National Conference of State Legislatures - The Forum for America's Ideas
Issues & Research » Employment & Working Families » State Leave Laws for Medical Donors
Go 13383

State Leave Laws Related to Medical Donors

As of October, 2006, 29 states have enacted laws that provide paid or unpaid leave for bone marrow and/or organ donors. Eight states (Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska and Oregon) allow a leave of absence for private sector employees. The period of leave is usually 30 days for organ donors and 7 days for bone marrow donors. Some state laws have provisions which require authorization for requested leave or prohibit states from penalizing employees from taking such leave.
 

State

Bill/Act/
Statute

Enacted Summary

Arkansas
 

Act No. 2235

4/13/05 Requires private employers to provide an unpaid leave of absence for employees during testing for, donations of and recovery from organ donation; provides an income tax credit for employers electing to pay the wages of the employee on organ donation leave.

 

SB 167
 

3/20/03 Authorizes state employees may use up to 7 days of paid leave each calendar year to serve as a bone marrow donor and up to 30 days of paid leave each calendar year to serve as an organ donor.

California

Chapter No. 869
 

9/26/02 Grants up to a 30 day leave of absence with pay to employees who have exhausted all available sick leave and who are organ donors and a 5 day leave of absence with pay to employees who are bone marrow donors.

Connecticut
 

Act No. 04-95

5/10/04 Expands the state family and medical leave acts for state employees and private sector employees to provide unpaid leave to donate an organ or bone marrow.

Delaware
 

§1318B

n/a Authorizes teachers and school employees may use up to 7 days of donated leave to serve as a bone marrow donor and up to 30 days of donated leave to serve as an organ donor.

Georgia
 

HB 1049
 

4/24/02

Provides for state employees to receive a leave of absence, with pay, for serving as an organ or bone marrow donor.

Hawaii

Act No. 176
 

6/30/05

Authorizes state employees may use up to 7 days of paid leave each calendar year to serve as a bone marrow donor and up to 30 days of paid leave each calendar year to serve as an organ donor.

Idaho

 

SB 1373 

3/30/2006

Grants a leave of absence for full-time state employees and full-time non-classified state officers and employees for a specified period of time for bone marrow or organ donation.

Illinois
 

Act No. 94-33
 

6/15/05

Amends the Organ Donor Leave Act. Provides that the Act applies to all public employers in the State.

 

HB 5807

8/2/02

Creates the Organ Donor Leave Act. Provides for time off with pay for State employees who donate an organ, bone marrow, blood or blood platelets.

Indiana

HB 1030
 

3/28/02

Allows a state employee of the Executive Branch to take a paid leave of absence for the purpose of being an organ donor or bone marrow donor.

Iowa

HB 381

8/28/03

Provides up to five workdays of leave for bone marrow and up to thirty workdays of leave for vascular organ donation by state employees.

Louisiana

§40:1299.124   

1992

Grants paid leave of absence up to 40 work hours for employees serving as bone marrow donors.

Maine
 

LD 1945

4/11/02

Adds organ donation to the reasons allowed for family leave.

Maryland
 

SB 17

5/11/00

Provides that all State employees may be entitled to organ donation leave with pay; Provides up to  seven days of leave for bone marrow and up to 30 days for organ donation in any 12-month period.

Massachusetts
 

Chapter No. 99-2005

9/29/05

Grants 30-day leave of absence to public employees serving as organ donors.

Minnesota

§181.945

1990

Grants paid leave of absence up to 40 work hours for employees serving as bone marrow donors.

Mississippi
 

Chapter No. 336

10/15/04

Provides up to 30 days of paid leave for living organ or bone marrow donation.

Missouri
 

HB 679

7/6/01

Allows state employees to take paid leave of absence up to five workdays to serve as a bone marrow donor or 30 days as a human organ donor.

Nebraska

§71-4820   

1992

An employer shall be encouraged to grant paid leaves of absence to an employee who seeks to undergo a medical procedure to donate bone marrow.

New York

AB 4138

8/29/01

Permits state employees to take paid leave for bone marrow donation and for organ donation, in addition to any other annual or sick leave.

North Dakota

SB 2298
 

4/20/05

Allows leave of absence for 20 workdays to state employees donating an organ or bone marrow.

Ohio

HB 326

7/10/01

Grants state employees 30 days paid leave per year to serve as an organ donor and seven days paid leave per year to serve as a bone marrow donor.

Oklahoma
 

SB 1628
 

5/8/02

Grants state employees 30 days paid leave per year to serve as an organ donor and five days paid leave per year to serve as a bone marrow donor.

Oregon

§659A.312   

n/a

Grants paid leave of absence up to 40 work hours for employees serving as bone marrow donors.

South Carolina
 

SB 830

8/6/02

Allows state and local officers and employees are entitled a paid leave of absence up to 30 days to serve as an organ donor.

Texas
 

§661.916   

2003

Grants state employees 30 working days paid leave per year to serve as an organ donor and five working days paid leave per year to serve as a bone marrow donor.

Utah

SB 125

4/8/02

Authorizes a paid leave of absence for state employees who serve as a bone marrow or donor of a human organ.

Virginia
 

HB 1642

3/26/01

Allows state employees with up to 30 days of paid leave in any calendar year, in addition to other paid leave, to serve as bone marrow or organ donor.

Wisconsin

AB 545

5/9/00

Grants state employees 30 days paid leave per year to serve as an organ donor and seven days paid leave per year to serve as a bone marrow donor.

West Virginia
 

Act 175

5/11/05

Grants state employees thirty days of paid leave for kidney or liver donation and seven days of paid leave time for bone marrow donation.

Source: NCSL
October 2006

 NCSLFeedback Maximize


  

Denver Office
Tel: 303-364-7700 | Fax: 303-364-7800 | 7700 East First Place | Denver, CO 80230

 

Washington Office
Tel: 202-624-5400 | Fax: 202-737-1069 | 444 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 515 | Washington, D.C. 20001

©2009 National Conference of State Legislatures.  All Rights Reserved.