C.S.H.B. 1626 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.H.B. 1626
By: Smith, Todd
Public Education
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 

Currently school district employees in Texas are permitted to have a
minimum of five days of personal leave per year.  This leave is
transferrable between school districts and there is no limit on the
accumulation of these days.  In addition, school districts have the option
of providing additional personal leave but are not currently allowed to
restrict the purposes for which any of this additional leave may be used.
This has led to problems for school districts as they are having to allow
teachers to take time off for any purpose they wish. 


PURPOSE

C.S.H.B. 1626  authorizes school districts to govern an employee's use of
personal leave.  


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.  


ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1626 amends the Education Code to provide that each employee may
use up to two personal leave days per school year for personal business.
The bill authorizes a  board of trustees to restrict the leave based on
timing and the availability of a substitute teacher. 

The bill authorizes a board of trustees to adopt a policy governing an
employee's use of other personal leave except that the policy cannot
prohibit a district employee from using any personal leave for an illness
of the employee, an illness of a member of the employee's immediate
family, a family emergency, or a death in the employee's immediate family. 

This Act applies only to the use of personal leave a school district
employee accrues on or after September 1, 2003.  


EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.
   

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1626 modifies the original version by authorizing a school
district to restrict only two personal leave days based on leave timing
and the availability of a substitute teacher. C.S.H.B. 1626 permits a
board of trustees to restrict other leave days, rather than all 5 days,
except for an illness of a member of the employee's immediate family, a
family emergency, or a death in the employee's immediate family.