SECTION 1. Section 31A of said chapter 29, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following 2 subsections:- 

(e) No employee of the commonwealth shall accrue more than 1,000 hours of unused sick leave credits.

(f) No employee of a public institution of higher education listed in section 5 of chapter 15A shall accrue more than 1,000 hours of unused sick leave credits.

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, section 26 shall take effect for any employee of the commonwealth and any employee at public institutions of higher education listed in section 5 of chapter 15A of the General Laws who has accrued not more than 1,000 hours of unused sick leave credits, on the effective date of this act.  Any such employee who has accrued more than 1,000 hours of unused sick leave credits as of the effective date of this act shall not accrue credits in excess of those credits, but may accrue credits to replenish any sick time that is used after the effective date of this act, up to the maximum of 1,000 hours set forth above.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the personnel administrator shall promulgate revised rules under the second paragraph of section 28 of chapter 7 of the General Laws to incorporate the changes enacted in subsection (e) of section 31A of chapter 29 of the General Laws and section 61 of this act, which revisions shall take effect as soon as practicable after the effective date of this act.

SECTION 4. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department of higher education and the University of Massachusetts shall revise the necessary rules and policies in order to incorporate the changes enacted in subsection (f) of section 31A of chapter 29 of the General Laws and section 61 of this act, which revisions shall take effect as soon as practicable after the effective date of this act.

SECTION 5. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no employee of the commonwealth shall receive any payout of sick leave or pension until any investigation by the commonwealth or its subdivision has been completed.