(a) There is created the position of commissioner of personnel administration. The commissioner shall be appointed by the Governor after consultation with the State Personnel Board subject to confirmation by the Senate. The Governor shall fix the compensation of the commissioner, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

(b) The duties and responsibilities of the commissioner shall be:

(1) To serve as executive secretary to the board, to attend meetings as directed by the board, and to provide such professional, technical, and other supportive assistance as may be required by the board in the performance of its duties;

(2) Consistent with board policy, to administer the operations of the state merit system and to otherwise act in the capacity of chief executive officer of the state personnel administration program;

(3) To submit to the Governor the rules and regulations adopted by the State Personnel Board effectuating the state merit system. Such rules and regulations when approved by the Governor shall have the force and effect of law and shall be binding upon the state departments covered by this article and shall include provisions for the establishment and maintenance of classification and compensation plans, the conduct of examinations, and the establishment of registers of persons eligible for employment, the certification of eligible persons, appointments, promotions, transfers, demotions, separations, tenure, reinstatement, appeals, reports of performance, payroll certification, employee training, and all other phases of personnel administration. Such rules and regulations shall define and prohibit improper political activity by any departmental employee of the State Personnel Board or any employee covered under the terms of this article and shall provide that there shall be no discrimination for or against any person or employee in any manner, to include, but not be limited to, hiring, discharge, compensation, benefits, terms or conditions of employment, promotion, job classification, transfer, privileges, or demotion because of political affiliation, religious affiliation, race, creed, national origin, sex, age between 40 and 70 years, or physical disability. Such rules and regulations shall conform to the minimum standards for merit systems of personnel administration as specified by those federal departments from which federal funds are obtained for use by the several state departments covered by this article. Compensation plans and modifications thereto promulgated under the rules and regulations of the commissioner shall become effective as adopted upon approval of the director of the Office of Planning and Budget;

(4) To administer the rules and regulations and all other operational aspects of the state merit system and to assure compliance therewith in all departments;

(5) To appoint and prescribe the duties of the merit system staff;

(6) To establish an annual budget covering all the costs of operating the State Merit System of Personnel Administration including the State Personnel Board, and the costs of administering such federal laws relating to personnel administration as the Governor may direct including the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970, and to determine an equitable basis of prorating the annual costs among the several departments covered by the State Merit System of Personnel Administration, provided that upon approval of such budget by the Governor, the Governor shall be empowered to direct that the necessary pro rata share of the several assessed departments concerned be made available for expenditure by the state merit system in the same manner as appropriated funds are expended by other departments of the state;

(7) To ensure compliance with all applicable state and federal statutes and regulations concerning discrimination in employment, personnel administration, and related matters;

(8) To cooperate with appointing authorities in the administration of this article in order to promote public service and establish conditions of service which will attract and retain employees of character and ability and to increase efficiency and economy in governmental departments by improving the methods of personnel administration with full recognition of the requirements and needs of management; and

(9) To appoint and prescribe the duties of a deputy commissioner of personnel administration who shall be the second highest executive officer in the state merit system and the deputy executive secretary to the State Personnel Board; and to appoint and prescribe the duties of such other assistant commissioners of personnel administration as the commissioner deems appropriate. The deputy commissioner and the assistant commissioners shall be in the unclassified service and any of them shall have the authority to perform any duty assigned to the commissioner if delegated to them by the commissioner.