§ 82-A — Authorized absence

§ 82-a. Authorized absence. 1. During the time that a state emergency\nexists following a declaration of such emergency pursuant to section\ntwenty-eight of the executive law, every public officer or employee of\nthis state may request an authorized absence from his or her duties or\nservice as such public officer or employee while engaged in the actual\nperformance of his or her duties as, (a) a volunteer firefighter, or (b)\nan enrolled member of a volunteer ambulance service pursuant to article\nthirty of the public health law.\n 2. Requests for such authorized absence shall be approved by the\nappropriate supervisor to the extent that such absence would not\ninterfere with proper conduct of governmental functions.\n 3. As used in this section, the term public officer or employee shall\nnot include officers or employees of municipalities or other political\nsubdivisions of the state.\n 4. The entire period of the authorized absence granted pursuant to\nthis section shall be excused leave and shall not be charged against any\nother leave such public officer or employee is otherwise entitled to,\nand such authorized absence shall include travel both to and from such\nduties performed in his or her capacity as a volunteer.\n 5. As used in this section, the term agency shall mean any department,\nboard, bureau, commission, division, office, council, committee or\noffice of the state, a public benefit corporation or public authority at\nleast one of whose members is appointed by the governor.\n