Chapter 7 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 4R the following section:-

Section 4S.   “Applicants” shall mean persons employed by an executive branch agency or the trial court who apply to their supervisor to receive a sick leave bank. 

Upon application and determination that an employee is eligible, a sick leave bank shall be established in the executive office of the secretariat that employs the applicant.  Upon application and determination than an employee of the trial court is eligible, a sick leave bank shall be established within the court that employs the applicant.  The secretary of administration and finance shall prescribe regulations governing the operation of sick leave banks, including criteria for eligibility, procedures for donating time accrued, as well as procedures for the distribution of the donated time to qualifying individuals.  Sick leave banks established under this section shall cover employees who either do not participate in the extended illness leave bank under section 4P of chapter 7 or have exhausted the time allowed under that section.  Any employee may voluntarily contribute 1 or more sick, personal or vacation days to the sick leave bank for use by any other qualifying employee within their secretariat.  Employees of the trial court may voluntarily contribute 1 or more sick, personal or vacation days to the sick leave bank for use by any other qualifying employee within the employer court.  Whenever an employee no longer suffers the illness or disability that necessitated the creation of the sick leave bank or terminates employment or requests to dissolve the sick leave bank, any remaining time in the sick leave bank shall be transferred to the extended illness leave bank if the employee works in the executive branch and to the trial court paid leave bank if the employee works for the trial court. Sick leave bank days may not be used for absences unrelated to the illness or disability that necessitated the establishment of the sick leave bank as determined by the applicant’s director of human resources.