By Reyna of Bexar H.B. No. 447 76R947 KLA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to community service leave for state agency employees. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 661, Government Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Section 661.152 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 661.152. COMMUNITY SERVICE LEAVE. (a) In this 1-7 section: 1-8 (1) "Community service" means the voluntary provision 1-9 of a service that primarily benefits this state or its residents, 1-10 including: 1-11 (A) social, health, welfare, and educational 1-12 services; 1-13 (B) legal and other counseling services and 1-14 assistance, including tax counseling and assistance and financial 1-15 counseling; 1-16 (C) library and other similar services; 1-17 (D) services related to conservation, 1-18 maintenance, or restoration of natural resources; 1-19 (E) community betterment or beautification 1-20 services; 1-21 (F) antipollution and environmental quality 1-22 services; or 1-23 (G) economic development services. 1-24 (2) "Employee" and "state agency" have the meanings 2-1 assigned by Section 661.001. 2-2 (b) An employee may use up to eight hours of community 2-3 service leave each calendar year during the employee's regular work 2-4 time to perform community service. The state agency may not 2-5 determine the type of community service the employee may perform. 2-6 (c) An employee using community service leave is compensated 2-7 at the same rate the employee would have received if the employee 2-8 had reported to work for the number of hours for which leave is 2-9 taken. 2-10 (d) An employee shall give reasonable advance notice of the 2-11 employee's intention to use community service leave. 2-12 (e) An employee using community service leave shall, on 2-13 return to work, submit to the state agency documentation of the 2-14 community service performed. The documentation must be on a form 2-15 provided by the state agency and must include: 2-16 (1) the date and number of hours the employee 2-17 performed the community service; 2-18 (2) a description of the community service performed; 2-19 and 2-20 (3) the signature and telephone number of a person who 2-21 supervised or organized the employee's community service. 2-22 (f) An employee who has community service leave that is not 2-23 taken on or before the last work day of the calendar year may not: 2-24 (1) carry forward the leave not taken into a future 2-25 calendar year; or 2-26 (2) receive compensation in addition to the employee's 2-27 regular compensation for leave not taken. 3-1 (g) Community service leave is in addition to vacation time 3-2 and sick leave. 3-3 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2000. 3-4 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 3-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.