Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S3/20/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 285
4
5 By: Senator J. Payton
6
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO MODIFY THE COMPENSATION RESTRICTIONS UNDER
10 THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW THAT RESULTED FROM
11 INITIATED ACT 4 OF 1948; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
12
13
14 Subtitle
15 TO MODIFY THE COMPENSATION RESTRICTIONS
16 UNDER THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW THAT
17 RESULTED FROM INITIATED ACT 4 OF 1948.
18
19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
20
21 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 11-9-501(b), concerning the limits of
22 compensation payable to an injured employee for disability other than
23 permanent partial disability under the Workers' Compensation Law, is amended
24 to add an additional subdivision to read as follows:
25 (6)(A) For a disability or death which results from an injury
26 occurring on and after January 1, 2026 the maximum weekly benefit payable
27 shall be seventy percent (70%) of the average weekly wage of the injured
28 employee.
29 (B) The maximum annual salary total of weekly benefit
30 payments to an injured employee under subdivision (b)(6)(A) of this section
31 is one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).
32
33 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 11-9-501(d), concerning the limits of
34 compensation payable to an employee for permanent partial disability under
35 the Workers' Compensation Law, is amended to read as follows:
36 (d)(1)(A) The permanent partial disability rate for compensation
*ANS191* 03-20-2025 14:10:27 ANS191
As Engrossed: S3/20/25 SB285
1 payable to an employee for permanent partial disability which results from an
2 injury occurring on or after July 1, 1986, shall not exceed sixty-six and
3 two-thirds percent (66%) of the employee's average weekly wage, with a
4 twenty-dollar-per-week minimum, subject to a maximum of one hundred fifty-
5 four dollars ($154). However, if the employee's total disability rate for
6 the injury would be two hundred five dollars and thirty-five cents ($205.35)
7 per week or greater, then the maximum permanent partial disability rate shall
8 be seventy-five percent (75%) of the employee's total disability rate.
9 (B) The permanent partial disability rate for compensation
10 payable to an employee for permanent partial disability which results from an
11 injury occurring on or after January 1, 2026, shall not exceed seventy-five
12 percent (75%) of the amount calculated under subdivision (b)(6)(A) of this
13 section.
14 (2)(A) The permanent partial disability rate provided herein
15 shall also apply to scheduled permanent injuries except those resulting in
16 amputation or permanent total loss of use of a member.
17 (B) The permanent partial disability rate for amputation
18 or permanent total loss of use of a member shall be the same as the
19 employee's total disability rate as specified in subsection (b) of this
20 section, subject to the maximum as set forth in subdivision (b)(4) of this
21 section.
22 (3) The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to those
23 injuries which occur on or after January 1, 1996.
24
25 /s/J. Payton
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
2 03-20-2025 14:10:27 ANS191Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.