1. (1) Except as the Chief Administrator may otherwise provide, no State employee may receive an award for a suggestion:

   1. (i) that relates to his or her duties where such duties involve planning or research;
   2. (ii) where, as part of his or her duties, such employee is assigned a particular problem to solve and the suggestion contributes to the solution of such problem; or
   3. (iii) where such employee serves on a special committee and the suggestion falls within the scope of the committee's assignment.
2. (2) No justice or judge of the Unified Court System may receive an award for a suggestion.
3. (3) No person who has left State service for reasons other than retirement may receive an award for a suggestion except where such suggestion was submitted prior to his or her departure from service.

4. (4) Where a person dies after submitting a suggestion, and an award is approved for such suggestion, the award, if it consists of a cash payment, will be paid to the deceased person's estate.

   (c) Program coordinator.

   There shall be an Employee Suggestion Incentive Program Coordinator who shall be responsible for operation of the program. The coordinator shall:

5. (1) ensure that suggestion forms are available to employees;
6. (2) receive suggestions and screen them to determine whether eligibility requirements are met;
7. (3) solicit comments from appropriate administrative and supervisory authorities; and

8. (4) transmit all suggestions to the Employee Suggestion Incentive Program Committee.

   (d) Employee Suggestion Incentive Program Committee; review of suggestions.

   There shall be an Employee Suggestion Incentive Program Committee, consisting of the Deputy Chief Administrative Judges and the Deputy Chief Administrator for Management Support. At appropriate intervals, the committee shall review suggestions received from the program coordinator and shall recommend to the Chief Administrator those that it believes merit an award under the program, including but not limited to suggestions that would be significantly effective in eliminating safety hazards, reducing operational costs or streamlining procedures. The committee also shall propose an appropriate award for each such suggestion. The Chief Administrator shall then make a final determination thereon.

   (e) Awards.

   Each eligible person who submits a suggestion that is approved for an award, as provided herein, shall receive a Certificate of Merit signed by the Chief Judge of the State of New York. Where the Chief Administrator determines that implementation of a suggestion will produce or has produced significant benefits to the Unified Court System, the person submitting such suggestion also shall receive a cash payment. Such cash payment shall be fixed in an amount determined in the discretion of the Chief Administrator and shall be no less than $25 and no more than 10 percent of the actual or projected savings to be derived in the first year following implementation of the suggestion.

(a) Purpose.

The Employee Suggestion Incentive Program (hereinafter “program”) is designed to encourage and reward unusual and meritorious suggestions by State employees and retired State employees that promote efficiency and economy in the operation of the Unified Court System.

(b) Eligibility.

All State employees, persons who retire from State service, and persons who leave State service for reasons other than retirement shall be eligible to participate in the program, and to receive awards thereunder, subject to the following restrictions: