A.B. 455


Assembly Bill No. 455--Committee on Government Affai
    rs

                   April 7, 1995
                 _____________


    Referred to Committee on Government Affairs


SUMMARY--Revises provisions governing sick leave for 
          state employees. (BDR 23-800)

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.
              Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: 
             Yes.



EXPLANATION--Matter in italics is new; matter in bra
ckets [ ] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to state employees; increasing the amount of sick 
        leave which may be accumulated; increasing the maximum payment 
        for unused sick leave; and providing other matters properly 
        relating thereto.

     THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE
                AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:



  Section 1.  NRS 284.355 is hereby amended to 
read as follows:
  284.355  1.  Except as otherwise provided in this 
section, all employees in the public service, whether in the 
classified or unclassified service, are entitled to sick and 
disability leave with pay of 1 1/4 working days for each 
month of service, which may be cumulative from year to year. 
After an employee has accumulated [90] \180\\ 
working days of sick leave, the amount of additional unused 
sick leave which he is entitled to carry forward from one 
year to the next is limited to one-half of the unused sick 
leave accrued during that year, but the department may by 
regulation provide for subsequent use of unused sick leave 
accrued but not carried forward by reason of this limitation 
in cases where the employee is suffering from a long-term or 
chronic illness and has used all sick leave otherwise 
available to him. Upon the retirement of an employee, his 
termination through no fault of his own or his death while 
in public employment, the employee or his beneficiaries are 
entitled to payment for his unused sick leave \,\\ 
[in excess of 30 days,] exclusive of any unused sick leave 
accrued but not carried forward, according to his number of 
years of public service, except service with a political 
subdivision of the state, as follows:
  (a) For [10] \5\\ years of service or more but 
less than [15] \10\\ years, not more than [$2,500.] 
\$3,325.\\
  (b) For [15] \10\\ years of service or more but 
less than [20] \15\\ years, not more than [$4,000.] 
\$5,320.\\
  (c) For [20] \15\\ years of service or more but 
less than [25] \20\\ years, not more than [$6,000.] 
\$7,980.\\
  (d) For [25] \20\\ years of service or more, not 
more than [$8,000.] \$10,640.\\
The department may by regulation provide for additional sick 
and disability leave for long-term employees and for 
prorated sick and disability leave for part-time employees.
  2.  An employee entitled to payment for unused sick leave 
pursuant to subsection 1 may elect to receive the payment in 
any one or more of the following forms:
  (a) A lump-sum payment.
  (b) An advanced payment of the premiums for insurance 
coverage for which he is otherwise eligible pursuant to 
chapter 287 of NRS. If the insurance coverage is terminated 
and the money advanced for premiums pursuant to this 
[subsection] \paragraph\\ exceeds the amount which 
is payable for premiums for the period for which the former 
employee was actually covered, the unused portion of the 
advanced payment must be paid promptly to the former 
employee or, if he is deceased, to his beneficiary.
  (c) The purchase of additional retirement credit, if he is 
otherwise eligible pursuant to chapter 286 of NRS.
  3.  Officers and members of the faculty of the University 
and Community College System of Nevada are entitled to sick 
and disability leave as provided by the regulations adopted 
pursuant to subsection 2 of NRS 284.345.
  4.  The department may by regulation provide policies 
concerning employees with mental or emotional disorders 
which:
  (a) Utilize a liberal approach to the granting of sick 
leave or leave without pay when it is necessary for them to 
be absent for treatment or temporary hospitalization.
  (b) Provide for the retention of their jobs for reasonable 
periods of absence, and where extended absence necessitates 
separation or retirement, provide for their reemployment if 
at all possible after recovery.
  (c) Protect employee benefits such as retirement, life 
insurance and health benefits.
  5.  The director shall establish by regulation a schedule 
for the accrual of sick leave for employees who regularly 
work more than 40 hours per week or 80 hours biweekly. The 
schedule must provide for the accrual of sick leave at the 
same rate proportionately as employees who work a 40-hour 
week accrue sick leave.
  6.  The department may investigate any instance in which 
it believes that an employee has taken sick or disability 
leave to which he was not entitled. If, after notice to the 
employee and a hearing, the commission determines that he 
has in fact taken sick or disability leave to which he was 
not entitled, the commission may order the forfeiture of all 
or part of his accrued sick leave.

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