There is no general law providing family and medical leave in Louisiana. However, bone marrow donors are provided leave in TItle 40, Chapter 5, Part XXXIII, Section 1299.124 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. Provisions regarding maternity leave are located in Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 17, Chapters 1,2,10, and 26 and Title 23, Chapter 3-A. Under the Louisiana School and Day Care Conference and Activities Leave Act located in Title 23, Chapter 9, Part X of the Louisiana Revised Statutes employees have school visitation leave. Certain school personnel are also provided extended sick leave in Title 17 of the LRS. Breastfeeding rights are in title 51 of the LRS.

• 1299.124. Definitions; paid marrow donor leave; prohibition of employer sanctions; relationship to other leave
• 342. Unlawful practice by employers prohibited; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition; benefits and leaves of absence; transfer of position
• 2247.1. Breastfeeding rights; Practices prohibited.

• 1015.1. Definitions
• 1015.2. School and day care conference and activities leave
• 1202. Teachers; extended sick leave
• 47. Sick and personal leave in special schools.
• 48. Maternity leave in special schools
• 500.2. School bus operators; extended sick leave

A. As used in this Section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) "Employee" means a person who performs services for hire for an employer, for an average of twenty or more hours per week, and includes all individuals employed at any site owned or operated by an employer. Employee does not include an independent contractor.

(2) "Employer" means a person or entity that employs twenty or more employees at at least one site and includes an individual, corporation, partnership, association, nonprofit organization, group of persons, state, parish, town, city, school district, or other governmental subdivision.

B. An employer shall grant paid leaves of absence to an employee who seeks to undergo a medical procedure to donate bone marrow. The combined length of the leaves shall be determined by the employee, but may not exceed forty work hours, unless agreed to by the employer. The employer may require verification by a physician of the purpose and length of each leave requested by the employee to donate bone marrow. If there is a medical determination that the employee does not qualify as a bone marrow donor, the paid leave of absence granted to the employee prior to that medical determination is not forfeited.

C. An employer shall not retaliate against an employee for requesting or obtaining a leave of absence as provided by this Section.

D. This Section does not prevent an employer from providing leave for bone marrow donations in addition to leave allowed under this Section. This Section does not affect an employee's rights with respect to any other employment benefit.

342. Unlawful practice by employers prohibited; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition; benefits and leaves of absence; transfer of position

It shall be an unlawful employment practice unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification:

(1) For any employer, because of the pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition of any female employee, to refuse to promote her, or to refuse to select her for a training program leading to promotion, provided she is able to complete the training program at least three months prior to the anticipated date of departure for her pregnancy leave, or to discharge her from employment or from a training program leading to promotion, or to discriminate against her in compensation or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.

(2) For any employer to refuse to allow a female employee affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions either:

(a) To receive the same benefits or privileges of employment granted by that employer to other persons not so affected who are similar in their ability or inability to work, including to take disability or sick leave or any other accrued leave which is made available by the employer to temporarily disabled employees.

(b) To take a leave on account of pregnancy for a reasonable period of time, provided such period shall not exceed four months. Such employee shall be entitled to utilize any accrued vacation leave during this period of time. "Reasonable period of time" means that period during which the female employee is disabled on account of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Nothing herein shall be construed to limit the provisions of R.S. 23:341(C) or Subparagraph (2)(a) of this Section. An employer may require any employee who plans to take a leave pursuant to this Section to give the employer reasonable notice of the date such leave shall commence and the estimated duration of such leave.

(3) For an employer who has a policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement requiring or authorizing the transfer of temporarily disabled employees to less strenuous or hazardous positions for the duration of the disability to refuse to transfer a pregnant female employee who so requests.

(4) For any employer to refuse to temporarily transfer a pregnant female employee to a less strenuous or hazardous position for the duration of her pregnancy if she so requests, with the advice of her physician, where such transfer can be reasonably accommodated, provided, however, that no employer shall be required by this Part to create additional employment which the employer would not otherwise have created, nor shall such employer be required to discharge any employee, transfer any employee with more seniority, or promote any employee who is not qualified to perform the job.

2247.1. Breastfeeding rights; Practices prohibited.

A. Legislative findings and declarations.

(1) The Legislature of Louisiana hereby finds that the surgeon general of the United States recommends that babies from birth to one year of age be breastfed, unless medically contraindicated, in order for the babies to attain an optimal healthy start in life, but that despite that recommendation, statistics reveal a declining percentage of mothers who are now choosing to breastfeed their babies, and nearly half of all new mothers are choosing formula over breastfeeding before they even leave the hospital.

