(a) A sick leave pool program is established to help alleviate the hardship caused to a state employee and the employee's immediate family if a catastrophic illness or injury or a previous donation to the sick leave pool forces the employee to exhaust their sick leave.     
      (b) A family leave pool program is established to provide a state employee more flexibility in:      
        (1) bonding with and caring for children during a child's first year following birth, adoption, or foster placement; and       
        (2) caring for a seriously ill family member or the employee, including pandemic-related illnesses or complications caused by a pandemic.       
      (c) The Commission's Executive Director shall designate a Leave Pools Administrator to administer the sick and family leave pool programs.     
      (d) The Leave Pools Administrator, with the advice and consent of the Executive Director, shall prescribe procedures for the operation of the sick and family leave pool programs and include such procedures in the Commission's Human Resources Policy and Procedures Manual.     
      (e) Employee donations of one or more days of accrued sick leave to the sick leave pool or accrued sick or vacation leave to the family leave pool are strictly voluntary and must be made in writing.     
      (f) Procedures for the operation of the sick and family leave pools will be consistent with Texas Government Code, Chapter 661.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §252.3 adopted to be effective August 3, 2009, 34 TexReg 5059; amended to be effective February 16, 2022, 47 TexReg 646