Committee advances bill allowing Department of Transportation employees to take outside work that doesn’t interfere with duties

The Senate Transportation Committee advanced Senate Bill 406, which would allow employees of the state Department of Transportation to take additional work outside their DOT duties provided those outside jobs do not interfere with their official responsibilities. Senator Chesterfield, the bill sponsor, told the committee that the measure "provides an opportunity for those who work for the department of transportation to engage in other work" while keeping "the department's work front and center."

The sponsor said the bill relaxes a prior oath requirement that had required employees to give their "entire and undivided time and attention to the work of the department," effectively prohibiting outside employment. "If an individual sought to have work, say, after office hours they were prohibited from doing it," Chesterfield said, adding that the new language would allow outside work so long as "it cannot interfere with carrying out the responsibilities of the position."

Senator English asked whether the previous rule had effectively forbidden a second job, and Chesterfield confirmed that was the case, saying the bill simply adds flexibility while preserving a prohibition on conduct that would interfere with DOT duties. No members of the public signed up to speak for or against the bill during the committee meeting.

Senator Chesterfield moved the committee to pass the bill; Senator Hill seconded. The committee approved the bill by voice vote. The vote was taken by voice in committee and no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.