(2) The legislature further finds that breast milk provides better nutrition and more immunity to disease, is easier for babies to digest, and may raise a baby's intelligence quotient, but that the social constraints of modern society work against the choice of breastfeeding and lead new mothers with demanding time schedules to opt for formula feeding for reasons such as embarrassment and the fear of social ostracism or criminal prosecution.

(3) The legislature does hereby declare that the promotion of family values and infant health demands that our society put an end to the vicious cycle of embarrassment and ignorance that constricts women and men alike on the subject of breastfeeding, and that in a genuine effort to promote family values, our society should encourage public acceptance of this most basic act of nurture between mother and baby and should take appropriate steps to ensure that no mother is made to feel incriminated or socially ostracized for breastfeeding her baby.

B. Right to breastfeed.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a mother may breastfeed her baby in any place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement.

C. "Discriminatory practice in connection with public accommodations"

To include a discriminatory practice against a mother breastfeeding her baby. Any direct or indirect act or practice of exclusion, distinction, restriction, segregation, limitation, refusal, denial, or any other act or practice of differentiation or preference in the treatment of a mother breastfeeding her baby shall be a "discriminatory practice in connection with public accommodations" for the purposes of this Chapter.

D. Breastfeeding; discriminatory practices prohibited.

It is a discriminatory practice in connection with public accommodations for a person to deny an individual the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of a place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement, as defined in this Chapter, on the grounds that the individual is a mother breastfeeding her baby. This discriminatory practice in connection with public accommodations is prohibited.

E. Breastfeeding not a violation of law.

A mother breastfeeding her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, shall not be deemed to be in violation of R.S. 14:106 or of any other provision of law.

Schools

1015.1. Definitions

Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following words and terms, when used in this Part, shall have the following meanings:

(1) "Child" means a person who is less than the maximum age specified for compulsory school attendance as provided in R.S. 17:221.

(2) "Child day care center" means a facility licensed under the provisions of R.S. 46:1401 et seq., that provides child day care for seven or more children or a school that provides a child day care program authorized by R.S. 17:81(E) or a similar program.

(3) "Employee" means a natural person who is paid compensation in return for the performance of services. Employee includes but is not limited to persons who are paid a salary, hourly wage, or commission in exchange for their performance of the services. Employee does not include an independent contractor or a person who performs services on a fee service basis.

(4) "Employer" means any person, as provided for in Article 24 of the Louisiana Civil Code, who in this state pays compensation to an employee in exchange for the performance of services. Employer does not mean a person who is a client of an independent contractor or a client of a person who provides services on a fee service basis.

(5) "School" means an accredited public or private educational institution that provides educational services to children of compulsory attendance age.

1015.2. School and day care conference and activities leave

A. An employer may grant an employee leave from work of up to a total of sixteen hours during any twelve-month period to attend, observe, or participate in conferences or classroom activities related to the employee's dependent children for whom he is the legal guardian that are conducted at the child's school or day care center, if the conferences or classroom activities cannot reasonably be scheduled during the nonwork hours of the employee. An employee who wishes to request leave under this Part shall provide reasonable notice to the employer prior to the leave and make a reasonable effort to schedule the leave so as not to unduly disrupt the operations of the employer.

B. An employer is not required to pay an employee for any time taken as leave pursuant to Subsection A of this Section. However, an employee shall be permitted to substitute any accrued vacation time or other appropriate paid leave for any leave taken pursuant to this Section.

1202. Teachers; extended sick leave

A.

(1) Every parish and city school board shall permit each teacher to take up to ninety days of extended sick leave in each six-year period of employment which may be used for personal illness or illness of an immediate family member in the manner provided in this Subsection at any time that the teacher has no remaining regular sick leave balance.

(2) As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) "Child" means a biological son or daughter, an adopted son or daughter, a foster son or daughter, a stepson or daughter, or a legal ward of a teacher standing in loco parentis to that ward who is either under the age of eighteen, or who is eighteen years of age but under twenty-four years of age and is a full-time student, or who is nineteen years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.

(b) "Immediate family member" means a spouse, parent, or child of a teacher.

(c) "Parent" means the biological parent of a teacher or an individual who stood in loco parentis to the teacher.

