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 A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 476
4
5 By: Senator J. Scott
6
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO ALLOW LEAVE FOR ORGAN DONATION FOR CERTAIN
10 STATE EMPLOYEES; TO PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
11 INDIVIDUALS APPLYING FOR LIFE INSURANCE WHO ARE ORGAN
12 DONORS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
13
14
15 Subtitle
16 TO ALLOW LEAVE FOR ORGAN DONATION FOR
17 CERTAIN STATE EMPLOYEES; AND TO PROHIBIT
18 DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INDIVIDUALS
19 APPLYING FOR LIFE INSURANCE WHO ARE
20 ORGAN DONORS.
21
22 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
23
24 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 21, Chapter 4, Subchapter 1, is amended
25 to add an additional section to read as follows:
26 21-4-108. Leave for organ donation.
27 (a) As used in this section:
28 (1) "Living organ donor" means an individual who has donated all
29 or part of an organ and is not deceased;
30 (2) "Organ" means a human organ that is capable of being
31 transferred from the body of one (1) person to the body of another person;
32 (3) "State agency" means a department, agency, bureau, board, or
33 commission of any branch of state government; and
34 (4)(A) "State employee" means a full-time employee of a state
35 agency who has been employed with the state agency for at least twelve (12)
36 months.
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SB476
1 (B) "State employee" does not include:
2 (i) A member of the General Assembly;
3 (ii) An employee of the Secretary of State; or
4 (iii) An employee of the Treasurer of State.
5 (b)(1) A state employee shall be granted absence from work for a
6 period of time equal to twelve (12) weeks for recovery from surgery related
7 to a living organ donation.
8 (2) If the state employee learns of his or her surgery date to
9 be a living organ donor less than thirty (30) days in advance, then the state
10 employee shall give notice to the state agency as soon as reasonably
11 possible.
12 (3) For the purpose of calculating career service anniversary
13 dates, an absence under subdivision (b)(1) of this section is considered
14 full-time employment.
15
16 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 23, Chapter 81, Subchapter 1, is
17 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
18 23-81-138. Application for life insurance -- Discrimination based on
19 organ donor status prohibited -- Definitions.
20 (a) As used in this section:
21 (1)(A) "Life insurer" means an entity that enters into a
22 contract that incorporates mortality risk, including an annuity contract.
23 (B) "Life insurer" includes without limitation an insurer
24 issuing life insurance contracts that grant additional benefits in the event
25 of an insured's disability; and
26 (2) "Living organ donor" means an individual who has donated all
27 or part of an organ and is not deceased.
28 (b) A life insurer authorized to transact the business of insurance in
29 this state shall not cancel, limit, or deny life insurance coverage or
30 establish any differential in premium rates based on an individual's status
31 as a living organ donor.
32 (c) A life insurer shall not consider an individual's decision to be a
33 living organ donor for any insurance purpose.
34
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2 03/17/2025 1:35:24 PM ANS240Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.