19823

GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 19823




19823.  (a) The department may make awards to current or retired
state employees who do any of the following:
   (1) Propose procedures or ideas which hereafter have been adopted
and which will result in eliminating or reducing state expenditures
or improving operations; provided, the proposals are placed in
effect.
   (2) Perform special acts or special services in the public
interest.
   (3) By their superior accomplishments, make exceptional
contributions to the efficiency, economy or other improvement in the
operations of the state government.
   (b) Awards for superior accomplishments shall be made in
accordance with procedures and standards established by the
department.
   (c) Any award made by the department under the provisions of this
section may be paid from the appropriation available to the state
agency affected by the award.
   (d) The director may adopt rules and regulations to carry out the
provisions of this section, and may appoint merit award boards made
up of state officers, employees, or citizens to consider employee
proposals, special acts, special services, or superior
accomplishments, and to make recommendations to the department as to
the merits of the proposals, special acts, special services, or
superior accomplishments, and whether or not the proposals, special
acts, special services, or superior accomplishments justify an award.
   (e) Any award granted under the provisions of this section shall
be limited to five thousand dollars ($5,000) unless a larger award is
approved by concurrent resolution of the Legislature.
   (f) Any expenditures made or costs incurred heretofore or
hereafter by the director for the purposes of this section may be
paid from funds available for the support of the department.
   (g) This subdivision shall only apply to state employees in State
Bargaining Unit 16. If the provisions of this section are in conflict
with the provisions of a memorandum of understanding reached
pursuant to Section 3517.5, the memorandum of understanding shall be
controlling without further legislative action, except that if the
provisions of the memorandum of understanding require the expenditure
of funds, the provisions may not become effective unless approved by
the Legislature in the annual Budget Act.