Arkansas Bills

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1023: TO AMEND THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM; AND TO AMEND THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR LOAN FORGIVENESS AND THE LOAN REPAYMENT AMOUNTS UNDER THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM.

Based on the title, HB 1023 aimed to modify the State Teacher Education Program. It sought to change the eligibility requirements for loan forgiveness and adjust the loan repayment amounts within that program. The provided text is an amendment adding sponsors, and the specific details of these proposed changes are not available in this context.

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1198: TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN HEIGHTS OF WIND POWER DEVICES FOR WATERFOWL CONSERVATION IN THIS STATE; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

HB 1198 proposes to restrict the height of wind power devices in Arkansas to help conserve waterfowl populations. The bill prohibits wind farms, windmills, and wind turbines from exceeding 150 feet in height. This restriction applies to new projects located in specific 100-square-mile areas where at least eleven bird bands have been collected over the previous ten years. Wind power devices already under construction or in operation before January 1, 2025, would be exempt from this height limit.

Topics ✗ Energy ✓ Environment

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1349: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING BENEFITS UNDER THE ARKANSAS TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

HB 1349 aimed to amend benefits under the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, directly affecting Arkansas public school teachers who participate in this retirement program. The bill's text states its purpose as amending the law concerning these benefits but does not specify the exact changes to provisions, eligibility, or benefit amounts in the provided context. No detailed mechanisms or key provisions are described in the available bill text or summary. As filed, it sought policy changes to retirement benefits but died in committee without further action. Without specific amendment details in the context, the precise nature of the proposed changes cannot be summarized.

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1328: TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF YEARS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE ARKANSAS STATE POLICE OFFICERS DEFERRED OPTION PLAN AND THE ARKANSAS STATE POLICE OFFICERS' TIER TWO DEFERRED RETIREMENT OPTION PLAN.

House Bill 1328 proposed to extend the maximum participation period for active Arkansas State Police Officers in two specific retirement savings programs. It aimed to increase the duration of participation in both the Arkansas State Police Officers Deferred Option Plan (Tier One) and the Arkansas State Police Officers' Tier Two Deferred Retirement Option Plan. If enacted, officers in these plans would have been able to participate for a maximum of ten years, up from the current seven years.

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1725: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING COMPENSATION FOR THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF.

HB 1725 would amend Arkansas law concerning the office and compensation of sheriffs. It would require individuals newly elected or appointed as sheriff to file documentation with the county clerk within ten days, stating whether they meet specific law enforcement training or eligibility requirements. If a new sheriff does not have these qualifications, the county's quorum court would be mandated to set their annual salary at the minimum provided by law. Sheriffs who later gain the required training could submit new documentation for the quorum court to consider for compensation adjustments.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1136: TO AMEND THE COMPREHENSIVE CRIMINAL RECORD SEALING ACT OF 2013; AND TO PROHIBIT A COURT FROM GRANTING A UNIFORM PETITION WHEN A PERSON IS SUBJECT TO AN ACTIVE WARRANT OF ARREST.

House Bill 1136 aimed to amend Arkansas's Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013. The bill proposed that individuals applying to seal their criminal records would need to state under oath if they have an active arrest warrant. Furthermore, it would have prohibited courts from granting a record sealing petition if the person seeking to seal their record is subject to an active warrant of arrest. This bill would have directly affected individuals attempting to seal their criminal records and the courts processing these petitions.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1058: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ETHICS AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST FOR PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES; AND TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FROM GIVING ADVANCE NOTICE TO ENTITIES OF REQUIRED INSPECTIONS.

HB 1058 seeks to update existing laws regarding ethics and conflicts of interest for public officers and employees. A central provision of the bill prohibits public employees from giving advance notice to entities before conducting complaint-based inspections. This aims to ensure that these specific types of inspections are carried out without prior warning to the entity being inspected.

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1350: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING BENEFITS UNDER THE STATE POLICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

HB 1350 aimed to amend the existing laws regarding benefits provided under the State Police Retirement System. This bill, therefore, would directly affect current and future beneficiaries of that system, including state police officers and their eligible dependents. However, the provided bill text only states its general purpose and does not detail the specific changes, mechanisms, or provisions it intended to implement regarding these benefits.

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1754: TO CREATE THE PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION ACT; AND TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN PROPERTY USE RESTRICTIONS BY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.

House Bill 1754, known as the "Private Property Protection Act," aimed to limit the ability of state and local governmental entities in Arkansas to restrict the use of private property. It would have required property use restrictions related to planning, zoning, or land use to be demonstrably necessary, narrowly tailored, and the least restrictive means to fulfill a compelling governmental interest. Private property owners could challenge these restrictions in court, with the governmental entity needing to prove the restriction met these criteria. If an owner prevailed, the court would have enjoined the restriction and awarded attorney fees and costs. The bill included exceptions for actions preventing nuisances or enforcing existing permits.

Topics ✓ Housing

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1115: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - ARKANSAS REHABILITATION SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.

House Bill 1115 is an appropriations bill for the Department of Commerce - Arkansas Rehabilitation Services for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. This bill allocates funds to cover the department's personal services and operating expenses. It establishes a maximum of 352 regular employee positions, including rehabilitation counselors, therapists, and administrative staff, and authorizes up to 19 temporary or part-time "Extra Help" employees. These provisions aim to enable the department to provide rehabilitation services to Arkansans.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1290: TO MANDATE COVERAGE FOR MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS EXAMINATIONS; AND TO ESTABLISH THE ARKANSAS SUPPORT OF MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS EXAMINATIONS ACT.

House Bill 1290 aims to mandate insurance coverage for mental health wellness examinations and establish the Arkansas Support of Mental Health Wellness Examinations Act. This bill would directly affect individuals with health benefit plans and the healthcare insurers providing those plans. An amendment to the bill clarified provisions regarding the scope of these examinations, including age-appropriate screenings and other clinically appropriate supports. It also specified that cost-sharing is required for health benefit plans issued by a healthcare insurer to a state entity.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

died · Arkansas · House May 5, 2025

HB 1472: TO CREATE A SALES AND USE TAX EXEMPTION FOR PARTS PURCHASED TO REPAIR AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY AND TIMBER EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY AND PARTS AND SERVICES PURCHASED TO REPAIR A GRAIN BIN.

House Bill 1472 proposed creating new sales and use tax exemptions for specific purchases related to the agriculture and timber industries in Arkansas. The bill aimed to exempt the sales tax on parts purchased to repair agricultural equipment and machinery used directly in commercial production. It also sought to exempt sales tax on parts used to repair timber equipment and machinery involved in commercial timber production, harvesting, or processing. Furthermore, the bill included an exemption for both parts and services purchased to repair a grain bin.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill results