This bill primarily provides funding for the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism for the 2026-2027 fiscal year while simultaneously restructuring the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission. It abolishes the existing Commission and transfers its administrative duties, staff, and assets to a new Office of Keep Arkansas Beautiful, ensuring that employees retain their retirement benefits and existing rules remain in effect. The legislation also updates state laws to direct litter control fines to the new office and grants fee exemptions for waste collected during official cleanup campaigns. Additionally, it creates a nine-member advisory board to provide guidance to the new office, with members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
This bill amends Arkansas laws to clarify and expand protections for parents who voluntarily leave newborns with medical providers, law enforcement, emergency services, or fire departments. It establishes that these entities must accept children 30 days old or younger without a court order and protects the parents' identities from being released to the public. The legislation also provides legal immunity for these organizations and their staff, ensuring they cannot be held criminally or civilly liable for accepting a child in good faith. Additionally, it defines emergency medical services providers as those licensed to provide emergency care and staffed 24 hours a day.
This bill amends state law to set stricter requirements for foreign-trained physicians seeking medical licenses in Arkansas. To qualify, a doctor must have a full-time job offer in a medically underserved area and meet specific criteria, including holding an active foreign license, practicing medicine for four years, and passing a credentialing exam. The legislation directly impacts international medical graduates by adding these new conditions to their application process.
This bill provides funding for the Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services within the Arkansas Department of Human Services for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. It also amends state law to clarify which organizations and individuals are exempt from standard licensing requirements for alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs. Specifically, the changes include exemptions for hospital-based programs, clergy, licensed professionals like doctors and social workers, federal agencies, twelve-step support groups, and faith-based recovery programs. These provisions aim to ensure that these specific types of services operate without needing the same permits required of other treatment facilities.
This bill amends state laws to regulate fees related to used tire recycling and disposal in Arkansas. It changes rules for tire retailers and commercial generators by limiting the fees they can charge customers for removing tires from rims and replacing them with used ones. Additionally, the bill sets a maximum reimbursement rate of $2.31 per tire for recycling programs and updates requirements for establishing tire collection centers in each county. These changes directly affect tire businesses, recycling programs, and the state's environmental quality division.
This bill amends state laws to clarify how isolated schools can separate from larger school districts, specifically affecting districts formed after recent consolidation efforts. It establishes new rules requiring a petition signed by either 350 or 51% of local voters to trigger a detachment election, while also exempting these new districts from minimum enrollment requirements. The legislation further details how property ownership, debt, and tax rates will be handled when a school detaches, ensuring the new district inherits the facilities and assumes the existing tax rate. Ultimately, the bill provides a structured legal framework for communities to re-establish independent school districts for isolated schools.
This bill directs the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to distribute specific driver's license reinstatement and installment fees into designated state funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The legislation allocates these collected fees to four specific accounts, including the State Police Retirement Fund and the Judicial Fine Collection Enhancement Fund, based on a set monthly schedule. Additionally, the bill amends existing state law to clarify that these reinstatement fees must be deposited into the State Treasury and credited as general revenue for the purposes outlined in the Revenue Stabilization Law. Once enacted, these provisions will apply only from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
This bill is a House Concurrent Memorial Resolution that honors the life and legacy of Bishop Kenneth Lydell Robinson Sr., who passed away in April 2026. The resolution formally recognizes his significant contributions to Arkansas, including his fifty years of ministry, his role as a founding father of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, and his work as a musician, radio host, and businessman. It does not change any laws or policies but serves to publicly acknowledge his achievements and impact on the state and his local community. Upon passage, the legislature will provide a copy of the resolution to Bishop Robinson's family.
HB 1034 amends the state budget for the Office of the Treasurer of State for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The bill increases the total appropriation for this office from $7,974,734 to $8,633,653 by adjusting specific line items. This change directly affects the funding available to the Treasurer's office for its operations during the upcoming fiscal year. The legislation was passed by both legislative chambers and sent to the Governor for approval.
This bill provides funding for the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. It also adds specific instructions for how courts should handle installment fees related to fines under a previous law. The amendment requires courts to create guidance that helps people pay fines in smaller amounts without causing financial hardship and sets a maximum fee of $17.50 for certain cases. These fee rules will only apply during the 2026-2027 budget period.
This bill amends Arkansas insurance laws to require insurers to provide detailed monthly reports to group health policyholders with more than 25 employees. Under the new rules, these reports must include data on premiums, medical and pharmacy claims, and the total number of enrolled members. Additionally, insurers must generate a separate report for any individual member whose claims exceed $10,000, detailing their coverage status and specific claim amounts. These changes directly affect large employers in Arkansas who purchase group health insurance and the insurance companies that issue those policies. The legislation focuses on increasing transparency by ensuring employers receive clearer information about how their health insurance funds are being used.
This bill authorizes funding for the Arkansas Department of Health's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Programs for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. It establishes a budget of approximately $14.7 million to cover salaries for up to 31 permanent staff members, temporary workers, and various operating expenses like professional fees and travel. The legislation also outlines specific rules for how these funds can be transferred between budget categories and clarifies that state money cannot replace tobacco settlement funds if those funds run out.
