The "Civil Air Patrol Leave Act" aims to establish a framework for Civil Air Patrol leave for employees who are members of the Civil Air Patrol in South Carolina. The bill introduces a new chapter to Title 25 of the South Carolina Code, defining key terms such as "Civil Air Patrol leave," "Civil Air Patrol member," and "emergency service operation." It mandates that public and private employers provide a minimum of thirty days of leave per year for emergency service operations and ten days for training activities. Employers are given discretion to grant additional leave and must pay public employees for the leave taken, while private employers can choose to offer it as paid or unpaid leave.

The bill outlines the responsibilities of employees in notifying their employers about their Civil Air Patrol membership and the procedures for taking leave. It also includes provisions to protect employees from discrimination or retaliation for using Civil Air Patrol leave and allows employees to take legal action against employers who violate the act. The act emphasizes that Civil Air Patrol leave is a separate category and does not require employees to exhaust other leave types before utilizing it. The bill will take effect upon the Governor's approval.