BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1923 By: Maxey 04-30-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Since 1989, each Texas agency has been authorized to create and maintain a sick leave pool used to benefit fellow employees or their families who suffer catastrophic illnesses or injuries. The pool is comprised of donated paid sick leave by employees who have not used their own sick time and have chosen not to apply it towards retirement credit. Under current law, donations are limited to 24 hours of sick leave for each fiscal year. Similarly, employees leaving state service and employees who have exceeded retirement credit guidelines are also limited to donating 24 hours of sick leave per year. Due to this restriction on donations, many agencies find their sick leave pool quickly exhausted and unable to fulfill employee requests. PURPOSE H.B. 1923 allows employees and retiring employees to donate an unlimited amount of time to sick leave pools rather than being limited to 24 hours per year. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 661.003, Government Code by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) as follows: (b) Allows employees to donate as many days of sick leave as they wish. (d) Allows retiring employees to designate the amount of unused sick leave that shall be applied towards retirement credit (according to current guidelines) and the amount that may be donated to a sick leave pool. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION Pursuant to posting of public hearing the House Committee on State Affairs convened in a public hearing on April 19, 1995. The Chair laid out HB 1923 and recognized Rep. Maxey to explain the bill. The Chair recognized the following person to testify neutrally on the bill: Betsey Bishop representing herself. The Chair recognized Rep. Maxey to close. The Chair left HB 1923 pending. In a public hearing on April 24, 1995 the Chair laid out HB 1923. The bill was reported favorably without amendment with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed, and be sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, by a record vote of 13 ayes, 0 nay, 0 pnv and 2 absent.