During its 2011 session, the Washington State Legislature passed
Senate Bill 5931, which eliminated the departments of Information Services, General Administration, Personnel, and the State Printer, and created two new agencies: Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) and the Department of Enterprise Services (DES). The bill also created two new policy areas within the Office of Financial Management: the Office of the Human Resources Director and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. This legislation took effect on October 1, 2011.
View the final bill report for a
summary of the full bill.
HR Functions Divided Between OFM and DES
Operational support to agencies and back office functions have been consolidated into a new
Department of Enterprise Services (DES), which incorporates all or portions of the following agencies:
- Department of Personnel (DOP)
- General Administration (GA)
- Office of Financial Management (OFM)
- Department of Printing (PRT)
- Department of Information Services (DIS).
The policy and management of human resources has moved to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) under the state Director of Human Resources, who is appointed by the Governor.
Key Provisions Impacting HR
Following are some of the key provisions of the bill in regards to state HR policy and services:
- Gives OFM responsibility for directing and supervising personnel policy and application of civil service laws (chapter 41.06 RCW).
- Creates a “human resources director” within OFM who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The human resources director has most of the same authority and functions under chapter 41.06 RCW as the DOP director formerly had.
- Assigns responsibility for adopting and maintaining a classification plan to the human resources director.
- Gives DES responsibility for training and development, in consultation with OFM.
- Gives DES responsibility for administering the Employee Assistance Program.
- Assigns responsibility for the personnel-payroll system to DES.