Sec. 61.5. Limit on awards

(a) The award paid for a suggestion adopted by the commission shall not exceed 10 percent of the net first year tangible savings or 10 percent of other financial benefit to the State. The maximum award payable for any single adopted suggestion resulting in tangible savings or benefit to the State shall be $50,000.

(b) The maximum award payable for any single suggestion deemed by the commission to result entirely or predominantly in intangible benefit to the State shall be $5,000.

(c) The maximum award to be paid for meritorious service of a State employee shall not exceed one percent of any reported net first year tangible saving or monetary benefit to the State. The maximum amount payable for any single meritorious service award shall be $5,000.

(d) Nothing in this Part shall act to preclude the commission from granting an award based on combined tangible and intangible benefit to the State, provided however, that the combined amount of such awards shall in no case exceed $50,000 or, in the case of a meritorious service award, $5,000.