Rep. Denise Garner

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1144 aimed to require schools participating in the Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account Program to comply with specific reporting standards. It mandated that these participating schools would be subject to the same statutory and Department of Education reporting requirements that public schools in Arkansas must follow. This bill sought to standardize the reporting obligations across both types of schools.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1880 proposes amendments to Arkansas's Human Life Protection Act and Unborn Child Protection Act. The bill seeks to add new exceptions to the state's abortion prohibitions, allowing the procedure in cases of pregnancies resulting from incest or rape, provided a report has been filed with law enforcement. It also includes an exception for fetal abnormalities incompatible with life. Additionally, the bill expands the definition of "medical emergency" to include circumstances where an abortion is necessary to preserve the health of a pregnant woman, not just her life.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 451 requires the Department of Human Services and the Department of Education to establish regional behavioral health programs by January 1, 2026. These programs aim to provide necessary behavioral health treatment for students in public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools. The departments will collaborate to identify and repurpose alternative learning environments or find new locations for these programs. Additionally, the bill mandates the development of funding sources for students unable to pay for care within these programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill, SB 489, authorizes the placement of a monument on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds. The monument will recognize the desegregation of the Charleston and Fayetteville School Districts in 1954. It also establishes a dedicated fund, the Charleston and Fayetteville Desegregation Memorial Monument Fund, to accept donations for the monument's erection and upkeep, with the Secretary of State overseeing its design and site selection.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1681 establishes the Water and Sewer Treatment Facilities Grant Program. This program provides grants to local entities to help fund improvements and upgrades to their water and sewer treatment infrastructure. The grants will be supported by revenues authorized by law. The program is set to expire five years after its effective date, and the administering commission is required to report annually on the status of all awarded grants.

Maddy summaryHB 1732 aims to increase the income tax deduction available to teachers. This deduction applies to money teachers spend on their classrooms, often referred to as classroom investment. By increasing the allowed deduction, the bill enables teachers to reduce a larger portion of these out-of-pocket expenses from their taxable income. This change directly affects teachers who incur costs for their classrooms.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1782, now Act 642, prohibits the sale, transfer, or furnishing of over-the-counter diet pills to individuals who are under eighteen years of age. This means that retailers and other parties are not permitted to provide these specific products to minors. The law directly affects sellers of these pills and individuals under 18 seeking to purchase them.

Maddy summaryHB 1824, also known as the "Dog and Cat Rescue Act: Daisy's Law," amends Arkansas law concerning cruelty to animals. This act authorizes law enforcement officers to temporarily secure a dog or cat and transfer its possession to an appropriate place of custody. This action can be taken after a complaint of cruelty if there is a substantial likelihood the animal's condition would deteriorate. Officers may also consider the condition of other dogs or cats belonging to the same owner as evidence to support securing the animal.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1333, now Act 627, mandates that health insurance plans must provide coverage for breastfeeding and lactation consultant services. This bill directly affects individuals who utilize these services by ensuring their insurance covers the costs. It requires health insurance providers to include this specific coverage in their plans. An amendment clarified that these services must be provided by a certified healthcare provider.

Maddy summaryHB 1033 proposed Arkansas' "Red Flag Law" by creating a legal process for courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs). If enacted, this would allow family members, law enforcement, or prosecutors to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed to pose an immediate risk of harming themselves or others. The bill directly affected people facing such court orders and required law enforcement to enforce the temporary firearm removal. However, the bill was withdrawn by its author on April 15, 2025, and recommended for study in the legislative interim, meaning it never became law.