Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that extends unemployment benefits to individuals if they are fired because they refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine, violating federal vaccine mandates.

Highlights:

• Prohibits the following persons from being exempt from receiving unemployment benefits (Sec. 1.b):

• An individual will not be disqualified if after making reasonable efforts to preserve his or her job rights he or she left his or her last work:

• Due to a personal emergency of such nature and compelling urgency that it would be contrary to good conscience to impose a disqualification; or

• Because of illness, injury, pregnancy, or disability of the individual or a member of the individual's immediate family;

• Due to domestic violence that causes the individual reasonably to believe that the individual's continued employment will jeopardize the safety of the individual or a member of the individual's immediate family;

• To accompany the individual's spouse because of a change in the location of the spouse's employment that makes it impractical to commute; or

• Due to a refusal by the individual to be vaccinated against coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) or its variants.

• Prohibits an individual from being disqualified for benefits if he or she is terminated solely due to a refusal to be vaccinated against coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) or its variants (Sec. 2.d).

• Alleges it is found and determined by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that employees in Arkansas are being terminated solely due to a refusal to be vaccinated against coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19); that the termination leaves these employees with no income to support themselves and their families; and that immediate action is necessary in order to protect Arkansas employees from the effects of these vaccination mandates (Sec. 3).

• Establishes an emergency is declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety will become effective on (Sec. 3):

• The date of its approval by the Governor;

• If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the bill; or

• If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.

Full Bill Text