Title: An act relating to shared leave for declared emergencies.

Brief Description: Authorizing shared leave for declared emergencies.

Sponsors: Representatives McIntire, Nixon, Sommers, Haigh, Morrell, McDermott, Simpson, Hunt, Ericks and Schual-Berke.

Brief History: Passed House: 2/08/06, 98-0.

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 2/22/06.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Staff: Diane Smith (786-7410)

Background: The shared leave program allows the transfer of annual leave, sick leave, and the personal holiday to employees called to service in the uniformed services or to employees who either personally suffer or who have a relative or household member who suffers from an extraordinary or severe illness.

Employees may transfer a specified amount of annual or sick leave to another employee requesting shared leave as long as the donating employee maintains a minimum balance of 10 days of annual leave and 176 hours of sick leave after the transfer.

The agency head determines the amount of transferred leave an employee may receive, up to 261 days of leave.

Summary of Bill: The shared leave program is extended to employees called to provide service in a declared federal or state emergency. In order to qualify for the program, the employee must be professionally trained for a specific emergency service and be part of a deployed unit for that emergency service.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.