Senate Bill 2053

AN ACT ENTITLED THE "PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND FAMILY LEAVE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2002"; TO AUTHORIZE LEAVE FROM THE WORKPLACE FOR ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES; TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH LEAVE SHALL NOT BE DEDUCTED FROM AND COUNTED AGAINST ANY SICK OR PERSONAL LEAVE ACCRUED BY SUCH PARENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Parental Involvement and Family Leave Improvement Act of 2002."

(2) As used in this section:

(a) "School" means a public or private elementary or secondary school, a child care facility licensed under state law, or a Head Start program assisted under the federal Head Start Act.

(b) "Employee" means any individual subject to the provisions of the Mississippi Income Tax Withholding Law, who performs or performed services for an employer as defined herein and receives wages therefor, and shall specifically include an employee of a private person, corporation or other entity, and an employee of a Mississippi state agency, school district, municipality, or other political subdivision of the State of Mississippi.

(c) "Employer" means a person doing business in, or deriving income from sources within the state, who has control of the payment of wages to an individual for services performed, or a person who is the officer or agent of the person having control of the payment of wages.

(3) An employee shall be entitled to a total of twenty-four (24) hours of leave during any twelve-month period, in addition to any sick, personal or administrative leave accrued under an employer's leave policy or under state law, to participate in school activities directly related to the educational advancement of a son or daughter of the employee, such as parent-teacher conferences or interviewing for a new school. If the necessity for such leave is foreseeable, the employee shall provide the employer with not less than seven (7) days' notice before the date the leave is to begin. If the necessity for such leave is not foreseeable, the employee shall provide such notice as is practicable.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2002.