ATTENDANCE AND LEAVE MANUAL
POLICY BULLETIN 2022-01
Section 20.3 & 21.12
January 2022

TO: Manual Recipients
FROM: Jessica Rowe, Director of Staffing Services
SUBJECT: Paid Leave for Civil Air Patrol Volunteers

Legislation enacted in October 2021 (Chapter 438 Laws of 2021) amends the Civil Service Law to authorize paid leave for members of the United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol or the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Pilots during a declared state of emergency. The Law is attached on page 2 of this memorandum.

Specifically, Section 82-c of the Civil Service Law authorizes paid leave for this purpose for all State level public employees. Employees are not required to have Attendance Rules coverage to be granted this leave with pay. Under this provision, employees are eligible for up to 20 workdays of paid leave without charge to credits per calendar year, for either full or partial days while engaged in the actual performance of United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol or United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Pilot duties, including reasonable travel time to and from the site.

Eligible employees are entitled to this leave, subject to the approval of the appointing authority.

Such leave is available for volunteer activities performed during states of emergency declared by local municipal or county officials or by states of emergency declared by the Governor.

Any questions should be referred to the Attendance and Leave Unit of the Department of Civil Service at (518) 457-2295.

       

§  82-c.  Civil air patrol volunteers; paid leave. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, public officers and employees of the state who are members of the United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol or the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Pilots shall be granted leave from work with pay to participate in emergency services during a declared state of emergency upon a written request from a unit commander and the approval of the chief administrative officer of the state agency, department or bureau for which the public officer or employee serves. The public officer or employee shall be compensated at his or her regular rate of pay for those regular work hours during which the public officer or employee is absent from work while participating in emergency services missions during a declared state of emergency. Such leave shall be provided without loss of seniority, compensation, sick leave, vacation leave or other overtime compensation to which the volunteer is otherwise entitled and shall not exceed twenty days in any calendar year.