H.B. No. 5606 proposes the establishment of a sick leave pool for public school employees in Texas. The bill mandates that the board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school create a program where a retiring employee's accrued sick leave is contributed to a sick leave pool. This pool can then be utilized by other employees who have exhausted their own sick leave, subject to the district or school's policies. However, districts that already have a policy regarding retiring employees' sick leave in place before September 1, 2025, are exempt from this requirement if it conflicts with their existing policy.

Additionally, the bill amends Section 22.003(c-1) of the Education Code to require that any informational handbook provided to employees must include details about the newly created sick leave pool and notify employees of their rights related to sick leave. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 22.003 (Education Code 22)
House Committee Report: (Education Code 22)
Engrossed: (Education Code 22)
Senate Committee Report: (Education Code 22)