Emergencies proclaimed by the Governor: school employee catastrophic leave.

Assemblymember Muratsuchi's legislation expands California's educational employee catastrophic leave programs to include charter schools and situations involving governor-proclaimed states of emergency. The measure allows school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to establish programs enabling staff to donate accrued vacation and sick leave to colleagues affected by catastrophic events or emergencies.

Under the expanded provisions, employees may receive donated leave credits after exhausting their paid time off if they or their family members face an incapacitating illness or injury, or when directly impacted by a declared state emergency. Participating institutions must verify employee hardship and inability to work before approving leave transfers, which require a minimum donation of eight hours and become irrevocable once approved. Recipients must use any newly accrued leave before accessing donated credits, with usage capped at 12 consecutive months.

The legislation, which takes immediate effect due to recent Los Angeles fires, preserves the ability of governing boards and employee representatives to establish specific catastrophic leave requirements through collective bargaining agreements. Educational institutions implementing these programs must adopt formal rules covering verification procedures, maximum leave periods, and the irrevocable nature of leave transfers.