B.

(1) Unused days during any six-year period of employment shall not cumulate or carry forward into the next six-year period of employment.

(2) The balance of days of extended leave available to a teacher shall transfer with such teacher from one public school employer to another without loss of days and without restoration of days.

(3) Interruptions of service between periods of employment with a public school employer shall not be included in any calculation of a six-year period, such that any employment with any public school employer, regardless of when it occurs, shall be included in any determination of the balance of days of extended sick leave available to a teacher.

C

(1) All time while on extended sick leave is regular service time for all purposes for which service time is calculated or used.

(2) Any teacher on extended sick leave shall be paid sixty-five percent of the salary paid to him at the time the extended sick leave begins.

D.

(1) No teacher may undertake additional gainful employment while on extended sick leave, unless all of the following conditions are met:

(a) The teacher can demonstrate that he will be working not more than twenty hours a week in a part-time job that he has been working for not less than one hundred twenty days prior to the beginning of any period of extended sick leave.

(b) The physician who certifies the medical necessity of the leave indicates that such part-time work does not impair the purpose for which the extended leave is required.

(2) Any violation of this prohibition may require the teacher to return to the employer all compensation paid during any week of extended leave in which the teacher worked more than twenty hours and to reimburse the employer all related employment costs attributable to such period as calculated by the employer, without any restoration of such days.

E.

(1) On every occasion when a teacher uses extended sick leave, a statement from a licensed physician certifying that the leave is medically necessary for the teacher or that the immediate family member's illness is serious and requires the presence of the teacher shall be presented prior to the extension of such leave.

(2)

(a) If the board, upon review of the application, questions the validity or accuracy of the certification, the employer may require the teacher or the immediate family member, as a condition for continued extended leave,to be examined by a licensed physician selected by the employer. In such a case, the employer shall pay all costs of the examination and any tests determined to be necessary. If the physician selected by the employer finds medical necessity, the leave shall be granted.

(b) If the physician selected by the public school employer disagrees with the certification of the physician selected by the teacher or the immediate family member, then the employer may require the teacher or the immediate family member, as a condition for continued extension of sick leave, to be examined by a third licensed appropriate physician whose name appears next in the rotation of physicians on a list established by the local medical society for such purpose and maintained by the board. All costs of an examination and any required tests by a third doctor shall be paid by the employer. The opinion of the third physician shall be determinative of the issue.

(c) The opinion of all physicians consulted as provided in this Paragraph shall be submitted to the board in the form of a sworn statement which shall be subject to the provisions of R.S. 14:125.

(d)

(i) In addition to the authority provided in R.S. 17:1201(A)(2), the board shall adopt a policy regarding providing for employees suffering from catastrophic and long-term illness.

(ii) The board may, as part of a collective bargaining agreement, or by its own policy, provide additional compensation or extended leave days in excess of what is required in this Section.

(3) All information contained in any statement from a physician shall be confidential and shall not be subject to the public records law.

SUBPART E. SICK LEAVE AND PERSONAL LEAVE FOR TEACHERS IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS
Sec. 47. Sick and personal leave

A.

(1) All teachers and superintendents employed by the special schools of this state shall be entitled to and shall be allowed a minimum of ten days absence per school year because of personal illness or because of other emergencies, without loss of pay. Such sick leave when not used in any year shall be accumulated to the credit of the teacher or superintendent without limitation. Provided that when a teacher is absent for six or more consecutive days because of personal illness, he shall be required to present a certificate from a physician certifying such illness; provided, further that the board is authorized to adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary relative to the use of such sick leave, either current or accumulated, for emergencies. The board may grant additional sick leave, without loss of pay, or with such reduction of pay as it may establish and fix.

(2) The minimum of ten days of sick leave provided in this Subsection shall be allowed based on a teacher and superintendent beginning work at the beginning of a school year. In the case of a teacher or superintendent who begins work in the first month of a school year, ten days shall be allowed; in the case of a teacher or superintendent who begins work in the second month of a school year, nine days shall be allowed; in the case of a teacher or superintendent who begins work in the third month of a school year, eight days shall be allowed; in the case of a teacher or superintendent who begins work in the fourth month of a school year, seven days shall be allowed; in the case of a teacher or superintendent who begins work in the fifth month of a school year, six days shall be allowed; in the case of a teacher or superintendent who begins work in the sixth month of a school year, five days shall be allowed; in the case of a teacher or superintendent who begins work in the seventh month of a school year, four days shall be allowed; and, in the case of a teacher or superintendent who begins work in the eighth month or thereafter of a school year, three days shall be allowed.

