Rep. Mary Bentley

Maddy summaryThe provided context for HB 1657 only shows cosponsor additions and procedural status (it became Act 709 on April 16, 2025), not the bill's substantive policy content. The title references an "income tax credit" for wood energy products and forest maintenance, but the text does not explain how the credit is amended or who it affects. Without the actual policy provisions or bill text describing changes to the tax credit, a factual summary of its mechanisms or impact cannot be generated. To provide a meaningful summary, the bill's specific policy language would be required.

Maddy summaryHB 1815, now Act 687, modifies the state's legal authority in two distinct areas. It amends the state's jurisdiction regarding federal lands located within its borders. Additionally, the bill ensures that the state retains jurisdiction over juvenile justice matters. An amendment clarifies that these juvenile cases will be heard by the circuit court or the juvenile division of the circuit court.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1854 amends Arkansas law concerning training requirements for home caregivers. This bill directly affects home caregivers by adding a new exemption to the existing list of individuals not required to complete specific training. Under this new provision, a home caregiver who has previously completed the required training and can provide documentation of it will be exempt from needing to complete it again. This adds to other exemptions for individuals such as Certified Nursing Assistants, licensed practical nurses, and certain family members of care recipients.

Maddy summaryHB 1677 authorizes alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs to maintain emergency medication kits. These programs must be licensed by the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy. The kits must be stored behind a locked door and cannot contain any Schedule II controlled substances. A physician or advanced practice registered nurse oversees the kit's contents, use, and access.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1454, now Act 674, amends existing laws concerning criminal history record checks for service providers. This bill allows third-party employee evaluation services to perform these background checks. It also expands the scope of these checks to include independent contractors, in addition to employees. This means both employees and independent contractors working for service providers will be subject to these checks, which can now be conducted by external evaluation services.

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 summaryAct 624 generally prohibits Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) from holding retail pharmacy permits in the state, directly affecting PBMs, retail pharmacies, and their patients. The Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy will identify existing retail pharmacies affiliated with PBMs and notify them of this prohibition by January 1, 2026. Affected pharmacies must then notify their patients and prescribing healthcare providers that they can no longer dispense retail drugs after this date. However, an exception allows for temporary "limited use permits" for PBM-affiliated pharmacies if a rare, orphan, or limited distribution drug is otherwise unavailable to patients in the market. This exception for limited use permits is set to expire on September 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1440, now Act 629, amends the existing Massage Therapy Act. This legislation establishes a new requirement for massage therapy establishments to register with the state. It also clarifies that these establishments cannot employ, contract with, or permit individuals without a current massage therapy license or a massage therapy learning permit to perform massage therapy techniques. This bill aims to regulate both the facilities and the practitioners within the massage therapy industry.

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 1821 creates a single State Captive Insurance Program to replace fragmented property insurance systems for public schools, state-supported colleges/universities, and state-owned properties in Arkansas. It combines these entities under one program, prohibits the use of public adjusting firms (which the bill states increased premiums), and requires independent reappraisals of higher education properties to ensure proper valuation. The bill also establishes the Office of Property Risk within the Department of Transformation and Shared Services to manage the program and mandates coordination among state agencies for a smooth transition. These changes aim to stabilize insurance costs and improve market competitiveness for these public entities.