A 5494: Provides for a paid leave of absence for public officers and certain other employees to volunteer as a poll worker.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5494 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BROOK-KRASNY, NOVAKHOV -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to leave time for certain employees to volunteer as a poll worker The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The civil service law is amended by adding a new section 2 159-e to read as follows: 3 § 159-e. Leave time for poll volunteers. 1. Every public officer and 4 every employee of the state, any county, any community college, any 5 public authority, any public benefit corporation, any board of cooper- 6 ative educational services (BOCES), any vocational education and exten- 7 sion board or a school district enumerated in section one of chapter 8 five hundred-sixty-six of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-seven, any 9 municipality, any school district or a participating employer in the New 10 York state and local employees' retirement system, or a participating 11 employer in the New York state teachers' retirement system shall be 12 entitled to absent themself and shall be deemed to have a paid leave of 13 absence from their duties or service for a sufficient period of time, 14 not to exceed eight hours annually, to volunteer as a poll worker during 15 a local, national, or primary election. 16 2. The entire period of the leave of absence granted pursuant to this 17 section shall be excused leave and shall not be charged against any 18 other leave to which such public officer or employee is otherwise enti- 19 tled. 20 3. The commission is hereby authorized and directed to establish any 21 necessary guidelines, including requirements for notice, request, 22 approval of leave and documentation. 23 4. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to impede, infringe, dimin- 24 ish, or impair the rights of a public employee or employer under any 25 law, rule, regulation or collectively negotiated agreement, or the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09216-01-5 
 A. 5494 2 1 rights and benefits which accrue to employees through collective 2 bargaining agreements, or otherwise diminish the integrity of the exist- 3 ing collective bargaining agreement. 4 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.