HJR 1017 proposes a constitutional amendment in Arkansas to change the requirements for state-wide initiated acts and constitutional amendments to become law. Currently, these measures pass with a state-wide majority vote. Under this proposed amendment, they would also need to receive a majority of votes in a majority of the state's counties to be approved. However, an act or measure subject to a state-wide referendum would still be repealed if rejected by a state-wide majority of voters, regardless of county-level results. This amendment, if approved by voters, would take effect on January 1, 2027.
House Bill 1687 (HB 1687) proposes to amend Arkansas law concerning tax exemptions for water authorities. The bill would explicitly exempt water authorities formed under the relevant chapter from all excise taxes of any kind or nature. This expands their existing tax-exempt status, which already includes exemptions from ad valorem property taxes. The change aims to reduce the tax obligations for these public entities.
House Bill 1884 aimed to update the laws concerning the marking and counting of paper ballots in Arkansas elections. It proposed that all hand-counted paper ballots include a unique watermark or ultraviolet ink seal for enhanced security in each election cycle. The bill also mandated that hand counts be completed within 24 hours of polls closing and at least 24 hours before the certification deadline; otherwise, machine tabulated results would be certified. It further outlined security protocols for any breaks during the hand-counting process, requiring ballots to be sealed and guarded, and specified minimum poll worker staffing.
HB 1030 aims to enhance mental health support for students by requiring specific training for school personnel. The bill mandates that School Resource Officers (SROs) and other law enforcement working in schools obtain certification in Youth Mental Health First Aid. It also requires school counselors to receive Youth Mental Health First Aid training. An adopted amendment specifies that the requirement for SROs will be integrated into their existing continuing education hours.
House Bill 1443, known as the "Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act," aims to protect the financial privacy of customers purchasing firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories. The bill prohibits financial institutions and payment networks from implementing practices that assign specific "firearms codes" to payment card transactions. These codes could identify a merchant as a firearms retailer or indicate that a transaction involves firearms or related items. The legislation also restricts the disclosure of such protected financial information for purposes other than processing the payment transaction, directly affecting financial institutions, payment networks, and their customers in the state.
House Bill 1906 aimed to amend Arkansas law to require written consent from a parent or legal guardian before a healthcare provider could prescribe long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) to individuals younger than eighteen years of age. This bill would have directly impacted minors seeking LARC by adding a new consent requirement to existing family planning provisions. An exception was included for emancipated minors, meaning they would not have needed parental consent under the bill's provisions.
House Bill 1695 clarifies the foreclosure process for properties subject to municipal liens, directly affecting municipalities, property owners, and other lienholders. The bill allows municipalities to establish priority for unrecorded municipal liens and outlines how proceeds from property sales are distributed based on lien priority. It requires municipalities to name all record lienholders in foreclosure actions where they claim priority; otherwise, the unnamed lienholder's claim remains on the property. Additionally, the bill enables municipalities to petition to set aside the sale of property to certain persons.
HJR 1013 proposes a constitutional amendment in Arkansas to change how certain elected vacancies are filled. If approved by voters, it would grant the Governor the authority to appoint individuals to fill vacancies in offices such as United States Senator, United States Representative, and all elective state, district, circuit, and township offices. This proposed change would not apply to vacancies for Lieutenant Governor or members of the General Assembly. If adopted, the amendment would become effective on January 1, 2027.
House Bill 2004 aimed to establish standard requirements for railroad train defect detectors and trending defect detector technology within Arkansas. The bill would have required defect detectors to include specific equipment like hot box and hot wheel detectors. It also mandated audible alarms and detailed messages to be broadcast over radio channels regarding detected defects or confirming no defects, including train location and axle count. This legislation would have directly affected railroad corporations operating in the state by creating procedures for operating crews to stop and inspect trains upon detection of trending defects, with subsequent speed restrictions.
HB 1978 proposed to add an additional state district court judgeship to the Seventeenth District, which encompasses Clay and Greene counties. This would have increased the number of judges serving that district from one to two. The bill outlined that the new judgeship would become effective on January 1, 2027, with an election planned for 2026. The salary and benefits for this additional judge would have been funded jointly by the City of Paragould, Greene County, and Clay County.
HJR 1010 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the Arkansas Senate to remove members of state boards and commissions. This amendment would permit the Senate to remove a member before their term expires, but only for "cause" and after providing notice and a hearing. Such a removal would require a vote of at least two-thirds of the Senate's membership. This new removal process would be supplemental to any other methods of removal already established by the Arkansas Constitution or state law.
This House Resolution honors Craig Jones, a longtime choir teacher and choral director at Harding Academy in Searcy, Arkansas, upon the occasion of his upcoming retirement. It acknowledges his 48 years of service, his achievements with the school's choirs, and his various awards and recognitions.
