BILL REQ. #:  H-3805.1 

READ FIRST TIME 01/31/14.   

     AN ACT Relating to increasing the number of days allowed to accrue as unused annual leave; amending RCW 43.01.040; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature recognizes the dedication and extraordinary work ethic of state employees. The legislature also recognizes that many state employees lose annual leave because there are many situations in which it is difficult to use accrued annual leave. Therefore, the legislature intends to increase the number of hours allowed to accrue as annual leave from two hundred forty hours to three hundred sixty hours. The legislature also intends that the number of hours for purposes of retirement benefits and cash-out of annual leave upon leaving state employment shall remain at two hundred forty hours.

Sec. 2   RCW 43.01.040 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 s 449 are each amended to read as follows:
     Each subordinate officer and employee of the several offices, departments, and institutions of the state government shall be entitled under their contract of employment with the state government to not less than one working day of vacation leave with full pay for each month of employment if said employment is continuous for six months.
     Each such subordinate officer and employee shall be entitled under such contract of employment to not less than one additional working day of vacation with full pay each year for satisfactorily completing the first two, three and five continuous years of employment respectively.
     Such part time officers or employees of the state government who are employed on a regular schedule of duration of not less than one year shall be entitled under their contract of employment to that fractional part of the vacation leave that the total number of hours of such employment bears to the total number of hours of full time employment.
     Each subordinate officer and employee of the several offices, departments and institutions of the state government shall be entitled under his or her contract of employment with the state government to accrue unused vacation leave not to exceed ((thirty)) forty-five working days. Officers and employees transferring within the several offices, departments and institutions of the state government shall be entitled to transfer such accrued vacation leave to each succeeding state office, department or institution. All vacation leave shall be taken at the time convenient to the employing office, department or institution((: PROVIDED, That)). If a subordinate officer's or employee's request for vacation leave is deferred by reason of the convenience of the employing office, department or institution, and a statement of the necessity(( therefor)) is retained by the agency, then the ((aforesaid)) maximum ((thirty)) forty-five working days of accrued unused vacation leave shall be extended for each month ((said)) the leave is ((so)) deferred.
     No annual leave in excess of thirty days may be included for purposes of calculating retirement benefits under any public retirement system in the state.