THE GOVERNOR
Title 4—ADMINISTRATION
[54 Pa.B. 3516]
[Saturday, June 22, 2024]
PART I. GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
[ 4 PA. CODE CH. 1 ]
[ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 2024-01 ]
Hire, Improve, Recruit, Empower Committee May 13, 2024
Whereas, the Commonwealth seeks to continue to bolster the competitiveness of its workforce and deliver better services to Pennsylvanians; and
Whereas, the Commonwealth is one of the largest employers in Pennsylvania and is ranked among the top employers in the state for employee satisfaction and among the top in the country by recent college graduates; and
Whereas, the policies and programs of the Commonwealth may serve as a model for other employers in the Commonwealth and as such, the Commonwealth's policies should reflect its position as a model employer; and
Whereas, the Commonwealth is made up of diverse persons from various backgrounds and beliefs who enhance the state's cultural and economic growth; and
Whereas, the percentage of Pennsylvania's population who are foreign-born and speak a language other than English is increasing; and
Whereas, by continuing to strengthen the Commonwealth's recruitment, hiring, development, and retention of high-performing individuals, the Commonwealth can continue to meet the rapidly evolving needs of Pennsylvanians.
Now, Therefore, I, Josh Shapiro, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and other laws, do hereby establish the Hire, Improve, Recruit, Empower (HIRE) Committee, and do order and direct as follows:
Governor
Fiscal Note: GOV-2024-01. Under section 612 of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 232), (1) General Fund;
(7) Department of Military and Veterans Affairs—General Government Operations; (2) Implementing Year 2023-24 is $0; (3) 1st Succeeding Year 2024-25 through 5th Succeeding Year 2028-29 are $150,000; (4) 2022-23 Program—$29,567,000; 2021-22 Program—$26,401,000; 2020-21 Program—$32,590,000;
(7) Office of Administration—General Government Operations; (2) Implementing Year 2023-24 is $0; (3) 1st Succeeding Year 2024-25 through 5th Succeeding Year 2028-29 are $2,190,000; (4) 2022-23 Program—$11,170,000; 2021-22 Program—$10,453,000; 2020-21 Program—$9,647,000;
(7) Multiple Appropriations—Multipurpose Single-Use Restrooms; (2) Implementing Year 2023-24 is $0; (3) 1st Succeeding Year 2024-25 through 5th Succeeding Year 2028-29 are $50,000; (4) 2022-23 Program—N/A; 2021-22 Program—N/A; 2020-21 Program—N/A;
(7) Department of General Services—General Government Operations; (2) Implementing Year 2023-24 is $0; (3) 1st Succeeding Year 2024-25 through 5th Succeeding Year 2028-29 are $554,000; (4) 2022-23 Program—$56,329,000; 2021-22 Program—$55,275,000; 2020-21 Program—$53,698,000;
(8) recommends adoption. Funds have been included in the budget to cover this increase.
Annex A
TITLE 4. ADMINISTRATION
PART I. GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
CHAPTER 1. AGENCY OPERATION AND ORGANIZATION
Subchapter RR. [Reserved] §§ 1.521—1.525. [Reserved].
Subchapter NNN. HIRE, IMPROVE, RECRUIT, EMPOWER COMMITTEE Sec.
1.931. Definitions. 1.932. HIRE Committee. 1.933. Responsibilities of the OA. 1.934. Implementation. 1.935. Effective date. 1.936. Rescission. § 1.931. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
CODE PA—The Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience.
HIRE Committee—The Hire, Improve, Recruit, Empower Committee.
OA—The Office of Administration of the Commonwealth.
§ 1.932. HIRE Committee.
(a) Membership. The HIRE Committee shall consist of the following 11 members, who shall serve by virtue of their public position and at the pleasure of the Governor:
(1) Secretary of Administration or the Secretary's designee. The Secretary of Administration shall serve as the Committee's Chair.
(2) Governor's Chief of Staff or the Chief of Staff's designee.
(3) Governor's Secretary of Policy and Planning or the Secretary's designee.
(4) Governor's Director of External Affairs or the Director's designee.
(5) Secretary of General Services or the Secretary's designee.
(6) Secretary of Corrections or the Secretary's designee.
(7) Adjutant General or the Adjutant General's designee.
(8) Deputy Secretary for Human Resources and Management or the Deputy Secretary's designee.
