House Bill 1192 prohibits public school students from possessing or using tobacco, tobacco products, or e-cigarettes on school property, including buses. The bill requires the parent of a student found violating this rule to pay a fine. This fine would be directed to the police department of the town where the school is located. However, this parental fine provision does not apply to students who are in the custody of the Division of Children and Family Services or the Division of Youth Services.
HB 1588 would have required the Department of Human Services (DHS) to receive approval from the General Assembly. This approval would be necessary before DHS could seek or implement any expansion of coverage for the Arkansas Medicaid program. The bill aimed to give the General Assembly oversight regarding changes to Medicaid program coverage.
House Bill 1434, as amended, aims to modify existing law concerning child custody awards between parents when domestic abuse is present. The bill redefines "domestic abuse" for these legal purposes, encompassing physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or certain sexual conduct between family or household members. It adjusts the legal presumption regarding an award of *sole* custody in cases involving domestic abuse. The bill also clarifies how a child's well-being is to be considered during custody determinations under these circumstances.
HB 1177 amends the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act to clarify its applicability. The bill explicitly states that the Act does not apply to the business relationship between an insurance company and its agents who sell insurance on its behalf. This change means that the rules governing franchise relationships will not apply to how insurance companies interact with their agents. The bill also applies these clarifications retroactively to earlier effective dates of the Act.
House Joint Resolution 1009 proposes an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution, establishing what would be known as the "Arkansas Victims' Bill of Rights." This amendment aims to provide specific rights for individuals who are victims of both misdemeanor and felony offenses. It would directly affect victims involved in both the adult and juvenile justice systems within the state. The bill intends to enshrine these rights into the state's constitution.
House Bill 1323 aimed to limit how Arkansas's state pension and retirement system funds are invested. The bill's purpose was to prevent these funds from being placed in businesses or organizations closely connected with the People's Republic of China and its Communist Party. This would have directly affected the investment strategies of Arkansas's public retirement systems.
HB 1295, titled the "Healthcare Cost-Sharing Collections Transparency Act," aims to bring transparency to healthcare cost-sharing. The provided text is an amendment to this bill. This amendment clarifies the definition of "healthcare insurer" by excluding sponsors of nonfederal self-funded governmental plans and third-party administrators from its scope. It also specifies that healthcare insurers must provide a report to each enrollee by mail or electronically by the initial date of Medicare open enrollment.
HJR 1016 would remove a provision allowing petition sponsors to fix errors in initiative or referendum petitions after state officials (like the Secretary of State) declare them incomplete. Currently, sponsors can correct petitions if they have at least 75% of required signatures statewide and from 15 counties. This bill would eliminate that correction window, requiring petitions to be complete on first submission. It directly affects groups gathering signatures for ballot measures in Arkansas.
HB 1345 aimed to amend the existing laws regarding "credited service" within the State Police Retirement System. This bill would have directly affected members of the State Police Retirement System in Arkansas. However, the provided bill text does not specify the exact changes or mechanisms it intended to implement concerning credited service.
HB 1016 proposes to create sales and use tax exemptions for several categories of products. If enacted, it would remove the sales and use tax from menstrual discharge collection devices, diapers, and certain items related to breastfeeding. This bill directly affects consumers who purchase these goods, potentially lowering their cost by eliminating the added tax.
House Bill 2002 aims to update the Education Service Cooperative Act of 1985 by eliminating established geographic boundaries for education service cooperatives. It requires the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to assign public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools to a cooperative by the 2026-2027 school year. The bill mandates that each cooperative establish a strategic plan and an executive subcommittee, while repealing the requirement for teacher centers. It also introduces a rating system for cooperatives, requires the Division to develop a new funding formula, and authorizes the State Board of Education to take action against or dissolve cooperatives with consistently low ratings.
HB 2000 proposes to amend the existing laws governing education service cooperatives, public school districts, and open-enrollment public charter schools in Arkansas. The bill specifically aims to modify the accountability systems that the Department of Education develops for these educational entities. This act directly affects the frameworks for how these schools and cooperatives are evaluated and overseen within the state.
