On August 21, 2012, the Governor introduced Bill 507-31 which addresses a section on Teacher Personal Leave.  Section 9 of Bill 507-31 repeals 4 GCA §4110.1.  According to the Governor’s Special Assistant, Chief Education Advisor, Vincent Leon Guerrero, “…all the administration is proposing is to remove an older law that addresses teacher personal leave, and leave in place a newer law that provides better benefits, if this bill is passed into law.”

Existing law that will remain in place, 17 GCA §3216:

"§3216. Teacher Personal Leave.
Beginning with the school year 2004-2005, educators employed by the Department of
Education shall be paid unused personal leave in a lump sum at the end of each school
year. The amount paid shall be determined by the collective bargaining agreement, to
include any judicially compelled extension of a collective bargaining agreement between
the exclusive bargaining agent for educators and the Department of Education and shall
not exceed twenty-four (24) hours of such unused personal leave.
In lieu of payment, educators may, at their own option, transfer all unused personal
leave to their sick leave account. Such election must be made not less than thirty (30)
days prior to the end of the school year."

What section 9 of Bill 507-31 proposes to repeal, 4 GCA §4110.1:

"§4110.1. Teacher Personal Leave.
The Territorial Board of Education is hereby authorized to convert any unused
personal leave hours earned by teachers during a school year to the cash value of eight (8)
hours for each eight (8) hours of unused personal leave, payable in lump sum at the end
of the fiscal year."

You may read the complete letter from Vincent Leon Guerrero with his clarification of this bill here.  Teachers have the opportunity to voice whether they support or not support this bill by emailing Vice-Speaker BJ Cruz at senator@senatorbjcruz.com.