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| PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1096, 1232 | PRINTER'S NO. 1628 |
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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY ROBBINS, ERICKSON, EICHELBERGER, STOUT AND WOZNIAK, JUNE 5, 2009 |
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| SENATOR CORMAN, APPROPRIATIONS, RE-REPORTED AS AMENDED, JANUARY 26, 2010 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending the act of February 1, 1966 (1965 P.L.1656, No.581), |
2 | entitled "An act concerning boroughs, and revising, amending |
3 | and consolidating the law relating to boroughs," as to civil |
4 | service for police and firemen, further providing for general |
5 | provisions relating to examinations, rejection of applicant |
6 | and hearing, manner of filling appointments, probationary |
7 | period and physical examination. |
8 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
9 | hereby enacts as follows: |
10 | Section 1. Sections 1181 and 1183 of the act of February 1, |
11 | 1966 (1965 P.L.1656, No.581), known as The Borough Code, are |
12 | amended to read: |
13 | Section 1181. General Provisions Relating to Examinations.-- |
14 | (a) The commission shall make rules and regulations, to be |
15 | approved as provided in section 1176 hereof, providing for the |
16 | examination of applicants for positions in the police force and |
17 | as paid operators of fire apparatus and for promotions, which |
18 | rules and regulations shall prescribe the minimum qualifications |
19 | of all applicants to be examined and the passing grades. All |
20 | examinations for positions or promotions shall be practical in |
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1 | character and shall relate to such matters and include such |
2 | inquiries as will fairly test the merit and fitness of the |
3 | persons examined to discharge the duties of the employment |
4 | sought by them. All examinations shall be open to all applicants |
5 | who have the minimum qualifications required by the rules and |
6 | regulations. Each applicant shall: |
7 | (1) be subject to the regulations adopted by the |
8 | commission[, and shall be required to submit to a physical |
9 | examination]; |
10 | (2) either before or after the written examination, be |
11 | required to submit to a physical fitness or agility examination |
12 | that is job-related and consistent with business necessity; and |
13 | (3) if made a conditional offer of employment, be given a |
14 | physical and psychological medical examination as provided in |
15 | section 1189 of this act. |
16 | (b) Public notice of the time and place of every |
17 | examination, together with the information as to the kind of |
18 | position or place to be filled, shall be given by publication |
19 | once in a newspaper of general circulation in the borough, at |
20 | least two weeks prior to each examination, and a copy of the |
21 | notice shall be prominently posted in the office of the |
22 | commission or other public place. |
23 | (c) The commission shall post in its office the eligible |
24 | list, containing the names and grades of those who have passed |
25 | the examination. [Persons, male or female, who served in the |
26 | military or naval service of the United States during any war in |
27 | which the United States has been, is now, or shall hereafter be, |
28 | engaged and who have honorable discharges from such service, who |
29 | have successfully passed the examination, shall be given the |
30 | additional credits and preference in appointment and promotion |
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1 | provided for by law.] |
2 | Section 1183. Rejection of Applicant; Hearing.--(a) The |
3 | commission may refuse to examine, or, if examined, may refuse to |
4 | certify after examination as eligible, any applicant who is |
5 | found to lack any of the minimum qualifications for examination |
6 | prescribed in the rules and regulations adopted for the position |
7 | or employment for which he has applied, or who is physically |
8 | [disabled and] unfit for the performance of the duties of the |
9 | position to which he seeks employment, or [who is addicted to |
10 | the habitual use of intoxicating liquors or narcotic drugs,] who |
11 | is illegally using a controlled substance, as defined in section |
12 | 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (Public Law 91-513, 21 |
13 | U.S.C. § 802), or who has been guilty of any crime involving |
14 | moral turpitude, or of infamous or notoriously disgraceful |
15 | conduct, or who has been dismissed from public service for |
16 | delinquency or misconduct of office, or who is affiliated with |
17 | any group whose policies or activities are subversive to the |
18 | form of government set forth in the constitutions and laws of |
19 | the United States and Pennsylvania. |
20 | (b) If any applicant or other person feels himself aggrieved |
