Relates to the Syracuse regional airport authority

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Christopher Ryan says this is needed

Hiring in the field of aviation is a very competitive and specialized. There is a finite pool of qualified candidates nationwide to fill these highly technical positions. In recent years, the New York State Civil Service system has made it very difficult for New York airports to hire aviation professionals. Current Civil Service rules only allow a person to be hired "provisionally" for a position until they take and pass the appropriate civil service exam. However, exams for a given position may take years before being offered. Even then, if a person takes the test and does not score in the "top-3" they will be out of a job despite having years of good performance. This system makes it extremely difficult for the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority to recruit and retain talent. Potential candidates are often moving from different parts of the country and will not uproot their families and careers for a "provisional" position. The net effect is that critical positions are going unfilled, negatively impacting airport operations. This legislation seeks to remedy the issue by reclassifying SRAA posi- tions in the "exempt" class. This will put the SRAA on an even compet- itive field with other airports in the United States and allow them to attract top talent to the State.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.