An act REGARDING EMPLOYMENT, 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 1792

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5 By: Representative Springer

6 By: Senators B. Davis, D. Wallace

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8                                    For An Act To Be Entitled

9   AN ACT REGARDING EMPLOYMENT; TO REQUIRE EMPLOYERS TO

10  PROVIDE UNPAID LEAVE ON VETERANS DAY TO VETERAN

11  EMPLOYEES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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14                                   Subtitle

15                       TO REQUIRE EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE UNPAID

16                       LEAVE ON VETERANS DAY TO VETERAN

17                       EMPLOYEES.

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

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21  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 11, Chapter 5, Subchapter 1, is amended

22 to add an additional section to read as follows:

23  11-5-119. Unpaid leave for Veterans Day -- Definitions.

24  (a) As used in this section:

25  (1) "Veteran" means a former member of the United States Armed

26 Forces, or a former or current member of an Arkansas Reserve or Arkansas

27 National Guard unit who was called into active military service of the United

28 States as defined in the Military Code of Arkansas, � 12-60-101 et seq.; and

29  (2) "Veterans Day" means the federal holiday observed annually

30 on November 11.

31  (b) A private employer that does not otherwise provide for paid

32 holiday leave for Veterans Day shall allow an employee who is also a veteran

33 to have the entirety of Veterans Day as unpaid leave if the employee provides

34 the employer with:

35  (1) Written notice, submitted at least one (1) month in advance

36 of the date, of his or her intent to have the entirety of Veterans Day as

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                                                                          HB1792

1 unpaid leave; and

2   (2) Proof of veteran status, including without limitation a

3 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, generally referred to

4 as a "DD Form 214", or other comparable certificate of discharge from the

5 United States Armed Forces.

6   (c) The employer shall not reject the request of an employee who is

7 also a veteran unless the employer can demonstrate that the employee's

8 absence will:

9   (1) Adversely impact the public health and safety; or

10  (2) Cause significant economic or operational disruption to the

11 employer, as determined by the Department of Labor and Licensing.

12  (d) This section does not prohibit an employer from allowing the

13 employer's other employees, whether or not the employees are veterans, to

14 have the entirety of Veterans Day as a paid holiday.

15  (e) The Secretary of the Department of Labor and Licensing may

16 promulgate rules to implement this section.

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