Iowa Legislators Make Blood Donation Easier for State Employees
Last Updated on August 13, 2021
Legislators in Iowa are taking a major step to make blood donation easier for thousands of state employees.
This spring, the Iowa legislature passed a bill that provides state employees paid time off to give blood during the workday. Effective July 1, 2021, Iowa Senate Bill 336 allows state employees two hours of paid time off to donate blood up to four times per calendar year. This bill also includes time off for bone marrow and organ donations.
This bill comes after conversations between the blood center and both Governor Reynold’s office and Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health Kelly Garcia. These relationships were bolstered during the COVID-19 pandemic as the state government and LifeServe Blood Center worked together on several issues: a COVID-19 antibody testing program partnership and convalescent plasma collections. LifeServe Blood Center also hosted former Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar during his 2020 visit to Iowa.
“Many legislators are blood donors themselves, so we’re not surprised that this bill passed unanimously,” said LifeServe Director of PR and Marketing Danielle West. “These community members understand how important it is to have a robust blood supply at all times for our local hospital partners. Making blood donation easier by allowing employees to schedule their appointment during their work day is a huge win for donors and the blood supply in Iowa.”