A disabled employee shall be eligible to receive nonindustrial disability benefits under this article without being required to use any vacation leave accrued under Article 1 (commencing with Section 89501) of this chapter, unless the employee, in his or her sole discretion, elects to use the vacation leave in lieu of receiving benefits under this article, in which case benefits under this article shall not commence until the employee has exhausted the accrued vacation leave.
Source:
Section 89529.19, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EDC§ionNum=89529.19..