MARVIN MANDEL, Governor

2067

from a duly licensed physician before receiving any pay
for the period of such absence. The Secretary of the
Department of Personnel may advance up to [sixty] 60 days
of sick leave to an employee in any calendar year for a
serious disability, ailment or illness.

Such annual vacation leave credits shall accrue to
the employee after his first six months of State service,
on a pro rata basis, and shall be available to him for
such purpose at any time thereafter, with the approval of
the head of the department. Sick leave credits shall
accrue from the beginning of the employee's State
service, on a pro rata basis, and shall be available to
him for such purpose as earned, providing that whenever
the employee must be absent from work because of a death
in his immediate family, such absence may be charged
against either earned annual vacation or earned sick
leave, at the option of the employee.

Every employee shall be entitled to personal leave
with pay for not in excess of three [(3)] days in any
calendar year; provided, that personal leave may not be
accumulated and any unused personal leave as of the end
of the calendar year shall be forfeited. Personal leave
days may be used for religious holidays, inclement
weather or any other purpose whatsoever, provided
permission is obtained from the department head. The
department head may not deny permission if personal leave
is requested for observance of religious holidays.

Each classified employee, upon termination from the
classified service other than by retirement, shall
forfeit any accumulated sick leave. Upon termination by
retirement, each classified employee is entitled to have
his accumulated sick leave days added to his creditable
service for the purposes of determining his retirement
benefits under Article 73B of this Code. A State
employee who came into the State system while retaining
sick leave and annual leave benefits under a county
system and who came under the provisions of Chapter 423
of the Acts of 1971 shall be entitled to the same full
credit toward retirement as provided by this section.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall take effect July 1, 1976.

Approved May 17, 1976,

CHAPTER 751
(House Bill 1290)