ARTICLE 9. Career Executive Assignments [19889. - 19889.4.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 9.

in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 19889. Section 19889.

It is the purpose of this article to encourage the development and effective use of well-qualified and carefully selected executives. In order to carry out this purpose, the State Personnel Board shall establish by rule a merit system specifically suited to the selection and placement of executive personnel. The department shall be responsible for salary administration, position classification, and for the motivation and training of executive personnel. For the purpose of administering this system there is established herewith a category of civil service appointment called “career executive assignments.” The department shall designate positions of a high administrative and policy influencing character for inclusion in or removal from this category subject to review by the State Personnel Board, except that the department shall not so designate a position in which there is an incumbent already appointed under the provisions of this part governing employees other than career executives.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 19889.2. Section 19889.2.

The provisions of this part governing the examination, selection, classification, and tenure of employees in the regular civil service shall not apply to “career executive assignments” unless provided for by State Personnel Board rule. The provisions of this part relating to punitive actions shall apply to all employees serving in career executive assignments, except that termination of a career executive assignment as provided for in Section 19889.3 is not a punitive action. State Personnel Board rules shall, at a minimum, afford all employees whose career executive assignments are terminated by the appointing power a right of appeal to the State Personnel Board for restoration of his or her assignment when he or she alleges that the termination was for reasons prohibited in Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 19680) of Part 2.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 19889.3. Section 19889.3.

(a) Eligibility for appointment to positions in the career executive assignment category shall be established as a result of competitive examinations. All candidates shall meet such minimum qualifications as the State Personnel Board may determine are requisite to the performance of high administrative and policy influencing functions. (b) No person employed in a career executive assignment shall be deemed to acquire as a result of such service any rights to or status in positions governed by the provisions of this part relating to the civil service other than the category of career executive assignment, except as provided by State Personnel Board rule.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 19889.4. Section 19889.4.

In accordance with State Personnel Board rules, the following shall apply when an appointing power terminates a career executive assignment: (a) An employee who at the time of his or her appointment to a career executive assignment was employed by the state and had permanent civil service status shall, if he or she so desires, be reinstated to a civil service position that is (1) not a career executive assignment and (2) that is at least at the same salary level as the last position that he or she held as a permanent or probationary employee. If the employee had completed a minimum of five years of state service, he or she may return to a position that is (1) at substantially the same salary level as the last position in which he or she had permanent or probationary status or (2) at a salary level that is at least two steps lower than that of the career executive position from which the employee is being terminated. (b) Article 5 (commencing with Section 19140) of Chapter 5 of Part 2 shall apply to an employee who at the time of his or her appointment to a career executive assignment was not employed by the state but who had previously worked for the state and gained permanent civil service status. (c) (1) An employee who at the time of his or her appointment to a career executive assignment was from outside civil service shall have the right to request a deferred examination for any open eligible list that his or her appointing power or the department has in existence at the time of the termination of the career executive assignment and for which he or she meets the minimum qualifications of the class to which he or she seeks appointment. Whether the employee takes a deferred examination or other open civil service examination, for purposes of evaluating whether he or she meets the minimum qualifications of the class to which he or she seeks appointment, related experience gained in a career executive assignment shall be considered as state civil service experience in a comparable class. (2) A request for a deferred examination pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not be made later than 10 days after the effective date of the termination of the career executive assignment. The department or its designee shall administer the deferred examination within 30 days of the date of the request.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026