Committee backs bill to align living-donor leave with state personnel standard
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Summary
The committee adopted an engrossed substitute and an amendment to HB 361, which would align living organ-donor leave with the state personnel board's 30-day standard and expand coverage beyond state employees; the bill received a favorable report.
A House committee adopted an engrossed substitute and a clarifying amendment to HB 361 and gave the bill a favorable report by voice vote.
Representative Daniels, the sponsor, described HB 361 as legislation to address leave for living organ donors. Drawing on his personal experience with a family member who donated an organ, Daniels told the committee many donors incur debt and time away from work during recovery. He said the recovery period is “approximately 30 days” and explained the substitute aligns the bill with the state personnel board’s existing 30-day leave practice rather than the 80-hour figure that had appeared earlier in drafting.
The amendment clarified technical language and expanded coverage beyond state employees to include individuals working at other public entities and certain employees in the private sector under defined conditions. Daniels said the change responded to questions from higher-education entities and was intended to ensure the bill captured the intended populations.
Representative Collins moved the substitute; Representative Drummond moved favorable report and Representative Lovern seconded the final motion. The committee adopted both the substitute and the amendment by voice votes and reported the bill favorably.
Why it matters
If enacted, HB 361 would standardize leave for living organ donors with the state personnel board practice (sponsors described that as about 30 days), potentially affecting state employees and expanding protections to other public-entity employees. Sponsors and committee members discussed private-sector incentives and leave practices but did not record a formal private-employer mandate in committee discussion.
What the transcript records and what it does not
- The sponsor stated the recovery period is "approximately 30 days" and said the substitute was drafted to match the state personnel board standard. - Committee discussion noted prior draft language referencing 80 hours; the substitute replaces that with the board-aligned leave period. - The transcript records adoption by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the committee minutes provided here.
Next steps
The bill, having been given a favorable report, will move ahead in the House process. Sponsors indicated they had reconciled technical language and responded to higher-education stakeholders’ questions during the committee hearing.