Rep. Jimmy Gazaway

Maddy summaryHB 1551 (now Act 485) creates a new criminal offense for coercing someone into an abortion through fraud, such as falsely claiming a medical necessity. It directly affects individuals who might be pressured into an abortion under false pretenses and medical providers who engage in such fraudulent coercion. The bill adds a specific criminal penalty for this conduct, separate from existing abortion laws. This law, passed in Arkansas on April 8, 2025, focuses on preventing deceptive practices in abortion decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HB 1561) is a technical amendment to remove all references to "the State of Qatar" from existing state laws. It deletes phrases like "or the State of Qatar" or "from the State of Qatar" from 17 different sections of the code, correcting outdated or erroneous text. The bill does not create new policies, affect any individuals or groups, or change legal requirements. It was passed by both chambers and became law as Act 473 on April 8, 2025, solely to update legal references.

Maddy summarySB 409 prohibits financial services providers from refusing to do business with or terminating relationships with agricultural producers solely based on their status as such. It defines "agricultural producer" to include those growing crops, raising animals, or producing livestock/dairy products. The bill requires Arkansas' Treasurer to publish a list of financial providers found to discriminate against agricultural producers, after giving them 45 days' notice and a 30-day window to prove they are not discriminating. This list will be posted online, with the process involving an ESG Oversight Committee and requiring agricultural producers to consent to sharing financial data if they report discrimination.

Maddy summaryHB 1508 is a technical recodification bill that makes minor corrections to Arkansas' public finance code (Title 19). It corrects typographical errors in the code, such as changing "aw" to "law" on page 40, "mayo" to "may" on page 139, and updating a section reference from "19-11-1301" to "19-69-101." The bill does not create new policies or affect any specific groups; it solely organizes and clarifies existing finance-related statutes. It was enacted as Act 419 on March 25, 2025, after passing with minor amendments.

Maddy summaryHB 1552 establishes new criminal classifications for attempts, solicitations, or conspiracies involving fentanyl-related offenses. It directly affects individuals who plan, attempt, or conspire to commit fentanyl-related crimes by creating specific sentencing tiers for these actions. The bill modifies existing law to define these inchoate offenses (like planning or attempting) as distinct criminal categories, separating them from completed fentanyl crimes. This law, now Act 420, became effective March 25, 2025, and applies to all such offenses under Arkansas law.

Maddy summaryHB 1610 is a technical amendment to Arkansas' Human Life Protection Act and Unborn Child Protection Act, clarifying existing medical exception language. It removes redundant phrases like "in the judgment of the physician" and replaces them with simpler terms such as "judgment" throughout the statutes. This change streamlines how medical professionals can cite exceptions for abortions when the mother's health is at risk, directly affecting healthcare providers and patients navigating the current abortion restrictions. The bill, now Act 387, became law on March 20, 2025, without altering the core prohibitions on abortion.

Maddy summaryHB 1579 amends Arkansas law to prevent incarcerated individuals convicted of sex offenses from requesting a reassessment of their risk level while in prison. The bill specifically adds a provision stating that such reassessment eligibility is only available after a person is released from incarceration. This change directly affects sex offenders currently serving time in state prisons, as they cannot seek a lower risk classification during their sentence. The law modifies existing eligibility rules under Arkansas Code § 12-12-917(h)(1) to require release before any reassessment can occur. The bill became Act 357 on March 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1563 adds "knowingly exposing another person to fentanyl in the first degree" (under Arkansas Code § 5-13-214(b)) as a felony offense that qualifies as a "restricted release felony" for release eligibility and procedures. This means individuals convicted of this specific fentanyl exposure offense, committed on or after January 1, 2025, will be ineligible for certain early release programs under Arkansas law. The bill directly affects people convicted of this new offense by restricting their release options. The change applies only to offenses occurring after the specified date, and the bill became law as Act 356 on March 20, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 317 prohibits Arkansas public institutions of higher education from engaging in specific activities with "prohibited foreign parties." It directly affects universities and colleges receiving state funding by banning them from conducting agricultural research under contract or selling agricultural products (including seeds) with such entities. The bill defines "prohibited foreign parties" but does not specify which entities qualify. This policy change restricts certain financial and research transactions between Arkansas colleges and designated foreign entities, without altering broader academic collaboration rules. The bill passed as Act 351 on March 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1628 adds "sexual assault in the second degree" to the list of offenses requiring courts to issue extended post-conviction no-contact orders when requested by prosecutors. This directly affects individuals convicted of sexual assault in the second degree and their victims, who will now automatically receive these protective orders after sentencing. The bill amends Arkansas Code § 5-4-106(b) to include this offense alongside existing violent crimes like murder, rape, and domestic battery. Courts must now issue these no-contact orders for this specific crime, expanding the scope of protections for victims. The change became law as Act 367 on March 20, 2025.