1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to public employment; increasing compensation 
  1.3             for state employees on leave to serve as certified 
  1.4             disaster service volunteers of the American Red Cross; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 43A.185, 
  1.6             subdivision 1. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 43A.185, 
  1.9   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [LEAVE AUTHORIZED.] A state employee who is 
  1.11  a certified disaster service volunteer of the American Red Cross 
  1.12  may be granted leave from work with 50 100 percent of pay, not 
  1.13  to exceed 15 working days in each year, to participate in 
  1.14  specialized disaster relief services for the American Red 
  1.15  Cross.  The employee must be released from work for this 
  1.16  function upon the request of the American Red Cross for the 
  1.17  services of that employee, and upon the approval of that 
  1.18  employee's appointing authority.  The appointing authority shall 
  1.19  compensate the employee granted leave under this section at 50 
  1.20  100 percent of the employee's regular rate of pay for those 
  1.21  regular hours during which the employee is absent from work.  
  1.22  This leave, if granted by the appointing authority, may not 
  1.23  affect the employee's vacation leave, pension, compensatory 
  1.24  time, personal vacation days, sick leave, earned overtime 
  1.25  accumulation, or cause a loss of seniority.