OLR Bill Analysis

sHB 5549 (File 683, as amended by Senate "B")*

AN ACT CONCERNING LEAVE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY CALLS

SUMMARY:

This bill entitles state employees who are volunteer firefighters or volunteer ambulance company members to receive full pay for any regular work hours spent responding to a fire or ambulance call without employer permission if they respond prior to reporting to work. It specifies an employee can leave work to respond to such a call if he has authorization to do so from his employer. Current law does not distinguish between prior to arrival at work and leaving work, but it provides an employee can only respond to fires and calls during regular work hours if he receives permission to do so from his employer. The bill and current law refer to the employer as the employee's "appointing authority" as defined in statute.

At the request of his appointing authority, it also requires, in either case, the employee to provide written verification from the volunteer fire chief or ambulance company head stating the date, time, and duration of the fire or call and confirming the employee's response. The written verification is required in order for the employee to receive pay for hours missed.

The bill also prohibits the loss of vacation time, sick leave, or accumulated overtime if the employee meets the criteria for leaving work for a call or for responding before arriving at work. Under current law, the loss of vacation time, sick leave, or accumulated overtime is barred only if the employee has received permission to respond to calls on work time.

*Senate Amendment "B" creates a distinction between volunteer firefighters and ambulance company members who have arrived at work and those who have not yet arrived. It authorizes those who are not at work to respond to calls without prior employer permission and not lose pay. The original bill eliminated the requirement to get employer permission and did not make a distinction between employees at work and those who respond prior to arriving.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2003

BACKGROUND

State Appointing Authority

Under the State Personnel Act, `'appointing authority'' means a state board, commission, officer, commissioner, person or group of people having the power to make job appointments by virtue of a statute or by lawfully delegated authority.

COMMITTEE ACTION

Labor and Public Employees Committee

Joint Favorable Substitute Change of Reference

Appropriations Committee

Joint Favorable Report