Delaware 2023-2024 Regular Session

Delaware Senate Bill SB61 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version

                            SPONSOR:      Sen. Sturgeon & Sen. Lockman & Sen. Townsend & Sen. S. McBride & Rep. K. Williams & Rep. Heffernan & Rep. Longhurst & Rep. S. Moore       Sens. Gay, Hansen, Hoffner, Pinkney, Walsh; Reps. Baumbach, Lambert, Morrison, Romer           DELAWARE STATE SENATE   152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY       SENATE BILL NO. 61   AS AMENDED BY   HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 2       AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ABSENCES OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES.      

     

     SPONSOR:      Sen. Sturgeon & Sen. Lockman & Sen. Townsend & Sen. S. McBride & Rep. K. Williams & Rep. Heffernan & Rep. Longhurst & Rep. S. Moore       Sens. Gay, Hansen, Hoffner, Pinkney, Walsh; Reps. Baumbach, Lambert, Morrison, Romer     

SPONSOR: Sen. Sturgeon & Sen. Lockman & Sen. Townsend & Sen. S. McBride & Rep. K. Williams & Rep. Heffernan & Rep. Longhurst & Rep. S. Moore
Sens. Gay, Hansen, Hoffner, Pinkney, Walsh; Reps. Baumbach, Lambert, Morrison, Romer

 SPONSOR:  

 Sen. Sturgeon & Sen. Lockman & Sen. Townsend & Sen. S. McBride & Rep. K. Williams & Rep. Heffernan & Rep. Longhurst & Rep. S. Moore 

 Sens. Gay, Hansen, Hoffner, Pinkney, Walsh; Reps. Baumbach, Lambert, Morrison, Romer 

   

 DELAWARE STATE SENATE 

 152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY 

   

 SENATE BILL NO. 61 

 AS AMENDED BY 

 HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 2 

   

 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ABSENCES OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. 

   

  BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:    Section 1. Amend 1318, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:     1318. Sick leave and absences for other reasons; accumulation of annual leave.   (b) (1)  In the case of a death in the immediate family of the employee, there shall be no reduction of salary of said employee for an absence not to exceed 5 working days.  Members of the immediate family shall be defined as the     (2) For purposes of this section, immediate family means any of the following:    a.  The employees spouse or domestic  partner; parent, stepparent   partner.   b. The employees parent, stepparent,  or  child of the employee   child.   c. The parent, stepparent, or child of the employees  spouse or domestic  partner;   partner.    d. The  employees grandparent or  grandchild;   grandchild.    e. The  employees  sibling;   sibling.    f. The  spouse of the employees  child; any   child.    g. A  relative who resides in the  same household; or any   employees household.   h. A  minor child for whom the employee has assumed and carried out parental responsibilities.    (3)  This absence shall be in addition to other leaves granted the employee.   (c) (1)  In the case of a serious illness of a member of the employees immediate  family, as defined in subsection (b) of this section   family  that requires the employees personal attention, an employee may use accrued sick leave.    (2)  An employee  needing   who needs  sick leave under  the provisions of this title   this subsection  shall inform that employees own immediate supervisor of the fact and reason in advance, when possible, or otherwise before the expiration of the first hour of absence or as soon thereafter as  practicable;   practicable.   (3) The  failure  to do so   of an employee to comply with paragraph (c)(2) of this section  may be cause for denial of pay for the period of absence.    (4)  Before approving pay for sick leave, the supervisor  may   may,  at that supervisors  discretion   discretion,  require either a doctors certificate or a written statement signed by the employee setting forth the reason for the absence.    (5)  In the case of an absence of more than 5 consecutive days, a doctors certificate is required as a condition of approval.   (d) (1)  In case of the death of a near relative, there shall be no deduction in the salary of the employee for  an  absence  not to exceed 1 working day.     (2) An absence under paragraph (d)(1) of this section may be used  on the day of the  funeral or the day before or the day after the  funeral.  A near relative shall be defined as:    (3) For purposes of this subsection, near relative means any of the following:   a. The employees  first cousin, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,  grandparent-in-law, or any other   or grandparent-in-law.   b. Any  friend living in the employees household.   (f) An employee may be absent without loss of pay no more than  3   5  days per fiscal year for personal reasons of the employee.  Such absences shall be included in the sick leave of the employee. Such absences must be approved by the chief school officers.   These absences are included in the employees sick leave. Requests to be absent for personal reasons may be approved by building level administrators, provided that the building level administrator cannot ask the employee the reason for the request. Requests that are being considered for denial shall be forwarded to the chief school officer or the local education agency human resources administrator designated for processing such requests. The chief school officer and the human resources administrator may ask the employee the reason for the request, provided that the employee is not required to provide the reason for the request. A request to be absent for personal reasons may only be denied if school operational requirements cannot be met.    (j) Any absence not covered  in subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) or (g)   under subsections (a) through (f)  of this section  shall be   is  considered unexcused.      

