HB 590

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AN ACT

RELATING TO HEALTH; ENACTING THE BONE MARROW AND ORGAN DONOR

ACT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the

"Bone Marrow and Organ Donor Act".

Section 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION.--The department of health

shall provide information and educational materials to the

public regarding bone marrow donation through the national

marrow donor program and regarding organ donations. The

department shall seek assistance from the national marrow

donor program to establish a system to distribute materials,

ensure that the materials are updated periodically, fully

disclose the risks involved in donating bone marrow and

address the education and recruitment of minority populations.

The department shall establish a system to distribute

information and educational materials regarding organ

donations and ensure that the materials are updated

periodically, fully disclose the risks of donating an organ

and address the education and recruitment of minority

populations.

Section 3. STATE EMPLOYEE LEAVE.--

A. The person in charge of a state agency may

grant a leave of absence, not to exceed twenty days, to a

state agency employee for the purpose of donating an organ or

bone marrow. An employee may request and use donated annual

leave or sick leave for the purpose of donating an organ or

bone marrow. If an employee requests donations of sick leave

or annual leave but does not receive the full amount of leave

needed for the donation of an organ or bone marrow, the person

in charge of a state agency may grant a paid leave of absence

for the remainder of the needed leave up to the maximum total

of twenty workdays. The person in charge of a state agency

may require verification by a physician regarding the purpose

of the leave requested and information from the physician

regarding the length of the leave requested. Any paid leave

of absence granted pursuant to this section shall not result

in a loss of compensation, seniority, annual leave, sick leave

or accrued overtime for which the employee is otherwise

eligible.

B. For the purposes of this section, "state

agency" means any department, institution, board, bureau,

commission, district or committee of government of the state

of New Mexico.

Section 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the

provisions of this act is July 1, 2007.

HB 590

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