21 | by the action of the commission, in refusing to examine him or |
22 | to certify him as eligible after examination, the commission |
23 | shall, at the request of such person, within ten days, appoint a |
24 | time and place where he may appear personally and by counsel. |
25 | Whereupon the commission shall then review its refusal to make |
26 | such examination or certification and take such testimony as may |
27 | be offered. The decision of the commission shall be final. |
28 | Section 2. Section 1184 of the act, amended May 2, 1986 |
29 | (P.L.148, No.46), is amended to read: |
30 | Section 1184. Eligibility List and Manner of Filling |
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1 | Appointments.--(a) At the completion of the testing process, |
2 | including any background, physical agility or other examination, |
3 | with the exception of any physical and psychological medical |
4 | examination pursuant to section 1189 of this act, the commission |
5 | shall rank the candidates who have satisfied the minimum |
6 | requirements for appointment on an eligibility list. The |
7 | eligibility list shall contain the names of individuals eligible |
8 | for appointment listed from highest to lowest based on their |
9 | scores on the examinations administered by the commission and |
10 | any points for which the applicant was entitled by virtue of 51 |
11 | Pa.C.S. Ch. 71 (relating to veterans' preference). The |
12 | eligibility list will be valid for one year from the date the |
13 | commission ranks all passing applicants, assigns veterans' |
14 | preference points and formally adopts the eligibility list. The |
15 | commission may, at its sole discretion before the original |
16 | expiration date, by a vote of the majority of the commission at |
17 | a duly authorized commission meeting, extend the list for up to |
18 | an additional twelve months. In the absence of a lawful |
19 | extension by the commission, the list shall expire. |
20 | (b) Except as provided in subsection [(b)] (c), every |
21 | original position or employment in the police force or as paid |
22 | operators of fire apparatus, except that of chief of police or |
23 | chief of the fire department, or equivalent, shall be filled |
24 | only in the following manner: the council shall notify the |
25 | commission of any vacancy which is to be filled and shall |
26 | request the certification of a list of eligibles. The commission |
27 | shall certify for each existing vacancy from the eligible list, |
28 | the names of three persons thereon, or a lesser number where |
29 | three are not available, who have received the highest average. |
30 | The council shall thereupon, with sole reference to the merits |
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1 | and fitness of the candidates, make [an] a conditional |
2 | appointment from the three names certified, unless they make |
3 | objections to the commission as to one or more of the persons so |
4 | certified for any of the reasons stated in section 1183 of this |
5 | act. Should such objections be sustained by the commission, as |
6 | provided in said section, or if the conditional appointee is |
7 | determined to be unqualified in accordance with the procedures |
8 | set forth in section 1189 of this act, the commission shall |
9 | thereupon strike the name of such person from the eligible list |
10 | and certify the next highest name for each name stricken off. As |
11 | each subsequent vacancy occurs in the same or another position |
12 | precisely the same procedure shall be followed. |
13 | [(b)] (c) Any vacancy in an existing position in the police |
14 | force or as a paid operator of fire apparatus which occurs as a |
15 | result of retirement, resignation, disability or death may be |
16 | filled by council by the reappointment or reinstatement of a |
17 | former employe of the police force or fire department who had |
18 | previously complied with the provisions of this section. No |
19 | examination, other than a physical examination as directed by |
20 | the civil service commission, shall be required in any case of |
21 | reappointment or reinstatement. |
22 | [(c)] (d) In the case of a vacancy in the office of chief of |
23 | police or chief of the fire department, or equivalent official, |
24 | the appointive power may nominate a person to the commission. It |
25 | shall thereupon become the duty of the commission to subject |
26 | such person to a non-competitive examination, and if such person |
27 | shall be certified by the commission as qualified, he may then |
28 | be appointed to such position, and thereafter shall be subject |
29 | to all the provisions of this subdivision. |
30 | Section 3. Section 1186 of the act is amended to read: |
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1 | Section 1186. Probationary Period.--All original |
2 | appointments to any position in the police force or as paid |
3 | operators of fire apparatus shall be for a probationary period |
