Requires employers to provide full-time employees four (4) hours of paid leave once a year to donate blood through and any approved blood donation program.

Rhode Island Paid Blood Donation Leave Bill

This bill would require employers in Rhode Island to give their full-time employees up to four hours of paid time off — once per year — specifically to donate blood through an approved blood donation program. This means workers could step away from their jobs to donate blood without losing any pay for those hours. The leave would be limited to one occasion per year per employee.

The bill affects full-time employees and their employers across Rhode Island. Workers would benefit by having the opportunity to donate blood without having to worry about losing wages or using their personal vacation or sick time. Employers would be responsible for providing this paid leave when requested, though the bill applies only to full-time staff, so part-time workers would not be covered under this requirement.

Currently, this bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island Senate and referred to the Senate Labor and Gaming Committee, where it is scheduled for a hearing. It has not yet been passed into law. If it were to become law, it would be added to Rhode Island's existing "Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act," which already governs other types of paid leave in the state.