Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

State Government & Tribal Relations Committee

HB 2739

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Provides that state employees seeking shared leave due to illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition are not required to deplete all of their annual and sick leave before receiving shared leave.
Allows intermittent and non-consecutive use of shared leave.

Background:

The shared leave program permits state employees to provide annual leave, sick leave, or personal holidays to fellow employees experiencing certain circumstances that may cause them to take leave without pay or terminate their employment. Covered employees include those employed by school districts and educational service districts.

Agency heads may permit an employee to receive shared leave in specified circumstances, including when the employee, or a relative or household member of the employee, suffers from an extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition. To qualify for shared leave under this condition, an employee must have depleted or will shortly deplete his or her annual leave and sick leave reserves. The Office of Financial Management and the Superintendent of Public Instruction administer rules that implement the shared leave program consistent with state law, including the requirement that employees must first use all of certain types of leave before using shared leave.

Within certain parameters, agency heads determine the amount of leave, if any, an employee may receive. Any unused leave is returned at its original value to the employee or employees who transferred the leave when the agency head finds the leave is no longer needed or will not be needed at a future time in connection with the underlying condition. Unused leave may not be returned until certain conditions are met.

Summary of Bill:

Employees seeking shared leave due to illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition are not required to deplete all of their annual and sick leave before receiving shared leave. Agency heads may not prevent state employees from using shared leave intermittently or on nonconsecutive days so long as the leave has not been returned under specified procedures for unused leave.