HB 1048 (now Act 125) allows small-scale dairy farmers to sell unpasteurized goat, sheep, and whole milk directly to consumers beyond just on their farm. The law clarifies that incidental sales - such as at farmer's markets or via farm delivery - no longer require the milk to be sold solely on the premises where it's produced. This directly affects farmers who produce raw milk and consumers who purchase it, removing previous restrictions on sales locations. The bill also permits advertising these sales, making the process more flexible for small producers. The change became effective February 20, 2025, after passing both legislative chambers.
HB 1390 redirects unused funds from previous appropriations to complete specific infrastructure projects for Arkansas Health Center and Arkansas State Hospital. It allocates $2 million for a warehouse distribution building at Arkansas Health Center and $1.175 million for roof repairs at Arkansas State Hospital, both effective July 1, 2025. The bill ensures these unspent capital improvement funds are used for their originally intended purposes before expiring. This procedural measure prevents funding lapses and supports physical facility maintenance for state facilities under the Department of Human Services' Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services.
HB 1427, now Act 124, creates Arkansas' "Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act" to improve maternal health through Medicaid reforms. It requires the Arkansas Medicaid Program to reimburse for specific services including depression screening during pregnancy, separate coverage for prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care (such as office visits, blood work, and remote glucose monitoring), and self-measured blood pressure monitoring equipment. The bill also mandates reimbursement for remote ultrasounds, home visits by doulas and community health workers, and establishes presumptive eligibility to immediately enroll pregnant women in Medicaid while their full applications are processed. These provisions directly affect pregnant and postpartum women enrolled in Arkansas Medicaid, aiming to expand access to preventative and specialized care.
This bill clarifies rules for Arkansas judicial retirees' benefit payments. It generally protects retirement payments from being seized by creditors or courts, except in cases of embezzlement/fraud by the retiree or when a court orders payments to cover willful child support violations. It also establishes clear procedures for correcting payment errors: overpayments must be recovered within five years (unless fraud occurred), while underpayments must be paid immediately in a lump sum with future payments adjusted. These changes aim to make benefit administration fairer and more efficient for all judicial retirees.
This bill allows Arkansas' public retirement system (APERS) to recover overpaid benefits from retirees who owe money to the Arkansas Judicial Retirement System or State Police Retirement System. It amends state law to explicitly include these two retirement systems as entities from which APERS can collect overpayments. The change directly affects retirees who received excess payments and the retirement systems themselves by expanding APERS' existing authority to recover such debts. This is a technical adjustment to streamline benefit recovery, not a new policy or funding change.
HB 1391 reallocates unused state funds to support facility upgrades at Arkansas' developmental disabilities centers. It provides $5.69 million for the Booneville Human Development Center's residential housing plan (including demolition and construction) and $7.38 million for facility improvements at other centers, as outlined in prior legislation. The bill directs these specific funds for facility renovations only and does not create new services or funding streams. It applies directly to the Department of Human Services' Division of Developmental Disabilities Services and the individuals they serve. The funds are drawn from previously allocated balances, not new appropriations.
HB 1210 establishes a new funding mechanism for administrative costs of Arkansas' judicial and state police retirement systems. Starting July 1, 2027, the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System (APERS) will receive annual transfers from both the Arkansas Judicial Retirement System and State Police Retirement System funds. The transfer amount is calculated using a 50/50 weighted average of each system's share of total assets and total membership within the combined retirement systems. This replaces previous methods, requiring APERS to submit transfer requests to the Chief Fiscal Officer for approval, with funds moving through state fiscal offices.
HB 1207 makes technical corrections to Arkansas' State Police Retirement System to clarify benefit eligibility and administration. It specifically ensures surviving spouses and children of police officers killed in the line of duty qualify for benefits regardless of whether the officer was a system member or met service requirements at death (Section 1). The bill also updates pension calculation references (Section 2), repeals outdated benefit redetermination language (Section 3), and clarifies court levy protections for retirement benefits (Section 4). These changes primarily affect current and future state police retirees and their surviving families by ensuring consistent benefit access under existing rules. The bill does not create new benefits but streamlines administrative processes.
HB 1263 creates a new Class A misdemeanor offense for individuals under electronic monitoring supervision (such as probation, parole, or pending charges) who knowingly remove their tracking device or fail to properly charge it, causing location monitoring to fail. The law defines "electronic monitoring device" as a location-tracking device approved by corrections officials. Violators face misdemeanor penalties and must pay restitution for device repair or replacement costs. This directly affects people under court-ordered electronic supervision in Arkansas.
HB 1067 allows federal firearms licensees (FFLs), such as gun shops, to enter into agreements with individuals to temporarily hold firearms. It directly affects FFLs who offer this service and individuals seeking to store firearms without immediate possession. The bill's key provision grants FFLs legal protection from civil lawsuits if they comply with the agreement, shielding them from liability related to the stored firearm. This creates a clear legal framework for temporary firearm storage arrangements without requiring FFLs to sell or transfer the weapon.
HB 1220 adds Senator G. Leding to the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council. This procedural bill, now Act 102 (effective February 18, 2025), updates the council's membership roster without changing the council's duties or affecting public policy. The amendment was approved by the Senate and enacted without substantive policy changes.
HB 1282 (now Act 110) amends Arkansas law to clarify and strengthen penalties for unauthorized practice of law. It directly affects non-lawyers who offer legal services in personal injury or property damage cases, such as those advising on claims, negotiating settlements, or soliciting clients for these matters. The bill specifically prohibits actions like contracting for representation on a contingent fee basis, advising on settlement offers, or entering exclusive agreements for selecting legal counsel without a license. This makes it a criminal offense to engage in these activities with the intent of gaining direct economic benefit, tightening existing restrictions on unlicensed legal assistance. The law took effect on February 18, 2025, after passing both legislative chambers.
