41-1830.16. Law enforcement merit system council duties; authority; appeals of covered full authority peace officers employed by agencies in the state personnel system; definitions

A. The law enforcement merit system council shall adopt rules the council deems necessary for the administration of hearings and the review of appeals as prescribed in this section.

B. A covered employee in the state personnel system who is a full authority peace officer as certified by the Arizona peace officer standards and training board, is appointed to a position that requires such a certification in the covered service and who has completed the employee's original probationary period of service as provided by the personnel rules may appeal to the law enforcement merit system council the covered employee's dismissal from covered service, suspension for more than forty working hours or involuntary demotion resulting from disciplinary action. The covered employee shall file the appeal no later than ten working days after the effective date of the action. The covered employee shall be furnished with specified charges in writing when the action is taken. The appeal shall be in writing and must state specific facts relating directly to the charges on which the appeal is based. Notwithstanding section 41-1092.05, subsection D, the law enforcement merit system council shall hear the appeal within thirty days after the council's receipt. The law enforcement merit system council shall provide the employing agency with a copy of the appeal not less than twenty days in advance of the hearing.

C. In hearing and reviewing an appeal, the council:

1. Shall determine whether the employing agency has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the employing agency had just cause to discipline the employee.

2. May recommend modification of a disciplinary action if the state agency head has not proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the employing agency had just cause to discipline the employee.

3. Shall reverse the decision of the state agency head if the council finds that just cause did not exist for any discipline to be imposed and, in the case of dismissal or demotion, return the employee to the same position the employee held before the dismissal or demotion with or without back pay.

D. On a finding that the state agency head has not proven just cause to discipline the employee by a preponderance of the evidence, the council may recommend a proposed disciplinary action in light of the facts proven.

E. Within forty-five days after the conclusion of the hearing, the council shall enter its decision or recommendation and shall at the same time send a copy of the decision or recommendation by certified mail to the employing agency and to the employee at the employee's address as given at the hearing or to a representative designated by the employee to receive a copy of the decision or recommendation. The state agency head or the agency head's designee shall accept, modify or reverse the council's decision or accept, modify or reject the council's recommendation within fourteen days of receipt of the findings or recommendation from the law enforcement merit system council. The state agency head or the agency head's designee shall accept the council's recommendation unless the recommendation is arbitrary or without reasonable justification. If the state agency head or the agency head's designee does not accept the council's recommendation, the state agency head or the agency head's designee shall state the reasons for rejecting the recommendation. The decision of the agency head or agency head's designee is final and binding. The agency head shall send a copy of the agency's final determination to the covered employee pursuant to this section.

F. Any party may appeal the decision of the law enforcement merit system council or the final decision of the agency pursuant to title 12, chapter 7, article 6 to the superior court in the covered employee's county of residence.

G. An appeal shall be available to the court of appeals from the order of the superior court pursuant to title 12, chapter 7, article 6 as in other civil cases.

H. For the purposes of this section:

1. " Covered employee" has the same meaning prescribed in section 41-741.

2. " Covered service" has the same meaning prescribed in section 41-741.

3. " Employing agency" means the agency in the state personnel system where the covered employee is or, in the case of dismissal, was employed.

4. " Full authority peace officer" means a peace officer whose authority to enforce the laws of this state is not limited by the rules adopted by the Arizona peace officer standards and training board.

5. " Just cause" has the same meaning prescribed in title 38, chapter 8, article 1.

6. " Original probationary period" has the same meaning prescribed in section 41-741.

7. " Personnel rules" means the rules adopted by the department of administration, human resources division.

8. " State agency head" means the chief executive officer of the employing agency.

9. " State personnel system" has the same meaning prescribed in section 41-741.