S.B. No. 44

AN ACT

relating to leave for state employees who are volunteers of certain disaster relief organizations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 661, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 661.9075 to read as follows:

Sec. 661.9075. VOLUNTEERS OF TEXAS VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER. (a) A state employee who is a volunteer of an organization that is a member of the Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster may be granted leave to participate in disaster relief services without a deduction in salary or loss of vacation time, sick leave, earned overtime credit, or state compensatory time if:

(1) the employee's supervisor authorizes the leave;

(2) the services in which the employee participates are provided for a state of disaster declared by the governor under Chapter 418; and

(3) the executive director of the employee's state agency approves the leave.

(b) Leave granted to a state employee under Subsection (a) may not exceed 10 days each fiscal year.

SECTION 2. Section 661.907, Government Code, is repealed.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.

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President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 44 passed the Senate on April 12, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3; and that the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 10, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 2.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 44 passed the House, with amendment, on April 23, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 1, two present not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

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Date

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Governor