Thursday, October 21, 2010

PA Civil Service Law Amended

Governor Rendell recently signed a package of bills that will tweak Pennsylvania’s process of hiring civil servants.

The bills amend Pennsylvania’s Civil Service Law to more closely it align with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Sponsoring Representative Chris Ross says the state law was drafted before the ADA, forcing some municipalities to violate one law or the other.

Ross says the affected municipalities brought the issue to the state legislature. The Chester County Republican says all kinds of Pennsylvania municipalities will be affected by several changes.

“While you’re allowed to stop someone from being hired if they’re drug-addicted or fail a drug test, you’re not allowed to inquire about whether they previously had been treated for drug or alcohol addiction,” says Ross. “Also, the physical limitations have to be job-related.”

Ross says the new laws were written so hiring civil servants like police and firefighters would still be based on competency.

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