Hill (HB 717) Act No. 659
Existing law requires public school boards to permit teachers, school bus operators, and other
school board employees to take up to 90 days of extended sick leave in each six-year period
of employment for a medical necessity when the person has no remaining regular sick leave
balance.
Existing law additionally requires school boards to permit a teacher who has been granted
maternity leave and has no remaining extended sick leave balance available to take up to 30
days of extended sick leave for personal illness. Limits the taking of these 30 days to each
six-year period of employment. New law specifies that these shall be 30 additional days for
personal illness relating to pregnancy, illness of an infant, or medical visits certified by a
physician as relating to infant or maternal health.
Existing law requires that on every occasion that a school bus driver or other school board
employee uses extended sick leave, a statement from a licensed physician certifying that it
is a medical necessity for him to be absent for at least 10 consecutive work days shall be
presented prior to the extension of such leave.
Existing law requires a statement of certification from a licensed physician on every occasion
that a teacher uses extended sick leave. Prior law required that the statement certify that the
leave was either for personal illness related to the maternity leave or a medical necessity for
the teacher to be absent for 10 consecutive work days. New law instead requires that such
statement certify that the leave is for either of the following:
(1)Personal illness related to pregnancy, illness of an infant, or required medical visits
relating to infant or maternal health.
(2)A medical necessity.
Prior law, for the purposes of the required physician's certification, applicable to teachers,
school bus operators, and other school board employees, defined a "medical necessity" as the
result of catastrophic illness or injury, which means a life threatening condition, a chronic
condition, or an incapacitating condition of the person or an immediate family member. New
law instead defines "medical necessity" as the result of a catastrophic illness or injury, a life-
threatening condition, a chronic condition, or an incapacitating condition of the employee
or a member of his immediate family. It also broadens the application of this definition to
all existing law purposes relative to extended sick leave for such persons and specifies that
such "medical necessity" shall be as certified by a physician.
Effective Aug. 1, 2014.
(Amends R.S. 17:500.2(A)(2)(c), 1202(A) and (E)(1)(a), and 1206.2(A)(2)(c); Adds R.S.
17:500.2(A)(2)(d) and 1206.2(A)(2)(d); Repeals R.S. 17:500.2(E)(1)(b), 1202(E)(1)(b), and
1206.2(E)(1)(b))