B. Upon the retirement of any teacher or superintendent from a special school or upon his death prior to retirement, the board shall pay to such teacher or superintendent or to his heirs or assigns, sick leave which has accrued to such teacher or superintendent but which remains unused at the time of his retirement or at the time of his death if prior to retirement, not to exceed twenty-five days of such unused sick leave. Such pay shall be at the rate of pay received by the teacher or superintendent at the time of retirement or death prior to retirement; provided that the board may pay such unused sick leave beyond twenty-five days at its discretion.

C.

(1)

(a) Any secretary, paraprofessional employee, school aide, teacher, or superintendent of a special school who is injured or disabled while acting in his official capacity as a result of assault or battery by any student or person shall receive sick leave without reduction in pay and without reduction in accrued sick leave days or accrual of sick leave days while disabled as a result of such assault or battery. However, any secretary, paraprofessional employee, school aide, teacher, or superintendent of a special school shall be required to present a certificate from a physician certifying such injury and disability.

(b) Any secretary, paraprofessional employee, school aide, teacher, or superintendent of a special school who while acting in his official capacity is injured or disabled as a result of physical contact with a student or others while providing physical assistance to a student to prevent danger or risk of injury to the student or others shall receive sick leave without reduction in pay and without reduction in accrued sick leave days or accrual of sick leave days while injured or disabled as a result of rendering such assistance. Such secretary, paraprofessional employee, school aide, teacher, or superintendent of a special school shall be required to present a certificate from a physician certifying such injury or disability.

(2) The sick leave authorized by this Subsection shall be in addition to all other sick leave authorized in this Section, provided that additional sick leave earned during the period of disability as a result of such assault or battery or physical contact shall not be accumulated from year to year, nor shall such additional sick leave be compensated for at death or retirement or compensated for in any other manner except as authorized in this Subsection.

(3)

(a) Any secretary, paraprofessional employee, school aide, teacher, or superintendent of a special school who is injured or disabled while acting in his official capacity shall be entitled to weekly wage benefits under the workers' compensation law of the state of Louisiana and/or to sick leave benefits under the provisions of this Section, at his option, but in no event shall such benefits exceed the total amount of the regular salary the secretary, paraprofessional employee, school aide, teacher, or superintendent of a special school was receiving at the time the injury or disability occurred.

(b) In any case in which a secretary, paraprofessional employee, school aide, teacher, or superintendent of a special school supplements workers' compensation with accumulated or extended sick leave, the amount of sick leave used shall be calculated on an hourly basis.

D.

(1)

(a) The board shall permit each teacher to take up to ninety days of extended sick leave in each six-year period of employment which may be used for personal illness or illness of an immediate family member in the manner provided in this Subsection at any time that the teacher has no remaining regular sick leave balance.

(b) As used in this Subsection, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(i) "Child" means a biological son or daughter, an adopted son or daughter, a foster son or daughter, a stepson or daughter, or a legal ward of a teacher standing in loco parentis to that ward who is either under the age of eighteen, or who is eighteen years of age but under twenty-four years of age and is a full-time student, or who is nineteen years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.

(ii) "Immediate family member" means a spouse, parent, or child of a teacher.

(iii) "Parent" means the biological parent of a teacher or an individual who stood in loco parentis to the teacher.

(2)

(a) Unused days during any six-year period of employment shall not cumulate or carry forward into the next six-year period of employment.

(b) The balance of days of extended leave available to a teacher shall transfer with such teacher from one public school employer to another without loss of days and without restoration of days.

(c) Interruptions of service between periods of employment with a public school employer shall not be included in any calculation of a six-year period, such that any employment with any public school employer, regardless of when it occurs, shall be included in any determination of the balance of days of extended sick leave available to a teacher.

(3)

(a) All time while on extended sick leave is regular service time for all purposes for which service time is calculated or used.

(b) Any teacher on extended sick leave shall be paid sixty-five percent of the salary paid to him at the time the extended sick leave begins.

(4)

(a) No teacher may undertake additional gainful employment while on extended sick leave, unless all of the following conditions are met:

(i) The teacher can demonstrate that he will be working not more than twenty hours a week in a part-time job that he has been working for not less than one hundred twenty days prior to the beginning of any period of extended sick leave.

