Environmental public health officers with one or more certifications in basic sciences should be provided with incentives, as proposed by Sen. Dennis Rodriguez, Jr.
Contained in Senate Bill 184-33, Rodriguez, D-Dededo, said that these workers under the Environmental Health division of the Department of Public Health and Social Services, should be given 15 percent of their base pay.
Rodriguez said the intent of the proposed law is to establish “an incentive pay program to encourage the recruitment and retention of these personnel and to promote their continuing education by way of professional certification.”
Under the current job specifications for the Environmental Public Health Officer (EPHO), one should have a Bachelor’s degree and 30 semester credits of basic sciences. The solon explained that the standard established by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) shall be followed on what particular college courses “qualify as a basic science.”
Meanwhile, the basic sciences referred in Rodriguez’s bill refers to “any of the courses in Biological Science, Natural Science, Physical Science and Health Science as established by NEHA or its successor.”
Employees holding EPHO positions, who maintain professional certifications such as the Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS), the registered sanitarian (RS) “or its equivalent issued by NEHA or its succeeding association,” shall be provided with incentives.
At its discretion, however, the Department of Public Health and Social Sciences (DPHSS) may “include one or more other certifications, in addition to the REHS, RS, or its equivalent” for an EPHO to receive the incentive pay.
The employee also must possess a valid and current required certifications to receive the incentive pay, the solon stated in his bill. “.. any lapse in time that the certification/s is not current or valid shall prohibit the employee from receiving the incentive pay for that period.”
Upon re-obtaining however, of such requirement, the incentive pay shall be instituted again “for the employee but not for any period while the employee did not possess a valid and current certifications.”
The incentive pay for EPHO within the Environmental Health division and the DPHSS shall be funded from the Environmental Health Fund and the DPHSS Sanitary Inspection Revolving Fund, as proposed in the bill./The Junction News Team
