House Bill 1702 proposed to expand sales and use tax exemptions for certain machinery and equipment used in manufacturing processes in Arkansas. It specifically aimed to add machinery and equipment used for "closed-loop recycling" to the list of items exempt from these taxes. This exemption would apply to equipment that mechanically reclaims and converts materials generated directly from a manufacturer's own process, reintroducing them into the original production cycle. The bill defined a "closed-loop circular process" as one where reclaimed post-use materials become a recognized component of the finished product.
House Bill 1045 aimed to establish new requirements for individuals conducting crop residue burns, primarily affecting farmers and agricultural operators. The bill would have mandated that all planned crop residue burns be reported to the Department of Agriculture before they commence. Additionally, it sought to address the liability for individuals who comply with these new burn requirements. Information submitted to the Department of Agriculture regarding these burns would have been exempt from public record laws.
HB 1078 proposes to amend Arkansas law to establish runoff elections for candidates running for the state Senate and House of Representatives. The bill would require a special runoff election if no candidate secures a majority of the votes in the initial election. For these runoff elections, all polling sites designated for the preceding general election within the candidates' district would be used. This directly affects voters and individuals seeking to represent their districts in the General Assembly.
House Bill 1977, titled the "Protecting Childhood Innocence in Libraries Act," requires public school libraries and other taxpayer-funded libraries to ensure that sexually explicit material is not placed on open shelves in children's library areas, which are designated for children aged twelve and under. Sex education materials would also be kept off open shelves but could be accessed by a child with a parent or guardian's request. The bill creates a private legal right for parents or guardians to sue libraries for damages and other relief if their child is exposed to sexually explicit material in these children's sections.
House Bill 1143 proposes to amend the Charitable Bingo and Raffles Enabling Act in Arkansas. The bill's primary purpose is to prohibit the use of raffles as a method to provide funding for student-athletes. This restriction applies specifically to funding arrangements made under the Arkansas Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act. Essentially, it prevents organizations from conducting raffles to generate money for student-athletes' publicity rights.
HB 1331 addresses situations where an Arkansas county's local legislative body does not adopt a new annual budget. The bill requires that if a new annual spending plan is not passed, the county must continue its operations and pay for expenditures, including employee salaries, based on the previous year's budget. This process continues until a new annual budget is officially adopted. The bill includes an emergency clause to ensure immediate implementation, aiming to prevent disruptions to county services and employee payments.
HB 1195 amends the laws for employees of municipalities participating in the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System (APERS). It clarifies the timeframe for these employees to choose to opt out of APERS and instead participate in a local retirement plan. The bill specifies that employees have 90 days after assuming office in their first term and any subsequent term to make this election. Additionally, it includes a temporary provision granting current employees an extra 90 days from the act's effective date to make this retirement plan election.
House Bill 1892 aimed to regulate "nonexport facilities," which are customer-owned systems generating electricity for personal use without intentionally sending power back to the grid. It sought to prohibit public utilities from charging discriminatory electricity rates to customers operating these facilities. The bill would have also required the Arkansas Public Service Commission to create rules for the safe and reliable operation of nonexport facilities, including standards for managing accidental electricity export and an expedited interconnection review process. Additionally, it clarified that these nonexport facilities would not be considered net-metering facilities.
HB 1334 proposes to amend Arkansas law regarding contributions to the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System (APERS). The bill specifically targets issues with local government employers who participate in APERS and are delinquent in making their required employer and employee contributions. Its purpose is to update existing statutes to better address the collection and handling of these overdue payments.
House Bill 1116, known as the Remote and Mobile Work Modernization and Competitiveness Act, aimed to create new regulations for remote and mobile employment. It sought to provide income tax and withholding exemptions for specific remote and mobile employees and nonresidents. The bill intended to reduce tax burdens for these workers, encouraging a more competitive environment for remote work.
HB 1041 bans the creation and distribution of deceptive or fraudulent deepfakes (manipulated audio/video) in election-related communications, such as campaign ads or voter outreach. It directly affects political campaigns, candidates, and advertisers who produce or share election content using AI-generated deepfakes meant to mislead voters. The bill prohibits using deepfakes to falsely represent candidates, distort policies, or spread false information during elections. It does not cover non-election content or deepfakes without deceptive intent. The bill was introduced in the 2025 legislative session but died in committee without becoming law.
House Bill 1069 proposes that Arkansas observe standard time year-round, thereby eliminating the practice of daylight saving time. The bill includes a provision requiring the Secretary of State to monitor federal law concerning time observation. If the United States government amends federal law to permanently mandate daylight saving time for states, Arkansas would then observe daylight saving time year-round. The state would revert to year-round standard time if any such federal requirement were later repealed.
