MERIT SELECTION PRINCIPLES.

(a) A state agency by rule shall establish intraagency policies and procedures to ensure:

(1) compliance with the federal requirements; and

(2) the recruitment, selection, and advancement of highly competent agency personnel.

(b) A rule adopted under this section must ensure that the state agency:

(1) recruits, selects, and promotes its employees according to the relative abilities, knowledge, and skills of the applicants or employees;

(2) provides equitable and adequate compensation to an employee;

(3) provides any employee training necessary to ensure performance of a high quality;

(4) uses the adequacy of an employee's job performance to determine whether the employee will be retained;

(5) treats a job applicant or employee fairly in all aspects of personnel administration;

(6) complies fully with state and federal equal opportunity and nondiscrimination laws; and

(7) protects an employee against coercion for partisan political purposes and prohibits the employee from using employment status to interfere with or affect the result of an election or nomination for office.