HOUSE BILL No. 4991

 

July 17, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Byrum, Jamnick, Tobocman, Accavitti, Bieda and Hardman and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Urban Policy.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to require public employers to grant public employees                      

                                                                                

    a leave of absence to serve as precinct election inspectors                 

                                                                                

    without loss of pay or benefits; to impose certain duties on                

                                                                                

    public employees who request a leave of absence to serve as                 

                                                                                

    precinct election inspectors; and to impose certain duties on               

                                                                                

    certain public officials.                                                   

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the                    

                                                                                

2   "public employee precinct election inspector leave of absence               

                                                                                

3   act".                                                                       

                                                                                

4       Sec. 3.  As used in this act:                                               

                                                                                

5       (a) "Person" means an individual, sole proprietorship,                      

                                                                                

6   partnership, corporation, association, or any other legal                   

                                                                                

7   entity.                                                                     

                                                                                

8       (b) "Precinct election inspector" means a person appointed as               

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   a precinct election inspector under section 674 of the Michigan             

                                                                                

2   election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.674.                                     

                                                                                

3       (c) "Public employee" means a person employed by this state                 

                                                                                

4   or a political subdivision of this state.  Public employee                  

                                                                                

5   includes a member of the state classified civil service system.             

                                                                                

6       (d) "Public employer" means this state or a political                       

                                                                                

7   subdivision of this state.                                                  

                                                                                

8       Sec. 5.  (1) A public employee who is appointed to serve as                 

                                                                                

9   a precinct election inspector may request a leave of absence                

                                                                                

10  under this act from his or her public employer for the entire               

                                                                                

11  24-hour period of the election day in which that public employee            

                                                                                

12  serves as a precinct election inspector.                                    

                                                                                

13      (2) Subject to any applicable collective bargaining                         

                                                                                

14  agreement, a public employer may grant to each public employee              

                                                                                

15  appointed to serve as a precinct election inspector who requests            

                                                                                

16  a leave of absence under this act a leave of absence for the                

                                                                                

17  entire 24-hour period of the election day in which that public              

                                                                                

18  employee serves as a precinct election inspector.                           

                                                                                

19      (3) Except as otherwise provided in section 7, a public                     

                                                                                

20  employer shall not reduce the salary, wages, or benefits that a             

                                                                                

21  public employee would have received if the public employee had              

                                                                                

22  not taken a leave of absence under this act.  A public employer             

                                                                                

23  shall not impose any penalty on a public employee who requests a            

                                                                                

24  leave of absence under this act.  A leave of absence under this             

                                                                                

25  act shall not reduce a public employee's accrual of seniority or            

                                                                                

26  longevity benefits.                                                         

                                                                                

27      (4) A public employee shall request a leave of absence under                

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   this act not less than 7 days prior to the election day in which            

                                                                                

2   that public employee will serve as a precinct election                      

                                                                                

3   inspector.                                                                  

                                                                                

4       (5) The board of election commissioners that appointed a                    

                                                                                

5   public employee as a precinct election inspector shall provide              

                                                                                

6   all of the following in writing upon the request of a public                

                                                                                

7   employer:                                                                   

                                                                                

8       (a) Verification of the public employee's appointment as a                  

                                                                                

9   precinct election inspector.                                                

                                                                                

10      (b) Confirmation of the public employee's service as a                      

                                                                                

11  precinct election inspector.                                                

                                                                                

12      (c) Certification of the amount of compensation that the                    

                                                                                

13  public employee received for his or her service as a precinct               

                                                                                

14  election inspector.                                                         

                                                                                

15      Sec. 7.  Upon receipt of the certification of the amount of                 

                                                                                

16  compensation that a public employee received for his or her                 

                                                                                

17  service as a precinct election inspector under section 5(5)(c), a           

                                                                                

18  public employer shall deduct the amount certified from the public           

                                                                                

19  employee's salary or wages earned during the public employee's              

                                                                                

20  leave of absence under this act.