paid military leave doubles from 15 to 30 days

The text as introduced · 610 words

89R10512 MCK-D

By: Troxclair
H.B. No. 5448

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to paid leave for public officers and employees engaged in

certain military service.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 437.202, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsections (a), (a-1), and (b) and adding Subsections

(a-2) and (a-3) to read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c), a person

who is an officer or employee of this state, a municipality, a

county, or another political subdivision of this state and who is a

member of the Texas military forces, a reserve component of the

armed forces, or a member of a state or federally authorized urban

search and rescue team is entitled to a paid leave of absence from

the person's duties on a day on which the person is engaged in

authorized training or duty ordered or authorized by proper

authority for not more than 30 [ 15 ] workdays in a fiscal year.

During a leave of absence, the person may not be subjected to loss

of time, efficiency rating, personal time, sick leave, or vacation

time.

(a-1) In addition to the leave provided under Subsection

(a), a person described by Subsection (a) called [ to state active

duty ] by the governor or another appropriate authority to state

active duty, including service in another state on request of the

governor of another state, in response to a disaster is entitled to

a paid leave of absence from the person's duties for each day the

person is called to active duty during the disaster, including any

required pre-deployment training, pre-deployment temporary duty,

and post-deployment earned military leave and rest and recuperation

as confirmed in writing by the person's commanding officer [ not to

exceed seven workdays in a fiscal year ]. During a leave of absence

under this subsection, the person may not be subjected to loss of

time, efficiency rating, personal time, sick leave, or vacation

time. For purposes of this subsection, "disaster" has the meaning

assigned by Section 418.004.

(a-2) In addition to the leave provided under Subsection

(a), a person described by Subsection (a) called to deploy for

military duty in support of a contingency, humanitarian, disaster,

or emergency operation or exercise of the United States is entitled

to a paid leave of absence from the person's duties for each day the

person is called to military duty during the operation or exercise,

including any required pre-deployment training, pre-deployment

temporary duty, and post-deployment earned military leave and rest

and recuperation as confirmed in writing by the person's commanding

officer. During a leave of absence under this subsection, the

person may not be subjected to loss of time, efficiency rating,

personal time, sick leave, or vacation time.

(a-3) In addition to the leave provided under Subsection

(a), a person described by Subsection (a) called to initial

enlistment or officer basic training, initial career field or duty

assignment training, or professional military education is

entitled to a paid leave of absence from the person's duties for

each day the person is called to the training, including any earned

military leave at the conclusion of the training. During a leave of

absence under this subsection, the person may not be subjected to

loss of time, efficiency rating, personal time, sick leave, or

vacation time.

(b) An officer or employee of this state is entitled to

carry forward from one fiscal year to the next the net balance of

unused accumulated leave under Subsection (a) that does not exceed

90 [ 45 ] workdays.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.