Subpart K—Emergency Leave Transfer Program

(a) Purpose. This subpart provides regulations to implement section 6391 of title 5, United States Code, and must be read together with section 6391. Section 6391 of title 5, United States Code, provides that in the event of a major disaster or emergency, as declared by the President, that results in severe adverse effects for a substantial number of employees, the President may direct the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish an emergency leave transfer program under which an employee may donate unused annual leave for transfer to employees of his or her agency or to employees in other agencies who are adversely affected by such disaster or emergency.

(b) Applicability. This subpart applies to any individual who is defined as an “employee” in 5 U.S.C. 6331(1) and who is employed in—

(1) An Executive agency; or

(2) The Judicial branch.

(c) Administration. The head of each agency having employees subject to this subpart is responsible for the proper administration of this subpart. Each Federal agency must establish and administer procedures to permit the voluntary transfer of annual leave consistent with this subpart.

In this subpart:

Agency means—

(1) An “Executive agency,” as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105; or

(2) A Judicial branch entity.

Committed relationship has the meaning given that term in subpart I of this part.

Disaster or emergency means a major disaster or emergency, as declared by the President, that results in severe adverse effects for a substantial number of employees (e.g., loss of life or property, serious injury, or mental illness as a result of a direct threat to life or health).

Domestic partner has the meaning given that term in subpart I of this part.

Emergency leave donor means a current employee whose voluntary written request for transfer of annual leave to an emergency leave transfer program is approved by his or her employing agency.

Emergency leave recipient means a current employee for whom the employing agency has approved an application to receive annual leave under an emergency leave transfer program.

Emergency leave transfer program means a program established by OPM that permits Federal employees to transfer their unused annual leave to other Federal employees adversely affected by a disaster or emergency, as declared by the President.

Employee means—

(1) An employee as defined in 5 U.S.C. 6331(1); or

(2) An employee of a Judicial branch entity.

Family member has the meaning given that term in § 630.902.

Leave year has the meaning given that term in § 630.201.

Parent has the meaning given that term in subpart I of this part.

Son or daughter has the meaning given that term in subpart I of this part.

Transferred annual leave means donated annual leave credited to an approved emergency leave recipient's annual leave account.

[73 FR 65500, Nov. 4, 2008, as amended at 75 FR 33497, June 14, 2010]

(a) When directed by the President, OPM will establish an emergency leave transfer program that permits an employee to donate his or her accrued annual leave to employees of the same or other agencies who are adversely affected by a disaster or emergency as defined in § 630.1102. In certain situations, OPM may delegate to an agency the authority to establish an emergency leave transfer program.

(b) OPM will notify agencies of the establishment of an emergency leave transfer program for a specific disaster or emergency, as declared by the President. Once notified, each agency affected by the disaster or emergency is authorized to do the following:

(1) Determine whether, and how much, donated annual leave is needed by affected employees;

(2) Approve emergency leave donors and/or emergency leave recipients within the agency, as appropriate;

(3) Facilitate the distribution of donated annual leave from approved emergency leave donors to approved emergency leave recipients within the agency; and

(4) Determine the period of time for which donated annual leave may be accepted for distribution to approved emergency leave recipients.

A leave bank established under subchapter IV of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, and subpart J of part 630 may, with the concurrence of the leave bank board established under § 630.1003, donate annual leave to an emergency leave transfer program administered by its own agency, or, during a Governmentwide transfer of emergency leave coordinated by OPM, to an emergency leave transfer program administered by another agency. Donated annual leave not used by an emergency leave recipient must be returned to the leave bank as provided in § 630.1117.

[74 FR 10166, Mar. 10, 2009]

(a) An employee who has been adversely affected by a disaster or emergency may make written application to his or her employing agency to become an emergency leave recipient. If an employee is not capable of making written application, a personal representative may make written application on behalf of the employee.

(b) An employee who has a family member who has been adversely affected by a disaster or emergency also may make written application to his or her employing agency to become an emergency leave recipient. An emergency leave recipient may use donated annual leave to assist an affected family member, provided such family member has no reasonable access to other forms of assistance.