(ii) The physician who certifies the medical necessity of the leave indicates that such part-time work does not impair the purpose for which the extended leave is required.

(b) Any violation of this prohibition may require the teacher to return to the employer all compensation paid during any week of extended leave in which the teacher worked more than twenty hours and to reimburse the employer all related employment costs attributable to such period as calculated by the employer, without any restoration of such days.

(5) On every occasion when a teacher uses extended sick leave, a statement from a licensed physician certifying that the leave is medically necessary for the teacher or that the immediate family member's illness is serious and requires the presence of the teacher shall be presented prior to the extension of such leave.

(6)

(a) If the board, upon review of the application, questions the validity or accuracy of the certification, the employer may require the teacher or the immediate family member, as a condition for continued extended leave,to be examined by a licensed physician selected by the employer. In such a case, the employer shall pay all costs of the examination and any tests determined to be necessary. If the physician selected by the employer finds medical necessity, the leave shall be granted.

(b) If the physician selected by the public school employer disagrees with the certification of the physician selected by the teacher or the immediate family member, then the employer may require the teacher, as a condition for continued extension of sick leave, to be examined by a third licensed appropriate physician whose name appears next in the rotation of physicians on a list established by the local medical society for such purpose and maintained by the board. All costs of an examination and any required tests by a third doctor shall be paid by the employer. The opinion of the third physician shall be determinative of the issue.

(c) The opinion of all physicians consulted as provided in this Paragraph shall be submitted to the board in the form of a sworn statement which shall be subject to the provisions of R.S. 14:125.

(d)

(i) In addition to the authority provided in Subsection A of this Section, the board shall adopt a policy providing for employees suffering from catastrophic and long-term illness.

(ii) The board may, as part of a collective bargaining agreement, or by its own policy provide additional compensation or extended leave days in excess of what is required in this Section.

(e) All information contained in any statement from a physician shall be confidential and shall not be subject to the public records law.

E. No teacher employed in a special school shall suffer any loss or deduction of pay for tardiness, unless such tardiness has caused loss of time from official class duties, on more than two occasions and for a period of one hour or more, during any one school year. In all cases where deduction of pay may be made as herein provided, the amount of pay deducted shall be based on one day's pay proportioned to the period of tardiness. To definitely fix and establish the extent of time tardy, a teacher, upon request of his superior or superintendent, shall sign a slip stating the time of his arrival and reporting for duty; and if not requested so to do, he may voluntarily sign such a slip and present it to the superior or superintendent.

F. All teachers employed by the special schools of this state, upon accumulating unused sick leave under the provisions of Subsections A through C of this Section shall be entitled to and shall be allowed up to two days absence during each school year for urgent personal reasons without loss of pay; provided, however, such special school shall adopt a uniform policy on personal leave which would apply to all teachers under its jurisdiction. Personal leave shall be charged to and deducted from unused sick leave already earned and accumulated under the provisions of Subsections A through C of this Section as of the date personal leave is taken. Personal leave shall not be accumulated from year to year, nor shall personal leave be compensated for upon death or retirement or paid in any other manner except as provided for in this Section.

G.

(1) For the purposes provided in this Subsection, all sick leave accumulated by each teacher and superintendent pursuant to the provisions of this Subpart shall be vested in the teacher or superintendent by whom such leave has been accumulated. In the event of the transfer of such teacher or superintendent from one public school system to another in this state or upon the return of such teacher or superintendent to the same school system within five years or such longer period of time as may be approved by the governing authority of the school system to which the teacher or superintendent returned, regardless of the dates on which the leave was accumulated or the date of the transfer or return of the teacher or superintendent, such vested leave shall be transferred or returned to or continued by the school system to which he transfers or returns and shall be retained to the credit of such teacher or superintendent. When any teacher or superintendent uses accrued sick leave which has been transferred from one public school system to another, the sick leave used shall be assessed against the most recent sick leave earned and accrued and successively from sick leave accrued last to sick leave accrued first.

(2) All actual costs incurred by any public school system as a result of the use by any teacher or superintendent of any accumulated leave transferred, returned, or continued as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be paid by the employing school system.

SUBPART F. MATERNITY LEAVE FOR TEACHERS IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS
48. Maternity leave

A. The board shall grant leaves of absence to regularly employed women teachers for a reasonable time before and after childbirth. The granting of such leaves shall not affect any of the tenure rights which the teacher may have acquired prior thereto under the provisions of Subpart C of this Part.

