Okla. Stat. tit. 74, § 74-840-2.24: Participation in specialized disaster relief services

- Leave with pay.

A. 1. As used in this subsection, "disaster" means disasters

designated at level III and above in the American Red Cross

Regulations and Procedures.

2. Any state employee in the executive branch of state

government who is a certified disaster service volunteer of the

American Red Cross or a member of the United States Air Force

Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol, with the authorization of the chief

executive officer of the state agency, may be granted a leave with

pay not to exceed fifteen (15) working days in any twelve-month

period to participate in specialized disaster relief services within

the State of Oklahoma for the American Red Cross or the United

States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol, upon the request of the

American Red Cross or the United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil

Air Patrol and with the approval of the office of the Governor of

this state, without the loss of pay, annual leave, sick leave,

accrued overtime wages or compensatory time. The agency shall

compensate an employee granted leave time under this section at his

or her regular rate of pay for those regular work hours during which

the employee is absent from work.

3. Notwithstanding the provision of paragraph 2 of this

subsection, state employees certified as disaster volunteers shall

not exceed five hundred (500) participants at any one time. A list

of such employees will be coordinated with the Department of Civil

Emergency Management and the office of the Governor of this state.

Within sixty (60) days of any request made by the American Red Cross

or the United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol, a report

shall be prepared by the American Red Cross or the United States Air

Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol and submitted to the Governor's

office stating the reasons and needs for any request made.

B. Any state officer or employee in the executive branch of

state government authorized by the employing agency of the officer

or employee to volunteer in a disaster relief activity during a

presidentially declared national disaster in Oklahoma after May 1,

1999, for a period of not more than six (6) months after the date of

the presidentially declared national disaster, shall not have to use

accrued leave or need to make up any time due to the performance of

their volunteer activities.

C. Private employers are encouraged to allow their employees to

take leave in order to participate in volunteer disaster service

programs.

D. School administrators are encouraged to allow students,

sixteen (16) years of age or older to be out of school to

participate in volunteer disaster service programs.