Rep. Glenn Barnes

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution honors the Arkansas Minority Health Commission during American Heart Month in February. It recognizes the Commission's efforts to address heart disease specifically among minority populations in Arkansas.

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 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."

Maddy summarySenate Bill 371 establishes a new, standardized system in Arkansas to aid in the search for missing children. This system is specifically designed for cases where a child does not meet the criteria for activating an Arkansas Amber Alert. While the provided text does not detail the specific mechanisms of this new system, its aim is to provide additional resources for locating children in these particular situations.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 535 creates a sales and use tax exemption specifically for the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts and the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation. This means that these two organizations will not be required to pay sales tax on their purchases of physical goods, digital products, or services. The bill amends existing state code to add this new exemption. This change aims to reduce the tax burden on the museum and its associated foundation.

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 1875 amends existing law regarding the use of ignition interlock devices. Its primary purpose is to extend the mandatory period for which individuals, often those with certain driving offenses, are required to use these devices. An amendment to the bill clarifies a notification procedure for device removal and sets an effective date of July 1, 2026, for the act.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates March 29, 2025, as Vietnam War Veterans Day and March 2025 as Vietnam Era Veterans Month in Arkansas. It formally recognizes the sacrifices and contributions of Vietnam War veterans through state-level ceremonial observance. The resolution does not create new laws, programs, or benefits - it serves solely as a symbolic gesture of appreciation. It affects Arkansas residents by establishing official dates for state-level recognition of veterans' service.

Maddy summaryHB 1861 would criminalize operating illegal online casinos or sports betting by classifying it as a felony. It proposes creating the "Interactive Gaming Act" to establish a regulatory framework for legal internet gaming, specifically including name, image, and likeness (NILL) games like fantasy sports and casino-style games. The bill also aims to regulate these activities under the new act while explicitly covering games already authorized under Arkansas' Scholarship Lottery Act. The bill declared an emergency to expedite its passage but was withdrawn by the author on April 7, 2025, and referred to the Judiciary Committee for interim study.