 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE: 

  Section 1. Amend 1318, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows: 

   1318. Sick leave and absences for other reasons; accumulation of annual leave. 

 (b) (1)  In the case of a death in the immediate family of the employee, there shall be no reduction of salary of said employee for an absence not to exceed 5 working days.  Members of the immediate family shall be defined as the   

 (2) For purposes of this section, immediate family means any of the following: 

  a.  The employees spouse or domestic  partner; parent, stepparent   partner. 

 b. The employees parent, stepparent,  or  child of the employee   child. 

 c. The parent, stepparent, or child of the employees  spouse or domestic  partner;   partner. 

  d. The  employees grandparent or  grandchild;   grandchild. 

  e. The  employees  sibling;   sibling. 

  f. The  spouse of the employees  child; any   child. 

  g. A  relative who resides in the  same household; or any   employees household. 

 h. A  minor child for whom the employee has assumed and carried out parental responsibilities.  

 (3)  This absence shall be in addition to other leaves granted the employee. 

 (c) (1)  In the case of a serious illness of a member of the employees immediate  family, as defined in subsection (b) of this section   family  that requires the employees personal attention, an employee may use accrued sick leave.  

 (2)  An employee  needing   who needs  sick leave under  the provisions of this title   this subsection  shall inform that employees own immediate supervisor of the fact and reason in advance, when possible, or otherwise before the expiration of the first hour of absence or as soon thereafter as  practicable;   practicable. 

 (3) The  failure  to do so   of an employee to comply with paragraph (c)(2) of this section  may be cause for denial of pay for the period of absence.  

 (4)  Before approving pay for sick leave, the supervisor  may   may,  at that supervisors  discretion   discretion,  require either a doctors certificate or a written statement signed by the employee setting forth the reason for the absence.  

 (5)  In the case of an absence of more than 5 consecutive days, a doctors certificate is required as a condition of approval. 

 (d) (1)  In case of the death of a near relative, there shall be no deduction in the salary of the employee for  an  absence  not to exceed 1 working day.   

 (2) An absence under paragraph (d)(1) of this section may be used  on the day of the  funeral or the day before or the day after the  funeral.  A near relative shall be defined as:  

 (3) For purposes of this subsection, near relative means any of the following: 

 a. The employees  first cousin, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,  grandparent-in-law, or any other   or grandparent-in-law. 

 b. Any  friend living in the employees household. 

 (f) An employee may be absent without loss of pay no more than  3   5  days per fiscal year for personal reasons of the employee.  Such absences shall be included in the sick leave of the employee. Such absences must be approved by the chief school officers.   These absences are included in the employees sick leave. Requests to be absent for personal reasons may be approved by building level administrators, provided that the building level administrator cannot ask the employee the reason for the request. Requests that are being considered for denial shall be forwarded to the chief school officer or the local education agency human resources administrator designated for processing such requests. The chief school officer and the human resources administrator may ask the employee the reason for the request, provided that the employee is not required to provide the reason for the request. A request to be absent for personal reasons may only be denied if school operational requirements cannot be met.  

 (j) Any absence not covered  in subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) or (g)   under subsections (a) through (f)  of this section  shall be   is  considered unexcused.