By Wilson                                        H.B. No. 277

      75R1846 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the transfer of sick leave between spouses under the

 1-3     state employee sick leave pool.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 661.003, Government Code, is amended by

 1-6     adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

 1-7           (e)  At the time of a contribution, an employee may designate

 1-8     the amount of time contributed by the employee to the sick leave

 1-9     pool that may be used only by the employee's spouse if the spouse

1-10     is also an employee.

1-11           SECTION 2.  Section 661.004(a), Government Code, is amended

1-12     to read as follows:

1-13           (a)  An employee is eligible to use time contributed to the

1-14     sick leave pool of the agency if:

1-15                 (1)  the employee has exhausted the employee's sick

1-16     leave because of:

1-17                       (A)  [(1)] a catastrophic illness or injury;  or

1-18                       (B)  [(2)] a previous donation of time to the

1-19     pool; or

1-20                 (2)  the employee has exhausted the employee's sick

1-21     leave, and the time to be used by the employee is time the

1-22     employee's spouse contributed to the sick leave pool under Section

1-23     61.003(e).

1-24           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-1           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.