Public Health, Welfare And Labor

House Bill 1718 aimed to establish standards for surgical smoke evacuation in healthcare facilities licensed in Arkansas. The bill would have required any such facility using energy-generating devices to employ a smoke evacuation system during surgical procedures likely to produce surgical smoke. It defined key terms like "energy-generating device," "smoke evacuation system," and "surgical smoke" to clarify its scope. The State Board of Health and the Department of Health would have been authorized to enforce these new standards.

HB 1888 proposes to amend the Division of Workforce Services law to provide individuals with access to their employment records. It requires the Division of Workforce Services to make an individual's wage and employment record available, without charge, upon a written request. The bill also mandates that, upon request, these records be provided via electronic transmission, either directly or through a qualified third-party vendor, for purposes related to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Any revenue generated from a third-party vendor would support eligible workforce programs.

House Bill 1781 proposes to require licensure for clinics, health centers, or other facilities in Arkansas that terminate or abort pregnancies, including nonsurgical methods. These facilities would need to meet all requirements for an ambulatory surgery center. The bill's effectiveness is contingent on specific legal conditions, such as the Attorney General certifying that current state laws preventing most abortions have been enjoined, repealed, or amended to permit abortions beyond saving the life of the pregnant woman.

House Bill 1032, titled "TO BAN CONVERSION THERAPY," aimed to prohibit the practice of conversion therapy. This would have directly affected individuals who might seek or be subjected to such practices, as well as those who provide them. The provided text, an amendment to the bill, primarily adds Representative Springer as a sponsor, and does not detail the specific mechanisms or provisions of the proposed ban. The bill ultimately died in the House Committee in May 2025.

House Bill 1132 aims to increase access to healthcare by expanding the prescriptive authority of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Arkansas. The bill allows APRNs to prescribe Schedule II opioids for a period of five days or less. It also permits APRNs to prescribe Schedule II stimulants for a patient's ongoing treatment, provided a physician originally initiated the prescription, evaluated the patient within six months, and the prescription is for the same condition. The bill requires the Arkansas State Board of Nursing to establish rules for prescribing these medications, consistent with those of the State Medical Board.