Rep. Denise Garner

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1014 aimed to require insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization (IVF). If enacted, the bill would have mandated this coverage under the state and public school life and health insurance program. This would have directly affected state employees and public school employees who receive their health benefits through this program, ensuring IVF was a covered medical service.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1031 proposes the creation of the Arkansas Healthy Lifestyle Education Act of 2025. This act would require Arkansas public schools to incorporate specific health issues into their health curriculum, directly affecting students by ensuring their education addresses these topics. The bill aims to ensure the health curriculum covers certain health issues facing students, though the provided text does not detail the specific issues.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1738 proposes a sales and use tax exemption for disabled veterans and authorized members of their households in Arkansas. To qualify, a disabled veteran must be certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and submit a letter to the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA). This exemption applies to sales of tangible personal property, digital products, and services, with an annual maximum limit of $25,000 per disabled veteran. The DFA would issue exemption cards and establish rules for the program.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1626, as amended, aimed to prohibit the sale of certain disposable vapor products. The bill's central provision was to ban the sale of disposable vapor products that originate from a "prohibited foreign party," a term defined by referencing an existing legal statute (§ 18-11-802). This measure would have directly impacted retailers selling vapor products and consumers who purchase them. The bill did not pass and died in committee.

Maddy summaryBased on the provided information, the full text of HB 1039 is not available. However, its title indicates that the bill aimed to amend existing Arkansas laws related to absentee ballots and general election procedures. Without the bill's full text, specific details about its mechanisms or provisions cannot be provided.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1038, titled the "No-Excuse Absentee Voting Act of 2025," aimed to change the current laws regarding absentee voting. This bill would have allowed all eligible voters to cast an absentee ballot without needing to provide a specific reason or qualification. It sought to repeal existing voter qualifications for absentee voting, making the process accessible to a broader range of voters who wish to vote absentee.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1985, known as the "Arkansas Renter Refund Act," proposes to create an income tax credit for certain residential tenants in Arkansas. The bill establishes a $500 income tax credit that qualifying taxpayers can claim against their state income tax. To be eligible, a taxpayer must rent their primary residence for the entire tax year, have a net income less than $40,000, and not be claimed as a dependent on another tax return. The credit amount cannot exceed the total income tax owed by the taxpayer for that year.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1015 proposes amendments to the individual income tax laws. The core purpose of this bill is to create a new income tax credit specifically for taxpayers who have dependent children. This credit aims to provide financial relief to families by reducing their state income tax liability. The specific details regarding the credit's value or eligibility criteria are not included in the provided text.

Maddy summaryHB 1040, titled "The Water In Line Act of 2025" (which appears inconsistent with its actual content), aimed to amend penalties for misdemeanor offenses related to voting. The bill sought to change legal penalties for voting-related misdemeanors but did not specify the exact nature of these changes in the provided text. It was introduced in the 95th General Assembly (2025), underwent committee review, and ultimately died in committee on May 5, 2025, without becoming law. The bill’s confusing title likely contains an error, as its substance focused solely on voting offense penalties.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1043 aims to establish new requirements for campaign finance in appellate judicial elections. Specifically, it seeks to mandate the disclosure and reporting of expenditures made by groups or individuals not directly associated with a candidate's campaign (non-candidate expenditures). Additionally, the bill proposes to implement new laws governing these appellate judicial campaigns. The full details of these new laws and reporting mechanisms are not provided in the given text, but the intent is to increase transparency around spending in these elections.