A local state senator’s effort to promote organ donation has made it halfway through the legislative process.
The state Senate on a 38-0 vote has passed a measure by Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria-Arlington-Fairfax) to require that employers with more than 50 workers provide periods of unpaid leave if they those employees are providing organs or bone marrow for donation.
“The bill requires the employer to restore the employee’s position following the leave; to continue to provide coverage for the employee under any health-benefit plan . . . [and] prohibits the employer from taking retaliatory action against the employee for taking organ-donation leave,” notes the bill summary.
The Commissioner of Labor and Industry would be tasked with enforcing the provisions. Employers who violate any provisions (if the measure is adopted) would face civil penalties.
While being considered in the Senate, legislators upped the minimum number of employees a firm must have to trigger the provisions from 15 as proposed by Ebbin to 50 that was adopted. The bill now moves to the House of Delegates.