S 58

 BILL AS INTRODUCED  S.58
 2025  Page 1 of 3
1S.58
2 Introduced by Senator Brennan
3 Referred to Committee on
4 Date:
5 Subject: Executive; State officers and employees generally; law enforcement
6officers; firefighters; pay plan
7 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require that
8 law enforcement officers employed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife,
9 the Department of Liquor and Lottery, and the Department of Motor Vehicles
10 and firefighters employed by the State of Vermont be placed in a step pay plan
11 that permits a law enforcement officer or firefighter to reach the final step for
12 the applicable pay grade following 18 years and six months of service.
13    An act relating to requirements for the pay plans of certain law enforcement
14    officers and firefighters employed by the State
15 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
16 Sec. 1. 3 V.S.A. § 269 is added to read:
17 § 269. STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS;
18PAY PLAN; REQUIREMENTS
19    (a) Law enforcement officers employed by the Department of Fish and
20 Wildlife, the Department of Liquor and Lottery, and the Department of Motor
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1 Vehicles and firefighters employed by the State shall be paid according to a
2 step pay plan that permits law enforcement officers and firefighters to reach
3 the highest step for the applicable pay grade upon achieving 18 years and six
4 months of service.
5    (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the State and any
6 collective bargaining representative of law enforcement officers employed by
7 the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Liquor and Lottery,
8 and the Department of Motor Vehicles or of firefighters employed by the State
9 from determining through collective bargaining the number of steps in a pay
10 plan subject to this section, the time in each step in such a plan, or any
11 conditions required for a law enforcement officer or firefighter to advance to
12 the next step in such a plan.
13 Sec. 2. TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS
14    (a)(1) Law enforcement officers employed by the Department of Fish and
15 Wildlife, the Department of Liquor and Lottery, and the Department of Motor
16 Vehicles and firefighters employed by the State whose pay plan on January 1,
17 2025 does not meet the requirements of 3 V.S.A. § 269 shall be transitioned to
18 a new pay plan that meets the requirements of 3 V.S.A. § 269 on or before July
19 1, 2025.
20(2) Each law enforcement officer and firefighter employed by the State
21 on January 1, 2025 who transitions to a new pay plan pursuant to this
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1 subsection on July 1, 2025 shall be placed one step higher on the new pay plan
2 than the law enforcement officer or firefighter would have been had the pay
3 plan in effect on January 1, 2025 remained in effect.
4    (b) The State shall engage in impact negotiations with the Vermont State
5 Employees Association to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this
6 section and 3 V.S.A. § 269.
7 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE
8    This act shall take effect on passage and shall apply to all collective
9 bargaining agreements for State employees that take effect on or after July 1,
10 2025.
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