Section 228:21-a - Continuation; Recruitment and RetentionI. The general court finds that the recruitment and retention of employees within the department of transportation is necessary to maintain a strong and vital workforce for transportation safety services, especially winter maintenance. The intent of this section is to authorize the department to continue to proactively address vacancy rates through its recruitment and retention incentive program.II. The department is authorized to continue the department's current winter maintenance recruitment and retention incentive program, as well as request that the fiscal committee transfer funds from the highway fund, turnpike fund, or other available funds for recruitment, selection, placement, and retention of qualified applications in the state service. Requests by the department may be for, but need not be exclusively for, the following: (a) Financial incentives to current eligible employees, who provide critical winter maintenance services, to retain experienced employees, reduce turnover, and maintain or increase staffing levels;(b) Bonuses for newly hired applicants who have not been employed by the state for the past 12 months immediately preceding the date of hire; and(c) Referral fees for active employees of the state in good standing, excluding those employed in human resource jobs within their own agencies and hiring manager positions.III. Any recruitment or retention incentives received by a state employee pursuant to paragraph II shall not be considered gifts under RSA 15-B.IV. Referral of applicants by current employees of the state for the purpose of receiving a referral fee pursuant to this paragraph shall not be considered a misuse of position.V. Any expenditure made for recruitment or retention incentives pursuant to this section shall be considered a matter of legislatively enacted public policy that is designed to benefit employees and the state, and that is confined exclusively to the public employee and shall not be subject to collective bargaining. Nothing in this section shall be construed to invalidate any portion of a collective bargaining agreement entered into by the state.VI. Any requested expenditure for recruitment, retention incentives, or bonuses shall require the approval of the fiscal committee of the general court.Added by 2024, 337:4, eff. 7/1/2024.