Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1240 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2	2	ANS015 01/27/2025 12:18:18 PM ANS015
3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1240 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Representative Andrews 5
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9	9	7
10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR COVERAGE UNDER THE 9
12	12	STATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOL LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE 10
13	13	PROGRAM TO CERTAIN VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS; AND FOR 11
14	14	OTHER PURPOSES. 12
15	15	13
16	16	14
17	17	Subtitle 15
18	18	TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR COVERAGE UNDER 16
19	19	THE STATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOL LIFE AND 17
20	20	HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM TO CERTAIN 18
21	21	VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS. 19
22	22	20
23	23	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
24	24	22
25	25	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 21 -5-407, concerning definitions used under 23
26	26	the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program, is amended to 24
27	27	add an additional subdivision to read as follows: 25
28	28	(21)(A) "Fire department" means an organization that: 26
29	29	(i) Is established for the prevention or 27
30	30	extinguishment of fires; and 28
31	31	(ii) Employs a volunteer fire fighter. 29
32	32	(B) "Fire department" includes a firefighting unit; and 30
33	33	(22) "Volunteer firefighter" means a member of a fire department 31
34	34	who: 32
35	35	(A) Actively engages in fire suppression, rescue, pump 33
36	36	operation, or other firefighting activity; and 34
37	37	(B) Receives less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) in 35
38	38	total compensation during the taxable year from the volunteer fire department 36 HB1240
39	39
40	40	2 01/27/2025 12:18:18 PM ANS015
41	41	that the volunteer firefighter serves. 1
42	42	2
43	43	SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 21 -5-410(g)(1), concerning eligibility to 3
44	44	participate in the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program, 4
45	45	is amended to read as follows: 5
46	46	(g)(1) The following persons are eligible to participate in the 6
47	47	program: 7
48	48	(A) A public school employee who is in a position that 8
49	49	requires on average at least thirty (30) hours per week of actual performance 9
50	50	of duty during the annual school year; and 10
51	51	(B) A full-time school bus driver who is employed by a 11
52	52	public school district to drive regular routes during the annual school year ; 12
53	53	and 13
54	54	(C)(i) A volunteer firefighter . 14
55	55	(ii) A volunteer firefighter who elects to 15
56	56	participate in the program is responsible to pay a premium as determined by 16
57	57	the State Board of Finance or the cost of the policy issued to the volunteer 17
58	58	firefighter. 18
59	59	(iii) The volunteer firefighter portion of the 19
60	60	premium may be: 20
61	61	(a) Deducted from a bank account of the 21
62	62	volunteer firefighter to be paid by a monthly bank draft on the date 22
63	63	designated by the Employee Benefits Division; or 23
64	64	(b) Paid in full or partially by the fire 24
65	65	department that employs the volunteer firefighter directly to the division on 25
66	66	the date designated by the division. 26
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