Rep. Brandon Achor

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 1680, now Act 811, restricts certain foreign entities from acquiring interests in land. It prohibits businesses controlled by a "foreign party" from leasing land. The bill also prevents "prohibited foreign parties" from holding an interest in real property or agricultural land under specific circumstances. An amendment clarifies that an individual is not considered a "prohibited foreign party" if they are also a citizen of the United States.

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 summaryThis bill, HB 1833, amends the law concerning admissions at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine. The provided text, Amendment No. 1, modifies specific conditions related to the number of qualified applicants. It specifies that certain admission provisions apply only if fewer than twenty-five applicants from a congressional district, or fewer than twenty-five Arkansas residents, meet published admissions standards and accept an offer. This directly affects prospective medical students and the College of Medicine's admissions process by setting thresholds for geographic and residency-based considerations.

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 1531 prohibits pharmaceutical manufacturers from restricting the distribution of prescription medications to only a limited network of out-of-state pharmacies. This bill allows Arkansas pharmacies to request or apply for access to these medications. To qualify, pharmacies must meet specific United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance regarding safe storage, handling, monitoring, data collection, and patient management services. The legislation also considers factors such as the rarity of the disease or condition when determining access. This aims to broaden medication access for patients within Arkansas by enabling in-state pharmacies to dispense these prescriptions.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1700, now Act 638, amends the Prior Authorization Transparency Act to clarify processes for prior authorization requests and denials. It establishes that a requested prior authorization is deemed approved if a healthcare provider submits an audio recording to the State Insurance Department demonstrating a violation by the utilization review entity. In such instances, the department must direct the entity to immediately issue the authorization. The act also clarifies that upon an adverse determination (a denial of prior authorization), the utilization review entity must provide a written notice to the subscriber.

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 summaryHB 1859 amends Arkansas law to strengthen health insurance coverage for mastectomy patients. It requires health insurers to cover specific benefits including a minimum 48-hour hospital stay post-mastectomy, full breast reconstruction (including both breasts for symmetry), prostheses, lymphedema treatment, and coverage for mesh/nerve grafts. Insurers must provide written coverage notices at enrollment and annually, and cannot deny coverage or penalize providers for following these requirements. The law applies to most health plans (excluding state/public school employee plans) and expires June 30, 2031.