PRINTER'S NO. 651
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
537
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY WAGNER, SCARNATI, COSTA, BREWSTER, RAFFERTY,
ARGALL, RESCHENTHALER, BARTOLOTTA, BOSCOLA AND WARD,
APRIL 6, 2017
REFERRED TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY, APRIL 6, 2017
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in intermediate units, further
providing for staff; in professional employees, providing for
athletic leaves of absence; and, in vocational education,
further providing for organization and operation of schools
and institutes.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 913-A(e) of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
amended to read:
Section 913-A. Staff.--* * *
(e) All professional and temporary professional employes of
an intermediate unit shall have the same rights of tenure,
minimum salaries and increments, leaves of absence because of
illness, professional study or physical disability, sabbatical
leaves, military leaves, athletic leaves of absence and exchange
teacher leaves as professional and temporary professional
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employes of school districts.
* * *
Section 2. Article XI of the act is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:
(f.1) Athletic Leaves of Absence.
Section 1172. Definitions.--For the purposes of this
subdivision.--
(1) "Member of a United States team" shall mean any group
leader, coach, official, referee or athlete who comprises the
official delegation of the United States on the world
championship team, Pan American team or Olympic team in a sport
sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.
(2) (Reserved).
Section 1173. Leave of Absence.--A professional employe who
qualifies as a member of a United States team shall be entitled
to an athletic leave of absence for the purpose of preparing for
and engaging in the competition. In no event shall the paid
leave under this section exceed the period of the official
training and competition combined or ninety (90) calendar days a
year, whichever is less.
Section 1174. Salary While on Leave.--The employe on
athletic leave of absence shall receive the employe's regular
salary during the period the employe is on leave.
Section 1175. Rights Retained.--(a) Every employe, while on
athletic leave of absence, shall be considered to be in regular
full-time daily attendance in the position from which the leave
was taken, during the period of said leave, for the purpose of
determining the employe's length of service and the right to
receive increments, as provided by law.
(b) Every employe on leave of absence shall continue
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membership in the Public School Employes' Retirement System. The
school district shall pay into the Public School Employes'
Retirement Fund on behalf of each employe on leave, in addition
to the contributions required by law to be made by the fund, the
full amount of the contribution required by law to be paid by
the employe, as though the employe were actually in regular
full-time daily attendance in the position from which the leave
was taken, so that the employe's retirement rights shall be in
no way affected by the leave of absence. The amount of the
contribution required to be paid by the employe shall be
deducted from any compensation payable to the employe while on
leave.
Section 3. Section 1850.1(b)(9) of the act is amended to
read:
Section 1850.1. Organization and Operation of Schools and
Institutes.--* * *
(b) The area vocational-technical board shall have authority
and its duty shall be:
* * *
(9) To employ temporary professional and professional
employes, supervisors and teachers, and to employ all other
persons necessary to carry on vocational-technical education and
technical institutes, and to determine the salaries to be paid.
All temporary professional and professional employes so employed
shall have the same rights of tenure, minimum salaries and
increments, leaves of absence because of illness or physical
disability, leaves of absence because of death in the immediate
family or death of a near relative, sabbatical leaves, military
leaves, athletic leaves of absence, exchange teacher leaves, and
membership in the Public School Employes' Retirement System as
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temporary professional and professional employes of school
districts. No professional employe who has attained tenure
status as an employe of any area vocational-technical board
shall, thereafter, be required to serve as a temporary
professional employe before being tendered such a contract when
employed by any other part of the public school system of the
Commonwealth;
* * *
Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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