70A.39 Bone marrow and organ donation incentive program.

1. For the purposes of this section:

a. “Bone marrow” means the soft tissue that fills human bone cavities.

b. “Vascular organ” means a heart, lung, liver, pancreas, kidney, intestine, or other organ that requires the continuous circulation of blood to remain useful for purposes of transplantation.

2. Beginning July 1, 2003, state employees, excluding employees covered under a collective bargaining agreement which provides otherwise, shall be granted leaves of absence in accordance with the following:

a. A leave of absence of up to five workdays for an employee who requests a leave of absence to serve as a bone marrow donor if the employee provides written verification from the employee’s physician or the hospital involved with the bone marrow donation that the employee will serve as a bone marrow donor.

b. A leave of absence of up to thirty workdays for an employee who requests a leave of absence to serve as a vascular organ donor if the employee provides written verification from the employee’s physician or the hospital involved with the vascular organ donation that the employee will serve as a vascular organ donor.

3. An employee who is granted a leave of absence under this section shall receive leave without loss of seniority, pay, vacation time, personal days, sick leave, insurance and health coverage benefits, or earned overtime accumulation. The employee shall be compensated at the employee’s regular rate of pay for those regular work hours during which the employee is absent from work.

4. An employee deemed to be on leave under this section shall not be deemed to be an employee of the state for purposes of workers’ compensation or for purposes of the Iowa tort claims Act, chapter 669.

2003 Acts, ch 32, §1

; 2003 Acts, 1st Ex, ch 2, §37, 209

; 2014 Acts, ch 1026, §16