Senate Bill 550 renames the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission to the Arkansas Board of Animal Health. This change updates the official name of the state entity responsible for animal health oversight, including its jurisdiction over milk and milk products, and its administrative and enforcement powers. Additionally, the bill repeals the existing state law that established criteria and training requirements for voluntary equine identification chips.
Senate Bill 442 strengthens laws concerning human trafficking and creates the offense of harboring an endangered runaway child. The bill allows for the forfeiture of assets used to conduct human trafficking. It establishes procedures for distributing the proceeds from these forfeitures, directing funds to prosecuting attorneys' asset forfeiture funds and, for amounts exceeding certain thresholds, to the Arkansas Human Trafficking Council Support Fund. Additionally, it creates human trafficking control funds for law enforcement and prosecuting attorneys, to be used for specific law enforcement and prosecutorial purposes.
Senate Bill 495 (Act 718) amends the definitions of "invoice" and "invoice price" under the Arkansas Tobacco Products Tax Act of 1977. The bill specifies that an "invoice" must include an itemized list of products, prices, and the physical addresses and permit numbers of both the selling manufacturer/wholesaler and the purchasing retailer/wholesaler. It defines "invoice price" as the amount a wholesaler or retailer pays to acquire tobacco, vapor, alternative nicotine, or e-liquid products for resale. If proof of purchase price is unavailable, the "invoice price" will be the manufacturer's highest selling price or, alternatively, the price of comparable products from a similar seller. These changes directly affect manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers involved in the sale of these products in Arkansas.
Senate Bill 428 establishes a specific timeframe for victims of human trafficking to file civil lawsuits in Arkansas. This bill directly affects human trafficking victims seeking to sue individuals or entities responsible for their exploitation. It sets a ten-year statute of limitations for these civil actions. The ten-year period begins from the date the victim discovers the human trafficking incident and the defendant's involvement or benefit.
Senate Bill 464 amends current state laws regarding the sale of raw milk and raw milk products. It permits farmers to sell these products at locations other than the farm where they were produced, such as farmers' markets. This change aims to provide farmers, particularly those producing unpasteurized cheese, with more sales opportunities and immediate legal clarity. The bill includes an emergency clause to make these provisions effective immediately upon becoming law.
The provided text is an amendment to Senate Bill 343, not the full bill itself. This amendment modifies the definition of "state-owned vehicles" within the bill. Specifically, it clarifies that vehicles owned by a cabinet-level department of the executive branch and used for law enforcement are not considered "state-owned vehicles" under the bill's provisions. A full summary of SB 343, which also concerns public property and vehicle acquisition, cannot be provided from this amendment text alone.
Senate Bill 604 amends Arkansas's Course Choice Program, which allows students in grades 6-12 to take individual courses from various providers. The bill expands student eligibility to include those attending public schools rated "C", "D", or "F" who need to take a required graduation course. Conversely, public schools or open-enrollment charter schools with a "D" or "F" rating are no longer eligible to offer courses through the program. The legislation also enhances oversight for course providers, requiring the State Board of Education to implement new authorization, review, and performance monitoring standards. Additionally, test scores from students participating in the program will now be included in their resident public school's annual performance report.
SB 467 modifies the definition of "healthcare provider" as it relates to student athlete concussion education. The bill expands this definition to specifically include chiropractors and chiropractic physicians. This means that these professionals are now recognized alongside other healthcare providers, such as physicians and athletic trainers, concerning concussion education for student athletes in Arkansas.
Senate Bill 371 establishes a new, standardized system in Arkansas to aid in the search for missing children. This system is specifically designed for cases where a child does not meet the criteria for activating an Arkansas Amber Alert. While the provided text does not detail the specific mechanisms of this new system, its aim is to provide additional resources for locating children in these particular situations.
Senate Bill 494 amends the Arkansas Tobacco Products Tax Act of 1977 to revise the permitting process for businesses involved in tobacco, vapor, alternative nicotine, and e-liquid products. The bill aims to reduce the total number and types of permits issued by Arkansas Tobacco Control. It consolidates several existing permits into a more streamlined structure. The legislation also establishes the annual privilege fees associated with these revised permits for manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers in the state.
Senate Bill 576 (Act 623) amends the eligibility requirements for continuous glucose monitor (CGM) coverage under the Arkansas Medicaid program. This bill directly affects Arkansas Medicaid beneficiaries who have certain types of diabetes or glycogen storage disease type 1a. Under the amended law, CGMs will be covered for individuals with Type 1 diabetes or other forms of diabetes who use insulin more than twice daily, or who have evidence of Level 2 or Level 3 hypoglycemia. Coverage is also extended to those diagnosed with glycogen storage disease type 1a.
SB 425, now Act 722, generally concerns enhanced transportation within Arkansas. The bill amends various provisions of the Arkansas Code related to this topic and includes an emergency clause for immediate effect. One amendment to the bill specifically adjusted a dollar amount from $87,321.01 to $87,231.01. Based on the provided text, further details about the specific policy changes and who is directly affected are not available.
