Senate Bill 593 seeks to regulate Pharmacy Services Administrative Organizations (PSAOs) and amend provisions related to Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) within Arkansas. The bill requires PSAOs to register with the State Insurance Department and submit annual reports detailing their contracts with pharmacies and PBMs. It also mandates that PSAOs disclose any ownership ties to drug manufacturers or retailers. Additionally, PBMs would be required to offer Arkansas-specific amendments to their national contracts with PSAOs to ensure compliance with state laws.
Senate Bill 622 sought to remove a current restriction on tire retailers in Arkansas. Previously, retailers were prohibited from charging any fees other than a specific rim removal fee when a customer purchased the service of removing a tire from its rim. This bill would have repealed that prohibition, potentially allowing tire retailers to charge additional fees for this service. It also clarified that only one of two specific fees (rim removal or commercial generator fee) should be charged for tire rim removal related to a replacement tire sale, preventing duplicate charges for customers.
Senate Bill 453 proposes to centralize various responsibilities within the Arkansas Department of Agriculture under the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. The bill redefines the "State Apiarist" as the Secretary and transfers the authority to determine emergencies for bovine disease rules to the Secretary. It also designates the Secretary to directly act as the State Forester, assuming the duties and qualifications previously held by that position. This consolidates oversight for areas like beekeeping, livestock, and forestry administration directly under the Secretary's office.
SB 468 proposed to change existing law regarding the fluoridation of public water systems. The bill would have allowed voters within a county to decide whether to permit or prohibit water fluoridation in their local area. This mechanism would have enabled residents to directly vote "for" or "against" water fluoridation. The bill specified that the circuit clerk would manage these county-level elections.
SB 205 aimed to amend Arkansas' Opportunity Public School Choice Act and the Public School Choice Act of 2015, focusing on school choice program rules. However, the bill was withdrawn from committee, amended, and later died in the Senate Education Committee on May 5, 2025, without becoming law. No specific policy changes or affected parties are detailed in the provided context, as the bill did not advance beyond committee consideration. The bill's procedural status - dying in committee - means it did not result in any legislative action or policy change.
Senate Bill 549 ensures that defendants in criminal cases receive refunds for certain mandated costs and fees they have paid. This applies if they are acquitted of the charges, if the charges are dismissed, or if an order of nolle prosequi is entered. These "mandated costs and fees" include items such as court filing costs, pretrial supervision fees, and ankle monitor fees. If a defendant is convicted of some charges but acquitted or has other charges dismissed in the same case, only the fees directly associated with the dismissed or acquitted charges would be refunded.
HB 1576 aimed to prohibit the placement of solid waste landfills in specific geological areas. The bill proposed to ban landfills in the outcrop areas of geologic formations, explicitly including karst topography. This measure would have directly affected waste management companies by restricting potential landfill sites and aimed to protect communities and environments in areas with these geological features.
This bill, SB 152, aimed to change the laws regarding "credited service" within the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System. However, the provided text only states the bill's purpose and does not include details on how it intended to amend these laws or what specific changes it would have made. Therefore, it is not possible to describe the key mechanisms or provisions of the bill.
Senate Bill 62 proposes to terminate the Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me Program (ARHOME). It mandates that all beneficiaries currently enrolled in ARHOME be transferred to the traditional Arkansas Medicaid program. The Department of Human Services would be responsible for notifying enrollees and managing this transition, with transfers to traditional Medicaid occurring by July 1, 2025. The ARHOME program would officially cease operations on December 31, 2026. The bill also repeals the Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me Act of 2021 and related trust funds.
Senate Bill 634 creates the Division of Interscholastic Activities within the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. This new division is established to provide oversight and regulation for interscholastic activities, such as sports and clubs, for students in grades 6-12 at public and open-enrollment charter schools, with private schools having the option to participate. Its responsibilities include monitoring compliance with state and federal rules, promoting educational values and sportsmanship, and ensuring consistent interpretation of activity rules. The division will be led by an Assistant Commissioner and is required to submit an annual report to legislative education committees.
SJR 3 proposes a constitutional amendment to restructure the Arkansas State Highway Commission. It requires each of the five commissioners to reside within and represent a specific geographic district, rather than being appointed at large. The bill also modifies the Senate's "advice and consent" process for appointments, limiting it to senators from the appointee's district. Additionally, it allows the General Assembly to adjust these district boundaries after each federal census and clarifies procedures for commissioner removal.
SB 501, known as the "Tenant Possessions Recovery Act," outlines new procedures for handling manufactured or mobile homes owned by a tenant after a court has ordered them to vacate a leased property. If a court issues an order for the tenant to give up possession, the landlord is not required to store the tenant's manufactured or mobile home. Instead, the tenant is responsible for removing their home at their own expense. The bill further states that if such a home remains on the leased lot 30 days after the court's order, it can be declared abandoned if the landlord makes a motion to the court.
