Any state employee who is a certified disaster service volunteer of the American Red Cross may, with the authorization of his or her supervisor, be granted a leave not to exceed fifteen working days in each year to participate in specialized disaster relief services in Nebraska for the American Red Cross, upon the request of the American Red Cross, without loss of pay, vacation time, sick leave, or earned overtime accumulation.

For purposes of this section, state employee means any employee of the state or of any state agency, specifically including all administrative, professional, academic, and other personnel of the University of Nebraska, the state colleges, and the State Department of Education, but excluding any employee or officer of the state whose salary is set by the Constitution of Nebraska or by statute. An employee of any local government or entity, including any entity created pursuant to the Interlocal Cooperation Act or the Joint Public Agency Act, shall not be considered a state employee for purposes of this section.