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