(c) For the purpose of this subpart, an employee is considered to be adversely affected by a major disaster or emergency if the disaster or emergency has caused the employee, or a family member of the employee, severe hardship to such a degree that his or her absence from work is required.

(d) The employee's application must be accompanied by the following information:

(1) The name, position title, and grade or pay level of the potential emergency leave recipient;

(2) A statement describing his or her need for leave from the emergency leave transfer program; and

(3) Any additional information that may be required by the potential leave recipient's employing agency.

(e) An agency may determine a time period by which an employee must apply to become an emergency leave recipient after the occurrence of a disaster or emergency, as defined in § 630.1102.

An agency must review an application to become an emergency leave recipient under procedures the agency has established for the purpose of determining that a potential leave recipient is or has been affected by a disaster or emergency, as defined in § 630.1102.

Once the employee's application to become an emergency leave recipient is either approved or disapproved, the agency must notify the employee (or his or her personal representative who made application on the employee's behalf) within 10 calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) after the date the application was received (or the date established by the agency, if that date is later). If disapproved, the agency must give the reason for its disapproval.

An approved emergency leave recipient is not required to exhaust his or her accrued annual and sick leave before receiving donated leave under the emergency leave transfer program and the recipient is eligible to be placed in a paid leave status using transferred annual leave.

An employee may voluntarily submit a written request to his or her agency that a specified number of hours of his or her accrued annual leave, consistent with the limitations in § 630.1110, be transferred from his or her annual leave account to an emergency leave transfer program established under § 630.1103. An emergency leave donor may not donate annual leave for transfer to a specific emergency leave recipient under this subpart. Donated annual leave not used by an emergency leave recipient must be returned to the emergency leave donor(s) and/or leave banks as provided in § 630.1117.

(a) An emergency leave donor may not contribute less than 1 hour or more than 104 hours of annual leave in a leave year to an emergency leave transfer program. Each agency may establish written criteria for waiving the 104-hour limitation on donating annual leave in a leave year.

(b) Annual leave donated to an emergency leave transfer program may not be applied against the limitations on the donation of annual leave under the voluntary leave transfer or leave bank programs established under 5 U.S.C. 6332 and 6362, respectively.

An emergency leave recipient may receive a maximum of 240 hours of donated annual leave at any one time from an emergency leave transfer program for each disaster or emergency. After taking into consideration the amount of donated annual leave available to all approved emergency leave recipients and the needs of individual emergency leave recipients, an employing agency may allow an employee to receive additional disbursements of donated annual leave based on the employee's continuing need. Each disbursement of transferred annual leave may not exceed 240 hours.

(a) If an agency does not receive sufficient amounts of donated annual leave to meet the needs of approved emergency leave recipients within the agency, the agency may contact OPM to obtain assistance in receiving donated annual leave from other agencies. The agency must notify OPM of the total amount of donated annual leave needed for transfer to the agency's approved emergency leave recipients. OPM will solicit and coordinate the transfer of donated annual leave from other Federal agencies to affected agencies who may have a shortfall of donated annual leave. OPM will determine the period of time for which donations of accrued annual leave may be accepted for transfer to affected agencies.

(b) Each Federal agency OPM contacts for the purpose of providing donated annual leave to an agency in need must—

(1) Approve emergency leave donors under the conditions specified in §§ 630.1109 and 630.1110 and determine how much donated annual leave is available for transfer to an affected agency;

(2) Maintain records on the amount of annual leave donated by each emergency leave donor to the emergency leave transfer program (for the purpose of restoring unused transferred annual leave under § 630.1117(b)).

(3) Report the total amount of annual leave donated to the emergency leave transfer program to OPM; and

(4) When OPM has accepted the donated annual leave, debit the amount of annual leave donated to the emergency leave transfer program from each emergency leave donor's annual leave account.

(c) OPM will notify each affected agency of the aggregate amount of donated annual leave that will be credited to it for transfer to its approved emergency leave recipient(s). The affected agency will determine the amount of donated annual leave to be transferred to each emergency leave recipient (an amount that may vary according to individual needs).

