AI-generated summary, reviewed by Better Utah staff.

Under current law, state employees who are also legislators could take leave to serve in the legislature, but that leave was unpaid unless the employer voluntarily agreed otherwise. This bill changes that by requiring state agencies and school districts to grant paid leave to any employee or teacher who is a legislator on days the legislature is officially in session or meeting. In exchange, legislators using this paid leave give up their legislative salary for those same days and do not earn retirement contributions through their legislative role — though their retirement benefits through their regular public employment continue unaffected. State agencies and school districts can also apply to be reimbursed by the legislator's chamber for the cost of providing that paid leave, up to the amount saved by not paying legislators their usual legislative salary.