Rep. Aaron Pilkington

Maddy summaryHB 1437 prohibits Level 3 or Level 4 sex offenders from entering water parks, swimming areas, or children's playgrounds within 100 feet of Arkansas State Parks or public parks. It directly affects individuals required to register under Arkansas' Sex Offender Registration Act who have been assessed as Level 3 or 4 offenders. The bill expands prior restrictions by adding swimming areas and playgrounds to the prohibited zones, with violations classified as Class D felonies. This law amends Arkansas Code § 5-14-134 to cover all public parks and state parks, not just local government-owned facilities.

Maddy summarySB 59 requires all public schools to provide one free breakfast daily to every student upon request, without checking if they qualify for federally funded free or reduced-price meals. This policy directly affects all public school students in the state, eliminating eligibility barriers for breakfast access. The bill includes an emergency clause, allowing it to take effect immediately upon enactment. It changes school meal procedures by mandating universal breakfast availability as a standard practice, not tied to existing federal program eligibility. The bill became law as Act 123 on February 24, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1427, now Act 124, creates Arkansas' "Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act" to improve maternal health through Medicaid reforms. It requires the Arkansas Medicaid Program to reimburse for specific services including depression screening during pregnancy, separate coverage for prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care (such as office visits, blood work, and remote glucose monitoring), and self-measured blood pressure monitoring equipment. The bill also mandates reimbursement for remote ultrasounds, home visits by doulas and community health workers, and establishes presumptive eligibility to immediately enroll pregnant women in Medicaid while their full applications are processed. These provisions directly affect pregnant and postpartum women enrolled in Arkansas Medicaid, aiming to expand access to preventative and specialized care.

Maddy summaryHB 1402 amends Arkansas' Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act to allocate $500,000 annually from tobacco settlement funds toward a new grant program for school-based health centers. The Arkansas Minority Health Commission must establish and administer this program exclusively for school districts where racial or ethnic minorities are the majority population. The bill requires the Commission to mirror existing state grant program rules and distribute funds through the same framework used by the Department of Education and Department of Health. This policy change directly affects minority-majority school districts seeking to expand health services for students. Note: The bill was withdrawn by its author on February 18, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1054 would have required Arkansas Medicaid to cover blood pressure monitors for pregnant and postpartum women without cost-sharing. This policy change would directly affect Medicaid recipients in Arkansas who are pregnant or within 12 months postpartum and need blood pressure monitoring. The bill aimed to simplify access to this essential monitoring tool by mandating coverage under the state's Medicaid program. However, the bill was withdrawn by its author on February 18, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1061 would require Arkansas Medicaid to cover continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) for individuals diagnosed with gestational diabetes, a condition that develops during pregnancy. Currently, Medicaid covers CGMs for some people with diabetes (like type 1) but not gestational diabetes, so this bill would expand eligibility to include this group. To qualify, individuals must have a gestational diabetes diagnosis and maintain regular check-ups with a healthcare provider every six months. This change would directly affect Arkansans with gestational diabetes enrolled in Medicaid, ensuring they have access to this monitoring technology.

Maddy summaryHB 1047 would have allowed Arkansas Medicaid to immediately enroll pregnant women applying for coverage while their full applications are processed, improving access to prenatal care. The bill required Medicaid to make "presumptive eligibility" determinations for these applicants and permitted designated health entities to screen and enroll them without delay. However, the bill was withdrawn by its author on February 18, 2025, and is no longer active. This would have directly affected pregnant women seeking Medicaid coverage in Arkansas.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the "Momnibus Act," would improve maternal health care in Arkansas by amending Medicaid law to require separate reimbursement for prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services rather than a single global payment. It would extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to one full year, cover depression screening for pregnant women, provide blood pressure monitoring services, reimburse for remote ultrasounds, and include doula and community health worker services. The bill would directly affect pregnant and postpartum women enrolled in Arkansas Medicaid, as well as healthcare providers serving them. It would require the Department of Human Services to seek federal approval through waivers or state plan amendments to implement these changes. The bill was introduced in the 2025 Arkansas legislative session but was withdrawn by the author in February 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1053 would have required Arkansas Medicaid to reimburse healthcare providers for remote ultrasound procedures and remote fetal nonstress tests (using FDA-approved digital tools) when performed outside a clinic but meeting standard care. It specified that these services must comply with HIPAA (as of January 1, 2025), use secure data transmission, and follow specific CPT coding (like 5905 for fetal tests). The bill applied to all Medicaid plans (fee-for-service and managed care) and directed the Department of Human Services to seek federal approvals and adopt implementing rules by January 1, 2026. Note: The bill was withdrawn by its author on February 18, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1377 requires Arkansas' Economic Development Commission to annually report on funding supporting new businesses or businesses established within the past five years. The report must detail the percentage and total dollar amount of economic development funds (including community development block grants) used for these purposes. This data must be submitted yearly starting in 2027 to the Governor and the House/Senate Commerce Committees. The bill does not change funding levels but mandates transparency about existing support for small businesses and startups operating in Arkansas.