An employee may make voluntary written application to the leave bank board to become a leave contributor. The application shall specify the number of hours of annual leave to be contributed and any other information the leave bank board may reasonably require.

An employee may request that annual leave be contributed to a specified bank member other than the leave contributor's immediate supervisor.

A leave contributor shall become a leave bank member for a particular leave year if he or she submits an application meeting the requirements of this section during an open enrollment period established by the leave bank board under paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section (or where applicable, during an individual enrollment period established under paragraph (f) of this section).

The leave bank board shall establish at least one open enrollment period for each leave year of leave bank operation.

An open enrollment period shall last at least 30 calendar days. The agency shall take appropriate action to inform employees of each open enrollment period.

An employee entering the agency or participating organizational subunit or returning from an extended absence outside an open enrollment period may become a leave bank member for the leave year by submitting an application meeting the requirements of this section during an individual enrollment period lasting at least 30 calendar days, beginning on the date the employee entered or returned to the agency or organizational subunit.

Except as provided in paragraph (h) of this section, the minimum contribution required to become a leave bank member for a leave year shall be—

4 hours of annual leave for an employee who has less than 3 years of service at the time he or she submits an application to contribute annual leave;

6 hours of annual leave for an employee who has at least 3, but less than 15, years of service at the time he or she submits an application to contribute annual leave; and

8 hours of annual leave for an employee who has 15 or more years of service at the time he or she submits an application to contribute annual leave.

The leave bank board may—

Decrease the minimum contribution required by paragraph (g) of this section for the following leave year when the leave bank board determines that there is a surplus of leave in the bank;

Increase the minimum contribution required by paragraph (g) of this section for the following leave year when the leave bank board determines that such action is necessary to maintain an adequate balance of annual leave in the leave bank; or

Eliminate the requirement for a minimum contribution under paragraph (g) of this section when a leave bank member transfers within his or her employing agency to an organization covered by a different leave bank.

If a leave recipient does not have sufficient available accrued annual leave to his or her credit to make the full minimum contribution required by this section, he or she shall be deemed to have made the minimum contribution.

The leave bank board shall deposit all contributions of annual leave under this subpart in the leave bank. Except as provided in § 630.1016(c), the leave bank board may not return a contribution of annual leave to a leave contributor after deposit in the leave bank.

A leave bank member may apply to contribute additional annual leave at any time. An employee who is not a leave bank member may apply to become a leave contributor at any time.