HB 1614, titled "TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING DESIGNATIONS RELATED TO CERTAIN CRIMINAL JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAMS," proposes adjustments to the administration of these programs. An amendment to the bill specifically changes the reporting frequency for these grants from quarterly to annually. This means that agencies or organizations involved in managing or receiving funds from these criminal justice grant programs would submit required reports once a year instead of every three months. The change primarily affects the administrative and reporting obligations for those entities.
House Resolution 1012 proposed to amend the rules of the Arkansas House of Representatives by creating a "designated survivor" position. This bill would have required the Speaker of the House to appoint a House member, with high seniority, to serve in this role. The designated survivor would assume the Speaker's duties if both the Speaker and a majority of House members became unable to serve due to an emergency, especially during joint legislative meetings. On the day of such meetings, the appointed survivor would be required to be physically absent from the State Capitol building, located at least five miles away, to ensure continuity of leadership.
HB 1270 establishes a five-year Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Pilot Program for children under 21 with medically complex conditions. The Department of Human Services will administer this nonresidential medical care program in three densely populated counties. It aims to expand access to cost-effective, community-based care and reduce hospitalizations by utilizing a federal Medicaid waiver to cover these services as an alternative to home health or private duty nursing. The program also focuses on providing caregiver training and support, with annual evaluations to assess health outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and the feasibility of a permanent statewide program.
HB 1162 proposes to establish Good Friday as an official state holiday in Arkansas. This bill would amend Arkansas Code § 1-5-101 to add Good Friday to the list of recognized holidays for state government employees. If enacted, state employees would be entitled to an additional paid holiday, increasing the total number of annual paid holidays from eleven to twelve.
HJR 1011 proposes a constitutional amendment to alter how the Arkansas General Assembly considers non-budget bills during its fiscal sessions. Currently, all bills not related to state spending require a two-thirds vote from both legislative houses to be considered in a fiscal session. This amendment would allow non-spending bills to be considered without such a special vote if they are filed within a 14-day period surrounding the start of the fiscal session. However, any non-spending bill filed outside this specific window would still require approval by two-thirds of the members in each house for consideration. If adopted by voters, these changes would become effective in 2027.
House Bill 1924 sought to repeal a specific requirement placed on the State Board of Education. It aimed to eliminate the mandate for the Board to establish rules, standards, and guidelines for public school districts that choose to operate on a four-day school week. This change would remove the state-level oversight on the implementation process for such schedules. The bill also reiterated that school districts with four-day weeks would not receive more state financial aid than those with five-day weeks.
House Bill 1528 proposes to amend Arkansas law regarding student report cards. This bill would require public school districts to include a statement about a student's current reading grade level on their report card. This change directly affects public school students and their parents by providing additional information on academic progress. The goal is to ensure that families receive clear communication regarding a student's reading proficiency.
This bill amends the process for evaluating the necessity and effectiveness of various state boards, commissions, and advisory councils. It mandates the abolishment of any board or commission that has no prescribed powers or duties and has not held a meeting with a quorum in two years. For other inactive boards, the Joint Performance Review Committee is required to reevaluate their purpose and effectiveness if they fail to meet regularly or with a quorum for four consecutive times within a two-year period. The committee will then report its findings and draft legislation, which could include abolishing, merging, or modifying the board, and submit it to the Governor.
House Bill 1330 proposed to amend the Arkansas Code regarding certain committees of the General Assembly. Specifically, it aimed to modify state law pertaining to the Joint Committee on Energy and the Joint Interim Committee on Energy. The bill's purpose was to update the statutes governing these legislative bodies, though the provided text does not detail the specific changes or provisions it would have introduced.
HB 1040, titled "The Water In Line Act of 2025" (which appears inconsistent with its actual content), aimed to amend penalties for misdemeanor offenses related to voting. The bill sought to change legal penalties for voting-related misdemeanors but did not specify the exact nature of these changes in the provided text. It was introduced in the 95th General Assembly (2025), underwent committee review, and ultimately died in committee on May 5, 2025, without becoming law. The bill’s confusing title likely contains an error, as its substance focused solely on voting offense penalties.
House Bill 1971 proposed to amend the process by which the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) provides vendor information to city and county governments. Upon request, the DFA would furnish an electronic report listing vendors within the requesting jurisdiction who hold state sales tax permits, including each vendor's name and their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. To receive this report, city or county governments would need to submit an electronic request by August 1, register for an account with the Arkansas Taxpayer Access Point, and may be charged a fee to cover the DFA's costs. The bill specified that the information provided to local governments must remain confidential and cannot be disclosed.
House Bill 1481, known as the Anti-ATF Commandeering Act, aims to restrict state and local public employees and elected officials in Arkansas. It prohibits them from providing material aid or support for enforcing federal firearms laws, including attempting to enforce such laws or referring federal firearms violations to the U.S. Government. Public employees found to have referred federal firearms violations would face termination of employment. The bill clarifies that it does not prevent the enforcement of state firearms laws or the use of federal information for enforcing state laws.
