An act TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR COVERAGE UNDER THE 10 STATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOL LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE 11 PROGRAM TO CERTAIN VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas              A Bill
2 95th General Assembly

3 Regular Session, 2025                                            HOUSE BILL 1240

4

5 By: Representative Andrews

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8                             For An Act To Be Entitled

9        AN ACT TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR COVERAGE UNDER THE

10       STATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOL LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE

11       PROGRAM TO CERTAIN VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS; AND FOR

12       OTHER PURPOSES.

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14

15                               Subtitle

16                       TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR COVERAGE UNDER

17                       THE STATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOL LIFE AND

18                       HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM TO CERTAIN

19                       VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS.

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21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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23       SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 21-5-407, concerning definitions used under

24 the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program, is amended to

25 add an additional subdivision to read as follows:

26       (21)(A) "Fire department" means an organization that:

27                            (i) Is established for the prevention or

28 extinguishment of fires; and

29                            (ii) Employs a volunteer fire fighter.

30                       (B) "Fire department" includes a firefighting unit; and

31       (22) "Volunteer firefighter" means a member of a fire department

32 who:

33                       (A) Actively engages in fire suppression, rescue, pump

34 operation, or other firefighting activity; and

35                       (B) Receives less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) in

36 total compensation during the taxable year from the volunteer fire department

    *ANS015*                                                   01/27/2025 12:18:18 PM ANS015
                                                                         HB1240

1 that the volunteer firefighter serves.

2

3       SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 21-5-410(g)(1), concerning eligibility to

4 participate in the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program,

5 is amended to read as follows:

6       (g)(1) The following persons are eligible to participate in the

7 program:

8                   (A) A public school employee who is in a position that

9 requires on average at least thirty (30) hours per week of actual performance

10 of duty during the annual school year; and

11                  (B) A full-time school bus driver who is employed by a

12 public school district to drive regular routes during the annual school year;

13 and

14                  (C)(i) A volunteer firefighter.

15                  (ii) A volunteer firefighter who elects to

16 participate in the program is responsible to pay a premium as determined by

17 the State Board of Finance or the cost of the policy issued to the volunteer

18 firefighter.

19                  (iii) The volunteer firefighter portion of the

20 premium may be:

21                  (a) Deducted from a bank account of the

22 volunteer firefighter to be paid by a monthly bank draft on the date

23 designated by the Employee Benefits Division; or

24                  (b) Paid in full or partially by the fire

25 department that employs the volunteer firefighter directly to the division on

26 the date designated by the division.

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