By:  Barrientos                                                           S.B. No. 149



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a leave of absence for certain state employees who are 
donating an organ, tissue, bone marrow, or blood.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.   Subchapter Z, Chapter 661, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Sections 661.916 and 661.917 to read as follows:
	Sec. 661.916.  LEAVE FOR ORGAN, TISSUE, OR BONE MARROW 
DONORS. (a)  A state employee is entitled to a leave of absence 
without a deduction in salary for the time necessary to permit the 
employee to serve as a bone marrow, tissue, or organ donor.
	(b)  The leave of absence provided by this section may not 
exceed:    
		(1)  five working days in a fiscal year to serve as a 
bone marrow or tissue donor; or
		(2)  30 working days in a fiscal year to serve as an 
organ donor.    
	Sec. 661.917.  LEAVE FOR BLOOD DONATION. A state agency 
shall allow each agency employee sufficient time off, without a 
deduction in salary or accrued leave, to donate blood.  An employee 
may receive time off under this section not more than four times in 
a fiscal year.
	SECTION 2.   This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.