79R3642 CAS-F
By: Lucio S.B. No. 315
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to minimum personal leave for faculty members at public
institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 51.9615 to read as follows:
Sec. 51.9615. MINIMUM PERSONAL LEAVE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
FACULTY. (a) In this section:
(1) "Faculty member" has the meaning assigned by
Section 51.101.
(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
assigned by Section 61.003.
(b) The governing board of each institution of higher
education shall adopt a policy permitting faculty members to use
five sick leave days as personal leave days in each academic year.
In the policy, the governing board may permit faculty members to use
more than five sick leave days as personal leave days in each
academic year. A faculty member may not use sick leave as personal
leave during an academic year if at any time during that academic
year the total number of sick leave days available to the faculty
member falls below 20.
(c) A policy adopted by the governing board of an
institution of higher education under this section may regulate a
faculty member's use of sick leave as personal leave if the policy
does not restrict the purposes for which the personal leave may be
used.
(d) The governing board shall develop an appropriate form
for the use of sick leave days as personal leave days.
(e) A faculty member may not carry forward from one academic
year to the next unused accumulated personal leave to which the
faculty member is entitled under a policy adopted under this
section.
(f) The faculty member and the institution of higher
education shall make every reasonable effort to provide without
additional expense to the institution comparable instruction for
any classes the faculty member may miss while taking personal leave
under this section. The institution shall adopt a policy for
recovering from the faculty member any expense incurred by the
institution as a result of the faculty member's personal leave
under this section.
(g) This section does not apply to an institution of higher
education that adopts a comprehensive leave policy for faculty
members and other employees as permitted by Section 51.961.
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2005-2006
academic year.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.