AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the use and management of the state employee sick leave

 1-2     pool.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 661.005, Government Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 661.005.  WITHDRAWAL OF TIME FROM POOL.  (a)  An

 1-7     employee may apply to the pool administrator for permission to

 1-8     withdraw time from the sick leave pool.

 1-9           (b)  If the employee is seeking permission to withdraw time

1-10     because of a catastrophic illness or injury, the employee must

1-11     provide the pool administrator with a written statement from the

1-12     licensed practitioner who is treating the employee or the

1-13     employee's immediate family member.  The statement must provide

1-14     sufficient information regarding the illness or injury to enable

1-15     the pool administrator to evaluate the employee's eligibility.

1-16           (c)  If the pool administrator determines that the employee

1-17     is eligible, the administrator shall:

1-18                 (1)  approve the transfer of time from the pool to the

1-19     employee; and

1-20                 (2)  credit the time to the employee.

1-21           SECTION 2.  Section 661.006, Government Code, is amended to

1-22     read as follows:

1-23           Sec. 661.006.  Limitation on Withdrawals.  (a)  An employee

 2-1     may not withdraw time from the sick leave pool except in the case

 2-2     of catastrophic illness or injury of the employee or the employee's

 2-3     immediate family.

 2-4           (b)  An employee may not withdraw time from the sick leave

 2-5     pool in an amount that exceeds the lesser of:

 2-6                 (1)  one-third of the total time in the pool; or

 2-7                 (2)  90 days.

 2-8           (c) [(b)]  The pool administrator shall determine the amount

 2-9     of time that an employee may withdraw from the pool.

2-10           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-11           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1624 passed the Senate on

         April 24, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1624 passed the House on

         May 26, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor