Maddy summaryHB 1877 expands criminal offenses related to sexually explicit material depicting a child to include computer-generated images that are indistinguishable from a child. The bill defines "artificial intelligence" and "adversarial testing," which involves evaluating AI systems in a controlled environment. It creates exemptions for law enforcement investigations and for interactive computer services conducting good-faith adversarial testing to prevent AI systems from generating such content. However, these exemptions do not apply if the testing is for personal or exploitative purposes. Additionally, the bill renames the offense of "Possession or use of child sexual abuse material" to "Electronic facilitation of child sexual abuse."
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 1846 creates the Arkansas 2036 Commission to develop a long-term strategic plan for the state's future. The commission will be tasked with establishing goals and strategies for Arkansas by the year 2036. This bill directly affects state government operations by establishing a new entity to guide long-term planning. The commission's work will inform future policy decisions without making specific legislative changes. (Procedural bill; summary limited to creation of the commission as stated in the bill text.)
Maddy summarySB 547, now Act 728, repeals the requirement that a homeschooled student must live within a twenty-five-mile radius of a private school to participate in its interscholastic activities. This bill directly affects homeschooled students in Arkansas by removing a geographic barrier for joining extracurriculars at private schools. While the residency requirement is lifted, homeschooled students must still notify the private school and demonstrate academic eligibility to participate.
Maddy summarySB 530 is a procedural bill that added 21 senators and 37 representatives as cosponsors to the original bill. It did not change the tax credit policy itself, as the title references an existing Arkansas Wood Energy Products and Forest Maintenance Income Tax Credit. The bill's purpose was solely to expand the list of legislators supporting the tax credit legislation. The bill was passed and became Act 701 on April 18, 2025. No substantive policy changes to the tax credit were made by this amendment.
Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies the requirements for a property tax exemption offered to disabled veterans, their surviving spouses, and minor dependent children. It requires recipients to notify the county collector if their eligibility status, property description, ownership, use, or occupancy changes, or if they change their homestead. Additionally, if an exemption is determined to be erroneously granted, the county collector must remove it and may levy up to three years of unpaid property taxes, along with any applicable penalties, interest, and costs.
Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1529 creates a new criminal offense and a civil cause of action related to "deepfake visual material." It makes it illegal to unlawfully create or distribute such material, directly affecting individuals involved in these actions. Additionally, the bill allows individuals who are victims of unlawfully created deepfake visual material to file a lawsuit to seek compensation. This legislation provides both criminal penalties and a civil remedy for the misuse of deepfake technology.
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 summaryHouse Bill 1679 amends the Revised Arkansas Anatomical Gift Act. It allows certain individuals to revoke or modify an anatomical gift after the donor's death, specifically following the irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions. The bill also requires organ procurement organizations to submit certain reports. This legislation affects individuals who have made anatomical gift decisions and the organizations responsible for facilitating these gifts.
Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1958 requires public entities to develop and implement a formal policy regarding the authorized use of artificial intelligence. This legislation directly affects government agencies and other public organizations. The purpose of these policies is to define how AI tools can be used within their operations, ensuring clear guidelines for their application.
Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1957 amends the Unsolicited Commercial and Sexually Explicit Electronic Mail Prevention Act. This bill expands the existing law to include unsolicited commercial and sexually explicit text messages, alongside electronic mail. Its purpose is to prevent individuals from receiving unwanted commercial and sexually explicit content via text messages. This change affects both senders and recipients of such electronic communications.