a task force on the cost of taking civil service exams for the first time
Sponsors: Mark Treyger, Margaret S. Chin, I. Daneek Miller
Council Member Sponsors: 3
Summary: This bill would establish a civil service exam fee task force. The task force, which would meet quarterly and hold at least two public meetings, would consist of public officials, a Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) employee with experience in developing civil service exams or setting exam fees and a civil service labor union representative. The task force would be required to submit to the Mayor and Speaker of the Council a cost analysis report on the number of people taking, for the very first time, a civil service exam administered by DCAS and the relevant exam fees. In addition, the task force would be required to submit to the Mayor and Speaker recommendations to mitigate costs for individuals taking such an exam for the very first time.
Indexes: Council Appointment Required, Other Appointment Required, Oversight, Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 671, 2. Int. No. 671, 3. March 7, 2018 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 4. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 03-07-18, 5. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - March 7, 2018

Int. No. 671

 

By Council Members Treyger, Chin and Miller

 

A Local Law in relation to establishing a task force on the cost of taking civil service exams for the first time

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Civil service examination fee task force. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

                     City. The term “city” means the city of New York.

                     Commissioner. The term “commissioner” means the commissioner of the department of citywide administrative services.

Department. The term “department” means the department of citywide administrative services.

State. The term “state” means the state of New York.

b. There shall be a civil service examination fee task force consisting of the commissioner, who shall serve as chairperson; the director of management and budget for the city; one member to be appointed by the mayor, who is an appropriate department employee with experience in developing civil service examinations or setting civil service examination fees; and one member to be appointed by the speaker of the council, who is a representative of a labor union that represents civil service employees.

c. Each member of the task force shall serve without compensation for a term of 12 months, to commence after the final member of the task force is appointed. All members shall be appointed within 60 days after the effective date of this local law.

d. No appointed member of the task force shall be removed except for cause by the appointing authority. In the event of a vacancy on the task force during the term of an appointed member, a successor shall be selected in the same manner as the original appointment to serve the balance of the unexpired term.

e. The commissioner may designate a person to serve in the commissioner’s place on the task force, and such designee shall be counted as a member for the purpose of determining the existence of a quorum and may vote on behalf of the commissioner. The director of management and budget may also designate a person to serve in the director’s place on the task force, who shall be counted as a member for the purpose of determining the existence of a quorum and may vote on behalf of the director of management and budget.

f. The task force shall meet at least quarterly and shall hold at least two public meetings prior to the submission of the cost analysis report and report of recommendations required pursuant to subdivisions h and i of this section to solicit public comment on the impact of civil service examination application fees on first-time applicants and how to mitigate the relevant costs.

g. The mayor may designate one or more agencies to provide staffing and other administrative support to the task force.

h. No later than 12 months after the final member of the task force is appointed, the task force shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a cost analysis report concerning the number of people taking, for the very first time, a civil service examination administered by the department and the relevant examination fees. Such a report shall include, but need not be limited to, the following information:

1. A comprehensive listing of each individual taking a civil service examination for the very first time, with the name of each individual replaced with a symbol to ensure anonymity, the title of the civil service examination for which each such individual registered and the related civil service examination fee that each such individual paid, for each year in the 2014 to 2018 time period;

2. The total number of individuals per year taking a civil service examination for the very first time, for each year in the 2014 to 2018 time period; and

3. The cumulative cost of first-time civil service examination application fees per year, as calculated by adding the civil service examination application fees paid by individuals taking a civil service examination for the very first time and any surcharges applied for using a payment card, for each year in the 2014 to 2018 time period.

i. No later than 12 months after the final member of the task force is appointed, the task force shall also submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a report of its recommendations to mitigate costs for individuals taking a civil service examination for the very first time. In developing such recommendations, the task force shall also consider the relevance, usefulness and feasibility of the following options:

1. Calling upon the state to amend its civil service laws to require the municipal civil service commission of the city to waive the relevant fees for individuals taking a civil service examination for the very first time;

2. Instituting a reimbursement program through the city budget to cover the relevant fees for individuals taking a civil service examination for the very first time, or having the city subsidize such fees in some other way; and

3. Any other options the task force deems relevant to mitigating costs for individuals taking a civil service examination for the very first time.

j. The civil service examination fee task force shall dissolve upon submission of the cost analysis report and report of recommendations required pursuant to subdivisions h and i of this section.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

 

JJ

LS #5108

01/24/2018 11:32AM