(9) Executive Director of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Department of Labor and Industry or the Executive Director's designee.
(10) Chief Diversity Officer.
(11) Chief Accessibility Officer.
(b) Responsibilities. The HIRE Committee may do all of the following:
(1) Make recommendations to the OA related to hiring and recruitment for the Commonwealth workforce.
(2) Develop and make recommendations to improve the competitiveness of the Commonwealth's workforce after gathering information from agencies about agency needs.
(3) After discussion and consultation with the Governor's Office, make recommendations to the OA on additional ways to attract, train and retain top talent in this Commonwealth that can meet the diverse and expanding needs of Commonwealth residents and visitors.
(c) Meetings. Beginning no later than August 1, 2024, the HIRE Committee shall meet quarterly to monitor progress on the implementation of this subchapter.
§ 1.933. Responsibilities of the OA.
(a) The OA shall:
(1) Pursue implementation of a pilot program to create financial incentives for Commonwealth employees who work in identified positions and can demonstrate a foreign language proficiency that the agency has determined is necessary to deliver more effective Commonwealth services.
(2) Develop and maintain an active list of hard-to-fill jobs and manage interagency progress to creatively recruit for those positions.
(3) Require the OA's Bureau of Enterprise Recruitment to expand career internship, apprenticeship and fellowship opportunities to recruit and foster meaningful career development opportunities for Commonwealth employees to help build a pipeline of future Commonwealth leaders.
(4) Affirm that the Commonwealth can hire non-United States citizens if they are legally authorized to work in the United States.
(5) Study the evolving needs of Commonwealth employees and their families with the goal of ensuring Commonwealth policies and benefits provide meaningful support in a fiscally responsible manner.
(6) Provide employees notice that they may utilize their allotted sick leave for purposes of addressing and prioritizing their mental health and well-being in a manner consistent with collective bargaining agreements and existing laws and policies.
(7) Continue to develop strategies to enhance language access for individuals with limited English proficiency and increase digital accessibility by continuing the development of language access plans in agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction.
(8) Continue to direct CODE PA and the Chief Accessibility Officer to spearhead digital accessibility efforts to ensure individuals with disabilities may seamlessly and securely access the Commonwealth's online programs and services.
(b) The OA and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall develop a mentorship and networking program that assists recently discharged veterans entering or returning to Commonwealth employment with a smooth transition from military service to the civilian workforce.
(c) The OA and Department of Corrections shall continue to work to promote pathways to employment in State government for individuals who have interacted with the criminal justice system as returning citizens by collaborating with the PA Reentry Council to support the needs of reentrants. This includes identifying pathways to Commonwealth employment and supporting workforce training initiatives.
(d) The Department of General Services (DGS) shall continue to build a welcoming, inviting workplace that supports the Commonwealth's hiring and recruitment of individuals from all backgrounds, including doing all of the following:
(1) Identify opportunities in its capital plan to expand the availability of more multipurpose single-use restrooms.
(2) Direct an accessibility study of the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to make recommendations to improve mobility in and around the Capitol Complex for individuals with disabilities, including whether accessibility within Commonwealth-owned facilities can be improved.
(3) Expand available space that could be used for child care options in the Capitol Complex and other Commonwealth-owned buildings as DGS continuously right-sizes the Commonwealth's real estate footprint.
(4) Provide guidance and procurement options for agencies on expanding availability of free menstrual products in restrooms in Commonwealth-owned facilities.
§ 1.934. Implementation.
Agencies shall take the necessary steps to implement this subchapter. This subchapter shall be implemented consistent with applicable law. This subchapter is not intended to, and does not create, any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the Commonwealth, its departments, agencies or entities, its officers, employees or agents or any other persons. Independent agencies are also strongly encouraged to participate.
§ 1.935. Effective date.
This subchapter shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect until amended or rescinded by the Governor.
§ 1.936. Rescission.
Effective immediately, Executive Order 2008-06 as amended, Office of Diversity Management, is rescinded.
(Editor's Note: 4 Pa. Code Chapter 1, Subchapter RR, §§ 1.521—1.525, which is the codification of Executive Order 2008-06 as amended, is reserved as a result of the rescission of Executive Order 2008-06 as amended under § 1.936.)
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 24-859. Filed for public inspection June 21, 2024, 9:00 a.m.]
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