| 1 | 1 | | 86R1746 SRA-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Alvarado S.B. No. 1344 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to paid leave for a state employee who is a search and |
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| 8 | 8 | | rescue volunteer. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 661.905, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 661.905. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS, [AND] EMERGENCY |
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| 13 | 13 | | MEDICAL SERVICES VOLUNTEERS, AND SEARCH AND RESCUE VOLUNTEERS. (a) |
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| 14 | 14 | | In this section: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) "Emergency[, "emergency] medical services |
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| 16 | 16 | | volunteer" has the meaning assigned by Section 773.003, Health and |
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| 17 | 17 | | Safety Code. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) "Search and rescue volunteer" means an individual |
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| 19 | 19 | | who without remuneration, except reimbursement for expenses, |
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| 20 | 20 | | provides services for or on behalf of an organization that conducts |
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| 21 | 21 | | search and rescue activities. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) A state employee who is a volunteer firefighter, [or] an |
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| 23 | 23 | | emergency medical services volunteer, or a search and rescue |
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| 24 | 24 | | volunteer is entitled to a leave of absence without a deduction in |
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| 25 | 25 | | salary to attend fire service, [or] emergency medical services, or |
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| 26 | 26 | | search and rescue training conducted by a state agency or |
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| 27 | 27 | | institution of higher education. Leave without a deduction in |
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| 28 | 28 | | salary under this subsection may not exceed five working days in a |
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| 29 | 29 | | fiscal year. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) A state agency or institution of higher education may |
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| 31 | 31 | | grant leave without a deduction in salary to a volunteer |
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| 32 | 32 | | firefighter, [or] an emergency medical services volunteer, or a |
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| 33 | 33 | | search and rescue volunteer for the purpose of allowing the |
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| 34 | 34 | | firefighter, [or] emergency medical services volunteer, or search |
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| 35 | 35 | | and rescue volunteer to respond to emergency fire, [or] medical, or |
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| 36 | 36 | | search and rescue situations if the agency or institution has an |
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| 37 | 37 | | established policy for granting that leave. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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