4 | of not less than six months, and not more than one year, but |
5 | during the probationary period an appointee may be dismissed |
6 | only for a cause specified in section 1183 of this act or |
7 | because of incapacity for duty due to the use of alcohol or |
8 | drugs. If at the close of a probationary period the conduct of |
9 | fitness of the probationer has not been satisfactory to the |
10 | council, the probationer shall be notified in writing that he |
11 | will not receive a permanent appointment. Thereupon, his |
12 | appointment shall cease; otherwise his retention shall be |
13 | equivalent to a permanent appointment. |
14 | Section 4. Section 1189 of the act, amended October 17, 1980 |
15 | (P.L.1082, No.182), is amended to read: |
16 | Section 1189. Physical and Psychological Medical |
17 | Examination.--[All applicants for examination shall undergo a |
18 | physical examination, either before or after the written |
19 | examination, which shall be conducted under the supervision of a |
20 | physician appointed by the commission. No person shall be |
21 | eligible for appointment until such physician certifies that the |
22 | applicant is free from any bodily or mental defect, deformity or |
23 | disease that might incapacitate him for the discharge of the |
24 | duties of the position desired.] (a) An applicant selected from |
25 | the eligibility list shall receive a conditional offer of |
26 | employment. The offer of employment shall be conditioned upon |
27 | the conditional appointee undergoing a physical and |
28 | psychological medical examination and a determination that the |
29 | conditional appointee is capable of performing all the essential |
30 | functions of the position. Physical medical examinations shall |
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1 | be under the direction of a physician or other qualified medical |
2 | professional. Psychological medical examinations shall be under |
3 | the direction of a psychiatrist or psychologist. |
4 | (b) The physician or other qualified medical professional |
5 | and the psychiatrist or psychologist shall be appointed by |
6 | council and shall render an opinion as to whether the |
7 | conditional appointee has a physical or mental condition which |
8 | calls into question his or her ability to perform all of the |
9 | essential functions of the position for which he or she was |
10 | conditionally appointed. |
11 | (c) If the opinion rendered by the medical examiner | <-- |
12 | physician, other qualified medical professional, psychiatrist or | <-- |
13 | psychologist calls into question the conditional appointee's |
14 | ability to perform all essential functions of a position, a |
15 | person or persons designated by council shall meet with the |
16 | conditional appointee for the purpose of having one or more |
17 | interactive discussions focused on the issue of whether the |
18 | conditional appointee can, with or without reasonable |
19 | accommodation, perform all the essential functions of the |
20 | position. |
21 | (d) If, at the conclusion of the interactive discussion |
22 | process, council determines that the conditional appointee is |
23 | not qualified, council shall give written notice to the |
24 | conditional appointee and the commission. |
25 | (e) Nothing in this act shall be construed as authorizing |
26 | physical or psychological medical examinations prior to |
27 | conditional appointment. |
28 | (f) As used in this section, the term "medical the following | <-- |
29 | definitions shall apply: |
30 | "Medical examination" shall mean any examination, procedure, |
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1 | inquiry or test designed to obtain information about medical |
2 | history or a physical or mental condition which might disqualify |
3 | an applicant if it would prevent the applicant from performing, |
4 | with or without a reasonable accommodation, all of the essential |
5 | functions of the position. |
6 | "Physician" shall have the meaning given to it in 1 Pa.C.S. § | <-- |
7 | 1991 (relating to definitions). |
8 | "Qualified medical professional" shall mean an individual, in |
9 | collaboration with or under the supervision or direction of a |
10 | physician, as may be required by law, who is licensed: |
11 | (1) as a physician assistant pursuant to the act of December |
12 | 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112), known as the "Medical Practice Act |
13 | of 1985," or the act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261), |
14 | known as the "Osteopathic Medical Practice Act"; or |
15 | (2) as a certified registered nurse practitioner pursuant to |
16 | the act of May 22, 1951 (P.L.317, No.69), known as "The |
17 | Professional Nursing Law." |
18 | Section 5. Nothing contained in this act shall affect the |
19 | validity of any civil service appointment made prior to the |
20 | effective date of this section. |
21 | Section 6. This act shall take effect immediately. |
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