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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to paid leave for public officers and employees engaged in |
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certain military service. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 437.202, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a), (a-1), and (b) and adding Subsections |
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(a-2) and (a-3) to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c), a person |
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who is an officer or employee of this state, a municipality, a |
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county, or another political subdivision of this state and who is a |
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member of the Texas military forces, a reserve component of the |
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armed forces, or a member of a state or federally authorized urban |
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search and rescue team is entitled to a paid leave of absence from |
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the person's duties on a day on which the person is engaged in |
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authorized training or duty ordered or authorized by proper |
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authority for not more than 30 [15] workdays in a fiscal year. |
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During a leave of absence, the person may not be subjected to loss |
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of time, efficiency rating, personal time, sick leave, or vacation |
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time. |
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(a-1) In addition to the leave provided under Subsection |
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(a), a person described by Subsection (a) called [to state active |
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duty] by the governor or another appropriate authority to state |
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active duty, including service in another state on request of the |
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governor of another state, in response to a disaster is entitled to |
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a paid leave of absence from the person's duties for each day the |
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person is called to active duty during the disaster, including any |
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required pre-deployment training, pre-deployment temporary duty, |
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and post-deployment earned military leave and rest and recuperation |
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as confirmed in writing by the person's commanding officer [not to |
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exceed seven workdays in a fiscal year]. During a leave of absence |
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under this subsection, the person may not be subjected to loss of |
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time, efficiency rating, personal time, sick leave, or vacation |
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time. For purposes of this subsection, "disaster" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 418.004. |
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(a-2) In addition to the leave provided under Subsection |
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(a), a person described by Subsection (a) called to deploy for |
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military duty in support of a contingency, humanitarian, disaster, |
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or emergency operation or exercise of the United States is entitled |
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to a paid leave of absence from the person's duties for each day the |
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person is called to military duty during the operation or exercise, |
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including any required pre-deployment training, pre-deployment |
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temporary duty, and post-deployment earned military leave and rest |
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and recuperation as confirmed in writing by the person's commanding |
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officer. During a leave of absence under this subsection, the |
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person may not be subjected to loss of time, efficiency rating, |
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personal time, sick leave, or vacation time. |
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(a-3) In addition to the leave provided under Subsection |
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(a), a person described by Subsection (a) called to initial |
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enlistment or officer basic training, initial career field or duty |
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assignment training, or professional military education is |
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entitled to a paid leave of absence from the person's duties for |
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each day the person is called to the training, including any earned |
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military leave at the conclusion of the training. During a leave of |
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absence under this subsection, the person may not be subjected to |
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loss of time, efficiency rating, personal time, sick leave, or |
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vacation time. |
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(b) An officer or employee of this state is entitled to |
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carry forward from one fiscal year to the next the net balance of |
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unused accumulated leave under Subsection (a) that does not exceed |
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90 [45] workdays. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |