State employees working in the Department of Human Services ADvantage Administration Unit will have an opportunity to compete for their jobs and make improvements in the service delivery system under the latest version of HB 1363. After talking with OPEA, Representative Ron Peters and Senator Clark Jolley changed the legislation to give state employees a voice.
In an earlier version of the bill, the service would have been transferred to a private vendor in Tulsa, without a bidding process. State employees in the unit will compete under the provisions of the Privatization of State Functions Act in the most recent version of the bill. OPEA passed the Privatization of State Functions Act in 2000 to allow state employees to participate in the bidding process not only to continue their jobs, but to improve the service.
“We appreciate Representative Peters and Senator Jolley providing state employees the opportunity to address any issues or concerns through the bid process,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley. “We are confident the professionals serving in this unit will do well and services to elderly and disabled Oklahomans will be enhanced.”
OPEA has sent a letter of support for the new version of HB 1363 to the two authors of the bill. To view the letter, click here.
Posted on
Tue, May 10, 2011
by Trish Frazier