The bill establishes a new section in chapter 41.04 RCW to create a "major disaster shared leave pool" that allows state employees affected by a major disaster to receive shared leave. This pool is designed for employees who experience severe hardship due to a disaster, necessitating their absence from work. Participation in the pool is voluntary, and employees can only donate leave to the pool rather than to specific individuals. The military department, in collaboration with the office of financial management, will oversee the administration of the pool. Any unused leave must be returned to the donors after a specified period, and the amount returned will be proportional to the amount donated.

Additionally, the bill outlines the eligibility criteria for employees to donate and receive shared leave, stipulating that shared leave cannot exceed the employee's state monthly salary and must be used for disaster-related purposes. The bill also includes provisions for agency heads to determine the distribution of donated leave based on the disaster's severity and mandates that agencies investigate any potential abuse of the shared leave system. Higher education institutions are required to adopt policies that align with the needs of their employees regarding this shared leave program.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 41.04.665