Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB344 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2		-	Act 444 of the Regular Session
3	2		LGL113 02/27/2025 8:12:27 AM LGL113
4	3		State of Arkansas 1
5	4		95th General Assembly A Bill 2
6	5		Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 344 3
7	6		4
8	7		By: Senator Irvin 5
9	8		By: Representative L. Johnson 6
10	9		7
11	10		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
12	11		AN ACT TO TRANSFER THE HEALTHY EMPLOYEE LIFESTYLE 9
13	12		PROGRAM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO THE 10
14	13		DEPARTMENT OF TRANSFORMATION AND SHARED SERVICES; TO 11
15	14		AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE 12
16	15		PROGRAM; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
17	16		14
18	17		15
19	18		Subtitle 16
20	19		TO TRANSFER THE HEALTHY EMPLOYEE 17
21	20		LIFESTYLE PROGRAM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF 18
22	21		HEALTH TO THE DEPARTMENT OF 19
23	22		TRANSFORMATION AND SHARED SERVICES; AND 20
24	23		TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE HEALTHY 21
25	24		LIFESTYLE PROGRAM. 22
26	25		23
27	26		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 24
28	27		25
29	28		SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Cabinet-level department transfer of the 26
30	29		Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program from Department of Health to Department of 27
31	30		Transformation and Shared Services. 28
32	31		(a) The Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program is transferred by a 29
33	32		cabinet-level department transfer under § 25-43-101 et seq. from the 30
34	33		Department of Health to the Department of Transformation and Shared Services. 31
35	34		(b) The administrative functions of the Healthy Employee Lifestyle 32
36	35		Program are transferred by a cabinet-level department transfer under § 25 -43-33
37	36		1502 from the Department of Health to the Department of Transformation and 34
38	37		Shared Services. 35
39	38		(c) The statutory authority, powers, duties, functions, records, 36 SB344
40	39
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42	41		personnel, property, contracts, and unexpended balances of appropriations, 1
43	42		allocations, or other funds, including the functions of budgeting or 2
44	43		purchasing of the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program, are transferred to the 3
45	44		Department of Transformation and Shared Services. 4
46	45		(d)(1) The transfer of the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program does not 5
47	46		affect the orders, rules, regulations, directives, or standards made or 6
48	47		promulgated by the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program before the effective 7
49	48		date of this act. 8
50	49		(2) The orders, rules, regulations, directives, or standards 9
51	50		under subdivision (d)(1) of this section shall continue to be in effect until 10
52	51		amended or repealed under authority given by law. 11
53	52		(e) The Department of Health shall grant access to and provide all 12
54	53		information requested by the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program to accomplish 13
55	54		the transfer of the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program and the mission of the 14
56	55		Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program. 15
57	56		16
58	57		SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 21 -4-106 is amended to read as follows: 17
59	58		21-4-106. Leave of absence for participation in Healthy Employee 18
60	59		Lifestyle Program — Definitions. 19
61	60		(a) As used in this section: 20
62	61		(1) “Agency” means a department, agency, bureau, including the 21
63	62		Bureau of Legislative Research, board, or commission of any branch of state 22
64	63		government; 23
65	64		(2) “Employee” means a full -time employee of the State of 24
66	65		Arkansas or any branch, department, agency, board, bureau, including the 25
67	66		Bureau of Legislative Research, or commission of any branch of state 26
68	67		government; and 27
69	68		(3)(2) “Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program” means the incentive 28
70	69		program of the Department of Health Department of Transformation and Shared 29
71	70		Services that will reward encourages and rewards an employee for regular 30
72	71		exercise, good nutrition, and other healthy lifestyle choices .; and 31
73	72		(3) "State entity" means a department, agency, bureau, including 32
74	73		the Bureau of Legislative Research, board, or commission of any branch of 33
75	74		state government. 34
76	75		(b)(1) Upon completion of a pilot program to be conducted by the 35
77	76		department, the department The department shall: 36 SB344
78	77
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80	79		(A) Make Manage the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program 1
81	80		available to all agency directors ; and 2
82	81		(B) Assist the agencies state entities in the 3
83	82		administration of the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program's implementation 4
84	83		Program. 5
85	84		(2) Upon completion of the pilot program, every agency director 6
86	85		shall consider making the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program available to the 7
87	86		agency's employees. On or before July 1, 2026, a state entity shall allow for 8
88	87		employee participation in the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program. 9
89	88		(c)(1) At the discretion of the agency director, an employee may be 10
90	89		granted paid leave of up to three (3) days per calendar year for satisfactory 11
91	90		compliance with the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program. The department shall 12
92	91		determine appropriate methods to reward employees who satisfactorily complete 13
93	92		the requirements of the Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program. 14
94	93		(2) A reward under subdivision (c)(1) of this section may 15
95	94		include up to twenty -four (24) hours of leave per calendar year. 16
96	95		(2)(3) The leave granted under subdivision (c)(2) of this 17
97	96		section shall be used in the calendar year in which it was granted within six 18
98	97		(6) months of approval . 19
99	98		(3)(4) The leave granted under subdivision (c)(2) of this 20
100	99		section is not compensable at termination. 21
101	100		(d) Each agency state entity shall identify and maintain, if 22
102	101		practicable, in or near each agency building an area or areas that employees 23
103	102		may use for walking exercise. 24
104	103		25
105	104		26
106		-	~~APPROVED: 4/3/25~~ 27
	105	+	27
107	106		28
108	107		29
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