Bill Text: TX SB1344 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

Texas Senate Bill 1344 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to paid leave for a state employee who is a search and rescue volunteer.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-02 - Left pending in committee [SB1344 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SB1344-Introduced.html

	86R1746 SRA-F

	By: Alvarado	S.B. No. 1344



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to paid leave for a state employee who is a search and
	rescue volunteer.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 661.905, Government Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 661.905. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS, [~~AND~~] EMERGENCY
	MEDICAL SERVICES VOLUNTEERS, AND SEARCH AND RESCUE VOLUNTEERS. (a)
	In this section:
	(1) "Emergency[~~, "emergency~~] medical services
	volunteer" has the meaning assigned by Section 773.003, Health and
	Safety Code.
	(2) "Search and rescue volunteer" means an individual
	who without remuneration, except reimbursement for expenses,
	provides services for or on behalf of an organization that conducts
	search and rescue activities.
	(b) A state employee who is a volunteer firefighter, [or] an
	emergency medical services volunteer, or a search and rescue
	volunteer is entitled to a leave of absence without a deduction in
	salary to attend fire service, [or] emergency medical services, or
	search and rescue training conducted by a state agency or
	institution of higher education. Leave without a deduction in
	salary under this subsection may not exceed five working days in a
	fiscal year.
	(c) A state agency or institution of higher education may
	grant leave without a deduction in salary to a volunteer
	firefighter, [or] an emergency medical services volunteer, or a
	search and rescue volunteer for the purpose of allowing the
	firefighter, [or] emergency medical services volunteer, or search
	and rescue volunteer to respond to emergency fire, [or] medical, or
	search and rescue situations if the agency or institution has an
	established policy for granting that leave.
	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.