B. The position vacated by a teacher who has been granted a maternity leave, or by a teacher transferred to the position vacated by a teacher taking a maternity leave, in accordance, may be filled by the board by the appointment of substitute teachers.

C. A substitute teacher appointed under the provisions of Subsection B of this Section shall not acquire any of the tenure rights or privileges provided for in Subpart C of this Part, unless the substitute teacher has subsequently been appointed to fill a regular vacancy and has the necessary qualifications.

500.2. School bus operators; extended sick leave

A.

(1) Every city and parish school board shall permit each school bus operator to take up to ninety days of extended sick leave in each six-year period of employment which may be used for personal illness or illness of an immediate family member in the manner provided in this Subsection at any time that the school bus operator has no remaining regular sick leave balance.

(2) As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) "Child" means a biological son or daughter, an adopted son or daughter, a foster son or daughter, a stepson or daughter, or a legal ward of a school bus operator standing in loco parentis to that ward who is either under the age of eighteen, or who is eighteen years of age but under twenty-four years of age and is a full-time student, or who is nineteen years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.

(b) "Immediate family member" means a spouse, parent, or child of a school bus operator.

(c) "Parent" means the biological parent of a school bus operator or an individual who stood in loco parentis to the school bus operator.

B.

(1) Unused days during any six-year period of employment shall not cumulate or carry forward into the next six-year period of employment.

(2) The balance of days of extended leave available to a school bus operator shall transfer with such school bus operator from one public school employer to another without loss of days and without restoration of days.

(3) Interruptions of service between periods of employment with a public school employer shall not be included in any calculation of a six-year period, such that any employment with any public school employer, regardless of when it occurs, shall be included in any determination of the balance of days of extended sick leave available to a school bus operator.

C.

(1) All time while on extended sick leave is regular service time for all purposes for which service time is calculated or used.

(2) Any school bus operator on extended sick leave shall be paid sixty-five percent of the salary paid to him at the time the extended sick leave begins.

D.

(1) No school bus operator may undertake additional gainful employment while on extended sick leave, unless all of the following conditions are met:

(a) The school bus operator can demonstrate that he will be working not more than twenty hours a week in a part-time job that he has been working for not less than one hundred twenty days prior to the beginning of any period of extended sick leave.

(b) The physician who certifies the medical necessity of the leave indicates that such part-time work does not impair the purpose for which the extended leave is required.

(2) Any violation of this prohibition may require the school bus operator to return to the employer all compensation paid during any week of extended leave in which the school bus driver worked more than twenty hours and to reimburse the employer all related employment costs attributable to such period as calculated by the employer, without any restoration of such days.

E.

(1) On every occasion when a school bus operator uses extended sick leave, a statement from a licensed physician certifying that the leave is medically necessary for the school bus operator or that the immediate familymember's illness is serious and requires the presence of the school bus operator shall be presented prior to the extension of such leave.

(2)

(a) If the board, upon review of the application, questions the validity or accuracy of the certification, the employer may require the school bus operator or the immediate family member, as a condition for continued extended leave, to be examined by a licensed physician selected by the employer. In such a case, the employer shall pay all costs of the examination and any tests determined to be necessary. If the physician selected by the employer finds medical necessity, the leave shall be granted.

(b) If the physician selected by the public school employer disagrees with the certification of the physician selected by the school bus operator, then the employer may require the school bus operator or the immediate family member, as a condition for continued extension of sick leave, to be examined by a third licensed appropriate physician whose name appears next in the rotation of physicians on a list established by the local medical society for such purpose and maintained by the board. All costs of an examination and any required tests by a third doctor shall be paid by the employer. The opinion of the third physician shall be determinative of the issue.

(c) The opinion of all physicians consulted as provided in this Paragraph shall be submitted to the board in the form of a sworn statement which shall be subject to the provisions of R.S. 14:125.

(d)

(i) In addition to the authority provided in R.S. 17:500(B), the board shall adopt a policy regarding providing for employees suffering from catastrophic and long-term illness.

(ii) The board may, as part of a collective bargaining agreement, or by its own policy, provide additional compensation or extended leave days in excess of what is required in this Section.

(e) All information contained in any statement from a physician shall be confidential and shall not be subject to the public records law.