HB 1315 - This act specifies that state employees who are or may become members of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary may be granted a leave of absence while they are performing United States Coast Guard or United States Coast Guard Auxiliary duties. Employees on leave will not lose pay, time or regular leave. They also will not receive impairment of efficiency ratings or any other rights or benefits to which they are otherwise entitled. If the employee's appropriate Coast Guard authority requests the employee be released for service, it must be granted. Leave granted is not to exceed 15 working days in any fiscal year unless the employee is responding to a state or national emergency in Missouri or on a navigable waterway adjacent to the state. Before any salary is paid for the leave period, the employee must file with the appointing authority or supervisory agency evidence of his or her emergency participation. Employees of both public and private employers cannot be discharged from employment or otherwise discriminated against due to being a member or their service in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.
This act requires employers with 50 or more employees to grant a leave of absence to employees who are or may become members of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and performing duties associated therewith. Such employees on leave will not lose time, regular leave, or any other rights or benefits to which the employee is otherwise entitled. The leave cannot be for more than 15 working days in any calendar year unless the employee is responding to a state or national emergency in Missouri or on a navigable waterway adjacent to the state. The employer is not required to pay a salary to the employee during this leave of absence. Employers have the right to request that an employee be exempted from responding to a specific mission, which must be honored.
The Attorney General is required to enforce this act.
MIKE HAMMANN