By Reyna of Bexar                                     H.B. No. 2080
         77R5732 MCK-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 Z, Chapter 661, Government Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 661.915 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 661.915.  COMMUNITY SERVICE LEAVE.  (a)  In this
 1-7     section, "community service" means the voluntary provision of a
 1-8     service that primarily benefits this state or its residents,
 1-9     including:
1-10                 (1)  social, health, welfare, and educational services;
1-11                 (2)  legal and other counseling services and
1-12     assistance, including tax counseling and assistance and financial
1-13     counseling;
1-14                 (3)  library and other similar services;
1-15                 (4)  services related to conservation, maintenance, or
1-16     restoration of natural resources;
1-17                 (5)  community betterment or beautification services;
1-18                 (6)  antipollution and environmental quality services;
1-19     or
1-20                 (7)  economic development services.
1-21           (b)  A state employee is entitled to a leave of absence
1-22     without a deduction in salary to perform community service.  Leave
1-23     without a deduction in salary under this subsection may not exceed
1-24     eight hours in a fiscal year.
 2-1           (c)  An employee shall give reasonable advance notice of the
 2-2     employee's intention to use community service leave.
 2-3           (d)  An employee using community service leave shall, on
 2-4     return to work, submit to the state agency documentation of the
 2-5     community service performed.  The documentation must be on a form
 2-6     provided by the state agency  and must include:
 2-7                 (1)  the date and number of hours the employee
 2-8     performed the community service;
 2-9                 (2)  a description of the community service performed;
2-10     and
2-11                 (3)  the signature and telephone number of a person who
2-12     supervised or organized the employee's community service.
2-13           (e)  An employee who has community service leave that is not
2-14     taken on or before the last work day of the fiscal year may not:
2-15                 (1)  carry forward the leave not taken into a future
2-16     fiscal year; or
2-17                 (2)  receive compensation in addition to the employee's
2-18     regular compensation for leave not taken.
2-19           (f)  Community service leave is in addition to vacation time
2-20     and  sick leave and is in addition to other leave taken under this
2-21     subchapter.
2-22           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.