Bill > HB507

This bill amends the Kentucky Revised Statutes to provide teachers with the ability to recover up to 10 unpaid days missed for observing religious holidays and have those days count towards their annual service credit. Currently, teachers can only receive full service credit if they have no more than five unpaid days in a school or fiscal year, depending on their contract length. Under the new provision, teachers can submit a personal statement verifying that their additional unpaid days were specifically for religious holiday observance, and their employers must assign comparable duties for those recovered days. The bill's emergency clause emphasizes the legislature's intent to recognize and support the religious diversity of teachers in Kentucky by allowing them more flexibility in observing their religious holidays without penalizing their professional service credit. The bill ensures that these recovered days will be included in the calculation of days worked for retirement service credit purposes, helping to protect teachers' long-term retirement benefits while respecting their religious practices.

Government Affairs

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25RS/hb507.html