1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to public employees; providing a leave of 
  1.3             absence for public employees who are candidates for 
  1.4             elective office; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 179A. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [179A.075] [CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [LEAVES OF ABSENCE FOR CANDIDATES.] A 
  1.9   public employee must, upon request, be granted unpaid leave of 
  1.10  absence upon becoming a candidate, or during the course of 
  1.11  candidacy, for an elected public office. 
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [LEAVE OF ABSENCE.] No public employee may be 
  1.13  required to take a leave of absence upon becoming a candidate, 
  1.14  or during the course of candidacy, for an elected public office. 
  1.15     Subd. 3.  [APPLICABILITY.] (a) This section does not apply 
  1.16  to an employee of the state.  This section does not affect 
  1.17  section 43A.32 as it applies to state employees. 
  1.18     (b) An employee of a charitable hospital operated by one or 
  1.19  more political subdivisions is a "public employee" for purposes 
  1.20  of this section.