Panel advances personnel-cabinet cleanup bill that redefines interns, adjusts KERS membership

The Senate State and Local Government Committee advanced Senate Bill 79 at its second meeting, moving the measure to the full Senate with a favorable expression.

The bill, presented by Senator Chris McDaniel (state senator, 20 third district) and explained by Robert Long, deputy secretary of the Personnel Cabinet, makes a series of cleanup and clarification changes to Personnel Cabinet law. "The bill that you see in front of you today is very, very similar to something that you voted on last year," Long said, and he summarized the measure as primarily addressing definitions, reemployment rights, appeals and other implementation details.

The changes listed in the bill include adding interns to the definition of employee while excluding them from the definition of a full-time employee; defining the "intern employee" and the "intern employee position"; removing the Secretary of the…