MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Fees and Salaries of Public Officers

By: Representative Morris (By Request)

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE PERSONNEL BOARD TO ESTABLISH COMMUNITY SERVICE LEAVE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES TO ENCOURAGE VOLUNTEERISM IN SUPPORT OF MISSISSIPPI'S SCHOOLS, COMMUNITIES, CITIZENS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH COMMUNITY SERVICE LEAVE MAY BE USED; TO REQUIRE THE STATE PERSONNEL BOARD TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE POLICIES, RULES, PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND REPORTING OF COMMUNITY SERVICE LEAVE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) In recognition of the state's diverse needs for volunteers to support schools, communities, citizens and nonprofit organizations, and recognizing the commitment of state employees to engage in volunteer service to the state, the State Personnel Board shall establish a program for awarding community service leave to state employees.

(2) Community service leave must be available to all eligible state employees to encourage volunteerism in support of Mississippi's schools, communities, citizens and nonprofit organizations. Community service leave must be accounted for under the provisions of a community service leave policy to be promulgated by the State Personnel Board.

(3) State employees shall be awarded twenty-four (24) hours of community service leave annually which may be used for volunteer participation in the programs, services and organizations described in this section. In lieu of the twenty-four (24) hours of community service leave, an employee may elect to receive an annual award equivalent to one (1) hour for each week that a local public school is in session, as documented by the school board of the local school district, which award must be used exclusively for mentoring or tutoring students in Mississippi schools. State employees may use all or part of their annual allotment of community service leave for the following:

(a) Leave for Child Involvement and School Volunteerism. Employees may use all or part of their annual allotment of community service leave to volunteer support for programs and services in public and private elementary, middle and high schools and licensed public and private day care and preschool settings. An employee may use this leave to meet with a teacher or administrator concerning the employee's child or may attend any educational function sponsored by the school in which the child is participating.

(b) Leave for Nonprofit Organization Volunteerism. Employees may use all or part of their annual allotment of community service leave to volunteer time in nonprofit, nonpartisan community organizations that are designated as 501(c)(3) organizations under the Internal Revenue Code or human services organizations licensed or accredited to serve citizens with special needs, including children, youth and the elderly.

(c) Leave for Tutoring and Mentoring in Mississippi Schools. Employees electing to receive one (1) hour of volunteer leave for each week that public schools are in session in lieu of an annual award of twenty-four (24) hours may use the leave exclusively for tutoring or mentoring students in accordance with standards, rules and guidelines jointly established for those services by the employee's agency and local public school.

(4) The State Personnel Board shall develop appropriate policies, rules, procedures and criteria for the administration and reporting of community service leave.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2001.