(a) (1) The California State University shall grant to any employee, upon a request that provides at least 30 days notice before commencement, a leave of absence without loss of compensation for the purpose of enabling the employee to serve as an elected officer of any California State University campus public employee organization or any statewide or national public employee organization with which the university campus organization is affiliated.

(2) When possible, the employee shall provide the request described in paragraph (1) at least 30 days before the start of the academic term during which the leave will occur.

(b) The leave shall include, but is not limited to, absence for purposes of attendance by the employee at periodic, stated, special, or regular meetings of the body of the organization on which the employee serves as an officer. Compensation during the leave shall include retirement fund contributions required of the university or a campus of the university as employer. Required retirement contributions shall include the amount necessary to pay any unfunded liability cost for the retirement plan. The employee shall earn full service credit during the leave of absence and shall pay member contributions as prescribed by Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 20671) of Part 3 of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The maximum amount of the service credit earned shall not exceed 12 calendar years. Any employee who serves as a full-time officer of a public employee organization shall not be eligible for disability benefits under the Public Employees’ Retirement System while on the leave of absence.

(c) Following the university’s or campus of the university’s payment of the employee for the leave of absence, the university or campus of the university shall be reimbursed by the employee organization of which the employee is an elected officer for all compensation paid the employee on account of the leave. Reimbursement by the employee organization shall be made within 10 days after its receipt of the certification of payment of compensation to the employee.

(d) The leave of absence without loss of compensation provided for by this section is in addition to the released time without loss of compensation granted to representatives of an exclusive representative by Section 3569 of the Government Code.

(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 569, Sec. 1. (AB 2294) Effective January 1, 2017.)