04/22/1997 01:34 PM Senate L&C

            SJR 27 WORKING FAMILIES FLEXIBILITY ACT                           
                                                                              
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN announced  SJR 27  to be up for consideration.  He             
 asked if there was any opposition to the bill.  There was no                  
 indication of any.                                                            
                                                                               
  MS. RACHAEL MORELAND,  Staff to Senator Leman, sponsor of SJR 27             
 said she would answer questions.                                              
                                                                               
  SENATOR KELLY  asked what HR 1 was.  MS. MORELAND explained that  HR
 was the Working Families Flexibility Act of 1997 and the                    
 companion bill in the Senate is called the Family Friendly Work               
 Place.                                                                        
                                                                               
  MR. DWIGHT PERKINS,  Special Assistant, Department of Labor, said            
 they weren't taking a position on this bill.  They have looked at             
 HR 1 and S 4, federal legislation, and it is their feeling that the           
 concept is good, but it doesn't truly give the employee the choice            
 of when he or she wants to take the time off.  Rather it gives the            
 employer the option of when that employee can take the time off.              
 It has been a past concern that the employer will not be able to              
 give the employee the time off when he needs it.  If this were in             
 the State legislature, they would want to make sure the employee              
 would have the opportunity to be involved in discussions of when              
 they may be able to take the time off.                                        
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN LEMAN  said it would be his intent that the employee would          
 have participation in that because otherwise it would work against            
 him.                                                                          
                                                                               
  SENATOR MACKIE  moved to pass SJR 27 with individual                         
 recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so ordered.