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House overrides Teno’s veto on sick leave bill
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Posted on May 01 2001
The House of Representatives yesterday underscored the need to establish a more realistic policy in the administration of sick leave bank as legislators moved to override Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio’s veto on the proposed amendments to Public Law 8-25.
Thirteen of the 18 members of the House of Representatives voted for an override of the governor’s rejection of House Bill 12-147, which proposed to establish an independent Civil Service Commission.
Of the 18 House members, 16 voted to establish a measure that would put additional 360 hours to the existing 160 hours of sick leave a government employee is entitled to receive.
Under the proposed measure, employees who have not fully recovered from their serious illnesses were denied the use of additional sick leave hours from the sick leave bank because of the limitations prescribed by the Civil Service Sick Leave Bank Regulations.
The purpose of the said Act is to provide adequate protection for employees with major medical illness or long term disability. The proposal also asked the Civil Service to create a Voluntary Sick Leave Bank which an employee will repay sick leave hours at the rate established in the Civil Service Commission Sick Leave Bank Regulations.
Mr. Tenorio last week disapproved HB 12-147 citing that the bill is the not in the best interest of either the government or the community. He added that government employees already enjoy a very generous sick leave benefits.
“The existing sick leave bank allows a government employee to take up to 160 hours of sick leave from the sick leave bank in addition to what he or she had earned and accumulated,” said the governor in a letter to House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial and Senate President Paul Manglona.
CSC had also made it clear that it does not have the personnel nor the funding to establish and administer an additional voluntary sick leave bank.
During the house session yesterday, legislators reaffirmed its previous stance to allocate additional sick leave hours to government employees to afford them sufficient time to recover. The proposal now heads to the Senate for action.
