ILLNESS OR INJURY LEAVE OF ABSENCE

(a) A county shall provide to an employee a leave of absence for an illness or injury related to the employee's activities performed in the line of duty. The leave is with full pay for a period commensurate with the nature of the line of duty illness or injury. If necessary, the leave shall continue for at least one year. (b) At the end of the one-year period, the commissioners court of the county may extend the line of duty illness or injury leave at full or reduced pay. If the employee's leave is not extended or the employee's salary is reduced below 60 percent of the employee's regular monthly salary, and the employee is a member of a pension fund, the employee may retire on pension until the employee is able to return to duty. (c) If pension benefits are not available to an employee who is temporarily disabled by a line of duty injury or illness and if the year at full pay and any extensions granted by the commissioners court have expired, the employee may use accumulated sick leave, vacation time, and other accumulated time before the employee is placed on temporary leave. (d) If an employee is temporarily disabled by an injury or illness that is not related to activities performed in the employee's line of duty, the employee may use all sick leave, vacation time, and other accumulated time before the employee is placed on temporary leave. (e) After recovery from a temporary disability, an employee shall be reinstated at the same rank and with the same seniority the employee had before going on temporary leave. (f) While an employee who is temporarily disabled is on leave, another employee may voluntarily do the work of the employee who is temporarily disabled or donate leave time to maintain the salary for the employee who is temporarily disabled until the temporarily disabled employee returns to duty.