FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5933

                              C 93 L 89

BYSenate Committee on Economic Development & Labor (originally sponsored by Senators Williams and Murray)

Establishing an annual leave sharing program for state employees.

Senate Committee on Economic Development & Labor

House Committe on State Government

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

In some cases, state employees who suffer from, or who have family members suffering from, a serious, long-term illness use all of their available sick and annual leave.  Such employees then either take leave without pay or terminate their employment, further adding to the economic hardship and emotional distress.

SUMMARY:

A leave contribution program is established for state employees including agencies, school districts, educational service districts, colleges and universities, and the Legislature.  The program is to permit employees, at no significant increase in the cost of providing annual leave, to transfer annual leave to another employee.  The recipient employee must:  have an extraordinary or severe illness or injury, or have a family member with such a problem; have depleted or shortly will deplete all leave reserves; have diligently attempted to accrue sick leave; and not be eligible for industrial insurance benefits.

Agency heads determine if the need is justified, if recipients have met stated criteria, as well as the amount of leave transferred, not to exceed 261 days.

The donating employee may not request a transferred amount that would result in his or her annual leave balance falling below 10 days.

The value of leave transferred is to be based on the recipient's annual leave value.  Unused leave is returned to donating employees on a pro rata basis.

The State Personnel Board, Higher Education Personnel Board and Superintendent of Public Instruction are directed to provide for administration of the program, and to make rules defining program parameters.  Information sufficient to allow the Legislature to review the program must be collected and maintained.  Local school district authority is clarified, and employees may only transfer leave to other employees of the same school district.

The Director of the Office of Financial Management shall have final authority when questions of transfer of leave and related funds arise.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

     Senate   48    0

     House 96  0 (House amended)

     Senate   45    0 (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:April 20, 1989