House receives petition to establish sick-leave bank for Department of Corrections employee; referred to Public Service committee

The House received a petition, transmitted from the Senate, asking legislation to establish a sick-leave bank for Carlos Borges, an employee of the Department of Corrections. The petition was presented in the chamber and, by agreement of members, was referred to the Committee on Public Service after the House suspended Joint Rule 12 to permit immediate referral.

The petition was described in the record as "the petition of Kelly A. Dooner for legislation to establish a sick leave bank for Carlos Borges, an employee of the Department of Corrections" and the clerk announced that it "comes from the Senate with the endorsement that it has been referred under suspension of joint rule 12 to the Committee on Public Service." Mr. Godfrey of Arlington moved suspension of the rules to permit the referral; the chair called the voice votes customary for such motions and recorded, "the ayes have it." The transcript records the procedural motions and the referral but does not include a roll-call tally or further debate on the substance of the petition in the excerpt provided.

Distinguishing discussion from decision: the transcript shows a formal referral (a direction to committee) following a procedural suspension of the joint rule; there is no committee report or final legislative action on the petition recorded in the excerpt. As read into the record, the petition requests special-legislative action to establish a sick-leave bank specifically for Carlos Borges. The petitioner's name was read into the record as Kelly A. Dooner; the petition identifies the employee beneficiary and the employing agency (Department of Corrections).

Next steps: The petition was referred to the House Committee on Public Service for committee consideration. Any subsequent action — such as committee hearings, amendments, or a vote — would be recorded in later committee or chamber minutes when available.

No statutory citations or legislative language for creation of the sick-leave bank were provided in the transcript; the referral places the petition within the committee process where staff and members may evaluate any proposed enabling text.