(d) The affected agency must credit the annual leave account of each approved emergency leave recipient as soon as possible after the date OPM notifies the agency of the amount of donated annual leave that will be credited to the agency under paragraph (c) of this section.

(a) Any donated annual leave an emergency leave recipient receives from an emergency leave transfer program may be used only for purposes related to the disaster or emergency for which the emergency leave recipient was approved. Each agency is responsible for ensuring that annual leave donated under the emergency leave transfer program is used appropriately.

(b) Annual leave transferred under this subpart may be—

(1) Substituted retroactively for any period of leave without pay used because of the adverse effects of the disaster or emergency; or

(2) Used to liquidate an indebtedness incurred by the emergency leave recipient for advanced annual or sick leave used because of the adverse effects of the disaster or emergency. The agency may advance annual or sick leave, as appropriate (even if the employee has available annual and sick leave), so that the emergency leave recipient is not forced to use his or her accrued leave before donated annual leave becomes available.

While an emergency leave recipient is using donated annual leave from an emergency leave transfer program, annual and sick leave continue to accrue to the credit of the employee at the same rate as if he or she were in a paid leave status under 5 U.S.C. chapter 63, subchapter I, and will be subject to the limitations imposed by 5 U.S.C. 6304(a), (b), (c), and (f) at the end of the leave year in which the transferred annual leave is received.

Donated annual leave transferred to a leave recipient under this subpart may not be—

(a) Included in a lump-sum payment under 5 U.S.C. 5551 or 5552;

(b) Recredited to a former employee who is reemployed by a Federal agency; or

(c) Used to establish initial eligibility for immediate retirement or acquire eligibility to continue health benefits into retirement under 5 U.S.C. 6302(g).

The disaster or emergency affecting the employee as an emergency leave recipient terminates at the earliest occurrence of the following conditions.

(a) When the employing agency determines that the disaster or emergency has terminated;

(b) When the employee's Federal service terminates;

(c) At the end of the biweekly pay period in which the employee, or his or her personal representative, notifies the emergency leave recipient's agency that he or she is no longer affected by such disaster or emergency;

(d) At the end of the biweekly pay period in which the employee's agency determines, after giving the employee or his or her personal representative written notice and an opportunity to answer orally or in writing, that the employee is no longer affected by such disaster or emergency; or

(e) At the end of the biweekly pay period in which the employee's agency receives notice that OPM has approved an application for disability retirement for the emergency leave recipient under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees' Retirement System, as appropriate.

(a) When a disaster or emergency is terminated, any unused annual leave donated to the emergency leave transfer program must be returned by the employing agency to the emergency leave donors, and if annual leave was donated by any leave bank(s) it must be returned to the leave bank(s).

(b) Each agency must determine the amount of annual leave to be restored to any leave bank and/or to each of the emergency leave donors who, on the date leave restoration is made, is employed in the Federal service. The amount of unused annual leave to be returned to each emergency leave donor and/or leave bank must be proportional to the amount of annual leave donated by the employee or the leave bank to the emergency leave transfer program for such disaster or emergency, and must be returned according to the procedures outlined in § 630.911(b). Any unused annual leave remaining after the distribution will be subject to forfeiture.

(c) Annual leave donated to an emergency leave transfer program for a specific disaster or emergency may not be transferred to another emergency leave transfer program established for a different disaster or emergency.

(d) At the election of the emergency leave donor, the employee may choose to have the agency restore unused donated annual leave by crediting the restored annual leave to the emergency leave donor's annual leave account in either the current leave year or the first pay period of the following leave year.

(a) An employee may not directly or indirectly intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any emergency leave donor or emergency leave recipient for the purpose of interfering with any right such employee may have with respect to donating, receiving, or using annual leave under this subpart.

(b) For the purpose of paragraph (a) of this section, the term “intimidate, threaten, or coerce” includes promising to confer or conferring any benefit (such as appointment or promotion or compensation) or effecting or threatening to effect any reprisal (such as deprivation of appointment, promotion, or compensation).