SECOND REGULAR SESSION
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES CURTIS (Sponsor), MORRIS, ENGLISH, WALTON GRAY, RUNIONS, HARRIS, MAY, FRAME, NORR, COLONA, WALKER, GRISAMORE, CARPENTER, MCNEIL, MIMS, ELLINGER, DUNN, FITZWATER AND WEBBER (Co-sponsors).
4289L.02I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal section 21.150, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to compensation of legislative employees.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 21.150, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 21.150, to read as follows:
21.150. 1. Except as provided in subsection 2 of this section, within five days after September 28, 1973, and on December fifteenth of each even-numbered year thereafter, the accounts committee of the house of representatives and the accounts committee of the senate shall establish rates of pay for secretary and assistant secretary of the senate, the chief clerk and assistant chief clerk of the house, the engrossing clerks, enrolling clerks, reading clerks, chaplains, sergeants-at-arms, doorkeepers, and all other stenographic, clerical or administrative and technical employees of both houses. Such rates of pay shall be the same as the established rate of pay for persons employed under the direction and established policies of the personnel division of the office of administration for comparable duties. Such rates of pay shall not be established until the accounts committee has examined the rates of pay for the various categories then in effect within the personnel division of the office of administration. Such rates of pay shall become effective for those employees, initially, on September 28, 1973, and on the fifteenth day of January of each odd-numbered year thereafter unless a majority of both houses shall by concurrent resolution reject such rates of pay, initially, within ten legislative days after September 28, 1973, or by the January fifteenth next following each establishment thereafter. If rejected the new rates of pay shall not be paid and the rates of pay last recommended by the personnel division shall be continued as if a new rate had not been set until a different rate is established as provided in this section.
2. [If the rates of pay initially set as provided in this section are rejected, the secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house of representatives shall each receive not to exceed fifteen dollars per day compensation for his services during a session of the general assembly. The assistant secretary, assistant chief clerk, the engrossing clerks, enrolling clerks, reading clerks, chaplains, sergeants-at-arms, doorkeepers, and for all other stenographic, clerical or administrative and technical employees of both houses shall not exceed fourteen dollars per day.] (1) Beginning December 15, 2014, the annual rate of pay for each stenographer or secretary employed as each representative's legislative assistant shall be established by the committee on administration and accounts of the house of representatives as provided in this subsection.
(2) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, the committee on administration and accounts of the house of representatives shall establish the annual rate of pay for each stenographer or secretary employed as each representative's legislative assistant as follows:
(a) For the legislative assistant's first year of employment by either chamber of the general assembly, the annual rate of pay shall be no lower than fifteen percent less than the hiring member's annual salary;
(b) For the legislative assistant's second, third, and fourth years of employment by either chamber of the general assembly, the annual rate of pay shall increase in each year by one percent of the previous year's rate of pay;
(c) For the legislative assistant's fifth year of employment by either chamber of the general assembly, the annual rate of pay shall increase by six percent of the previous year's annual rate of pay, and such annual rate of pay shall be the approved annual rate of pay for the legislative assistant's fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth year of employment by either chamber of the general assembly;
(d) For the legislative assistant's ninth year of employment by either chamber of the general assembly, the annual rate of pay shall increase by six percent of the previous year's annual rate of pay, and such annual rate of pay shall be the approved annual rate of pay for the legislative assistant's tenth, eleventh, and twelfth year of employment by either chamber of the general assembly;
(e) For the legislative assistant's thirteenth year of employment by either chamber of the general assembly, the annual rate of pay shall increase by six percent of the previous year's annual rate of pay, and such annual rate of pay shall be the approved annual rate of pay for the legislative assistant's subsequent years of employment by either chamber of the general assembly.
(3) The annual rates of pay described in subdivision (2) of this subsection may be increased by any amount of increase in annual rates of pay approved for all state employees, and this subsection shall not be construed to prohibit any increase in any legislative assistant's annual rate of pay in the event of any other appropriated increase for all state employees.
(4) The general assembly finds and declares that it is the public policy of this state to encourage legislative assistants to remain as employees of the general assembly, thereby retaining valuable institutional knowledge that enhances the effectiveness of the general assembly and of the individual members in serving Missourians. Therefore, it is the intent of the general assembly to establish the annual rates of pay for legislative assistants provided in this subsection to reward legislative assistants for continued service and for their efforts in assisting the members of the general assembly as they serve constituents.
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