Relating to city civil service employees and related procedures and including effective date provisions

This bill relates to city civil service. The bill prohibits a city with a civil service commission established under Code chapter 400 from adopting, enforcing, or otherwise administering an ordinance, motion, resolution, or amendment, or using any other means, to establish a board or other entity for the purpose of citizen review of the conduct of officers as defined by the bill. The bill strikes language authorizing a city council to establish, by ordinance, the number of civil service commissioners at not less than three in a city having a population of more than 70,000. The bill requires a city council in a city having a population of more than 50,000 to establish, by ordinance, the number of civil service commissioners at not less than five and not more than seven. The bill modifies standards and procedures for the removal, discharge, demotion, or suspension of a city civil service employee. The bill modifies standards and procedures for appeals of such actions to a city civil service commission, including procedures and standards for hearings on such appeals and procedures applicable before such hearings are held. The bill also modifies standards and procedures for appeal of such decisions by a city civil service commission to the district court, including modifying the applicable scope of review and providing for reasonable attorney fees, expert fees, and costs and expenses to be awarded to a city civil service employee who substantially prevails in such an appeal. The bill takes effect upon enactment.