Emergencies proclaimed by the Governor: school employee catastrophic leave.

Assembly Member Muratsuchi's legislation expands California's school employee catastrophic leave programs to include charter schools while creating new provisions for leave donations during governor-declared states of emergency. The measure allows governing boards of school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to establish programs enabling employees to donate accrued vacation and sick leave to colleagues affected by catastrophic events or emergencies.

Under the bill's provisions, employees may request donated leave credits after exhausting their own paid leave when facing either a catastrophic illness/injury or impacts from a declared emergency. Donations require a minimum of eight hours, with additional increments permitted. Governing bodies must verify the employee's inability to work and may establish program rules, including a 12-month maximum usage period for donated leave. All leave transfers are irrevocable, and recipients must use any newly accrued leave before accessing donated credits.

The legislation includes an urgency clause citing recent Los Angeles fires, making it effective immediately upon passage. Governing bodies and employee representatives retain the ability to incorporate catastrophic leave requirements into collective bargaining agreements. The measure requires a two-thirds vote for passage but involves no state appropriations or fiscal committee review.