Employees called to active duty during a national emergency can take unpaid leave, keep accruing certain leave and service credit, and may use accrued leave to maintain benefits; the employing state agency must review health insurance coverage issues before departure.
Sec. 661.904. MILITARY LEAVE DURING NATIONAL EMERGENCY. (a) An employee called to active duty during a national emergency to serve in a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States under Title 10 or 32, United States Code, is entitled to an unpaid leave of absence. (b) The employee on an unpaid leave of absence during military duty described by Subsection (a) continues to accrue: (1) state service credit for purposes of longevity pay; (2) vacation leave; and (3) sick leave. (c) The employee may retain any accrued vacation or sick leave and is entitled to be credited with those balances on return to state employment from military duty described by Subsection (a). Leave earned while on an unpaid leave of absence during military duty described by Subsection (a) is credited to the employee's balance when the employee returns to active state employment. (d) The employee may use any accrued vacation leave, earned compensatory leave, or overtime leave under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), as amended, in whole or in part, to maintain benefits for the employee or the employee's dependents while the employee is on military duty described by Subsection (a). (e) Before a state employee leaves for military service, the state agency employing the employee shall review with the employee any issues relating to maintaining state health insurance coverage during the employee's military duty, including what the employee needs to do to maintain state health insurance coverage, how health insurance coverage is affected by paid or unpaid leave, and how to pay any premium required for the insurance coverage. (f) A state employee activated for military service may continue to accrue service credit with the Employees Retirement System of Texas by receiving at least one hour of state pay during each month of active military service. The employee may use any combination of paid leave, including state compensatory leave, overtime leave under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), as amended, annual leave, military leave, or approved agency differential pay, to qualify for the state pay. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 279, Sec. 19, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 175, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 764 (S.B. 833), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.