House Bill 1015 proposes amendments to the individual income tax laws. The core purpose of this bill is to create a new income tax credit specifically for taxpayers who have dependent children. This credit aims to provide financial relief to families by reducing their state income tax liability. The specific details regarding the credit's value or eligibility criteria are not included in the provided text.
HJR 1014 proposes an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution. This amendment would authorize the state's General Assembly to create economic development districts. These districts would be established to promote economic development throughout Arkansas. An amendment to the resolution clarified that these districts could also be used for environmental mitigation or reclamation purposes.
This is a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 1003) titled "The Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment," but the provided context lacks the actual text of the amendment or its specific provisions. The bill was introduced in the 2025 Arkansas legislature, amended to add Representative Springer, referred to a committee, and ultimately died in committee on May 5, 2025. No substantive policy details, key mechanisms, or who it would affect are included in the available information. As a constitutional amendment proposal that did not advance beyond committee, no concrete policy changes were enacted.
House Bill 1989 proposed amendments to Arkansas law regarding used motor vehicle buyer protection and the dealer licensing process. The bill updated and added definitions for various terms, including "auto auction," "used motor vehicle dealer," "wholesale used motor vehicle dealer," "used motor vehicle salesperson," "convicted," and "retail used motor vehicle dealer." It also revised penalties for violations of used motor vehicle buyers' protection laws, making a third or subsequent offense a Class D felony with a three-year license suspension. This legislation aimed to clarify regulations for used motor vehicle sales and enhance consumer protection.
House Bill 1973 (HB 1973) proposes to prohibit governmental bodies in Arkansas from using state or local funds to enter into contracts with external lobbyists. This means that state and local taxpayer money could not be used to pay individuals or firms whose primary purpose is to lobby on behalf of a government entity. The bill also extends this prohibition to using state or local funds to pay membership dues to organizations that lobby on behalf of governmental bodies. However, it clarifies that governmental bodies are still permitted to employ their own staff, including registered lobbyists, to conduct lobbying activities.
HB 1560 proposed changes to public works contracts in Arkansas, specifically regarding lighting components. The bill would have required the state, counties, municipalities, and school districts to obtain at least three bids from separate lighting agencies for lighting specified in public works projects designed by electrical engineering firms. This aimed to ensure competitive pricing for lighting components. However, it included exceptions for specialty fixtures needed for design aesthetics or historical purposes and did not apply to municipal electric utilities.
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.
