Employees' Retirement System, all ALEA law enforcement officers, including State Police Tier II Plan members, to receive payment for up to 80 hours of accrued and unused annual leave per year
Summary
HB6 amends Alabama law governing annual leave payouts for certain state employees and public safety personnel. Under current law, some law enforcement officers can be paid for unused annual leave above a specified cap. This bill extends a similar benefit to State Police Tier II Plan members in the Employees' Retirement System of Alabama, allowing them to receive payment for up to 80 hours per year of accrued and unused annual leave in excess of 480 hours.
The bill also restates existing annual leave accrual and carryover rules for state merit system employees and legislative personnel, while preserving the current payout provisions for Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officers and certain Department of Corrections employees. The new provision would take effect on October 1, 2026, and would be administered through the employees' regular rate of pay.
Impact
HB6 would amend Section 36-26-35 of the Code of Alabama 1975 to expand annual leave payout eligibility within the state personnel system. Its primary legal effect is to add State Police Tier II Plan members to the category of employees who may cash out excess accrued leave, aligning their benefit with that already available to certain other law enforcement and corrections personnel. The bill affects the Employees' Retirement System of Alabama, Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency personnel, and qualifying Department of Corrections merit employees, while leaving the broader annual leave accrual framework intact.
Sentiment
The available context suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, as it is framed as an extension of an existing benefit to a similarly situated group of state police employees. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes indicating opposition or debate in the provided materials. The bill was introduced and referred to the House Ways and Means General Fund committee, indicating it was still pending committee action at the time of the record provided.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of concern, based on the bill text, would likely involve the fiscal impact on the General Fund and whether extending leave payout rights to State Police Tier II Plan members should be limited to certain public safety classifications. However, no named opponents, amendments, or disputed issues appear in the available transcript or voting history.