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 SENATE BILL 285 3
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By: Senator J. Payton 5
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO MODIFY THE COMPENSATION RESTRICTIONS UNDER 9
THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW THAT RESULTED FROM 10
INITIATED ACT 4 OF 1948; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO MODIFY THE COMPENSATION RESTRICTIONS 15
UNDER THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW THAT 16
RESULTED FROM INITIATED ACT 4 OF 1948. 17
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 11 -9-501(b), concerning the limits of 21
compensation payable to an injured employee for disability other than 22
permanent partial disability under the Workers' Compensation Law, is amended 23
to add an additional subdivision to read as follows: 24
(6)(A) For a disability or death which results from an injury 25
occurring on and after the effective date of this act, the maximum weekly 26
benefit payable shall be seventy percent (70%) of the average weekly wage of 27
the injured employee. 28
(B) The maximum annual salary total of weekly benefit 29
payments to an injured employee under subdivision (b)(6)(A) of this section 30
is one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000). 31
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 11 -9-501(d), concerning the limits of 33
compensation payable to an employee for permanent partial disability under 34
the Workers' Compensation Law, is amended to read as follows: 35
(d)(1)(A) The permanent partial disability rate for compensation 36 SB285
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payable to an employee for permanent partial disability which results from an 1
injury occurring on or after July 1, 1986, shall not exceed sixty -six and 2
two-thirds percent (66⅔%) of the employee's average weekly wage, with a 3
twenty-dollar-per-week minimum, subject to a maximum of one hundred fifty -4
four dollars ($154). However, if the employee's total disability rate for 5
the injury would be two hundred five dollars and thirty -five cents ($205.35) 6
per week or greater, then the maximum permanent partial disability rate shall 7
be seventy-five percent (75%) of the employee's total disability rate. 8
(B) The permanent partial disability rate for compensation 9
payable to an employee for permanent partial disability which results from an 10
injury occurring on or after the effective date of this act shall not exceed 11
seventy percent (70%) of the employee's average weekly wage, with a twenty -12
dollar-per-week minimum, subject to a maximum annual salary total of weekly 13
benefit payments of one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) divided by 14
fifty-two (52) weeks. 15
(2)(A) The permanent partial disability rate provided herein 16
shall also apply to scheduled permanent injuries except those resulting in 17
amputation or permanent total loss of use of a member. 18
(B) The permanent partial disability rate for amputation 19
or permanent total loss of use of a member shall be the same as the 20
employee's total disability rate as specified in subsection (b) of this 21
section, subject to the maximum as set forth in subdivision (b)(4) of this 22
section. 23
(3) The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to those 24
injuries which occur on or after January 1, 1996. 25
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