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Committee adopts change to unemployment law to cover employees fired for refusing COVID‑19 vaccine
Summary
SB 7‑30 would add an exemption in state unemployment law clarifying that employees terminated for refusing a COVID‑19 vaccine may remain eligible for unemployment benefits; the committee adopted an emergency‑clause amendment and passed the bill as amended.
Senator Garner presented SB 7‑30 as a narrowly tailored change to Arkansas’s unemployment‑insurance law to clarify access to benefits for workers terminated over refusal to take a COVID‑19 vaccine. "What this does is it takes a law we've had in effect since 1935... It adds an exemption ... to make sure still clear in the code that if somebody is fired, they're able to access their benefits for unemployment insurance," Garner said.
Amendment and vote: The sponsor adopted an emergency‑clause amendment during the hearing and the committee adopted the amendment by voice vote. Following brief public testimony in favor — including Ashley Vance, who said the bill "is very good" and will "help a lot of people" — the committee voted the bill out as amended.
Public comment and sponsor responses: Witnesses described situations where employers characterize a refusal to vaccinate as a voluntary resignation. Garner said the bill does not change the existing appeals or unemployment process; it simply creates a black‑letter statutory exemption so fired workers can access benefits, and it preserves employment‑at‑will provisions.
Context and next steps: The bill passed out of committee as amended; proponents said the measure removes ambiguity for workers, while the record shows limited follow‑up questions on interactions with employer policies and existing appeals processes.
