Rep. Andrew Collins

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1038, titled the "No-Excuse Absentee Voting Act of 2025," aimed to change the current laws regarding absentee voting. This bill would have allowed all eligible voters to cast an absentee ballot without needing to provide a specific reason or qualification. It sought to repeal existing voter qualifications for absentee voting, making the process accessible to a broader range of voters who wish to vote absentee.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1015 proposes amendments to the individual income tax laws. The core purpose of this bill is to create a new income tax credit specifically for taxpayers who have dependent children. This credit aims to provide financial relief to families by reducing their state income tax liability. The specific details regarding the credit's value or eligibility criteria are not included in the provided text.

Maddy summaryThis is a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 1003) titled "The Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment," but the provided context lacks the actual text of the amendment or its specific provisions. The bill was introduced in the 2025 Arkansas legislature, amended to add Representative Springer, referred to a committee, and ultimately died in committee on May 5, 2025. No substantive policy details, key mechanisms, or who it would affect are included in the available information. As a constitutional amendment proposal that did not advance beyond committee, no concrete policy changes were enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 1040, titled "The Water In Line Act of 2025" (which appears inconsistent with its actual content), aimed to amend penalties for misdemeanor offenses related to voting. The bill sought to change legal penalties for voting-related misdemeanors but did not specify the exact nature of these changes in the provided text. It was introduced in the 95th General Assembly (2025), underwent committee review, and ultimately died in committee on May 5, 2025, without becoming law. The bill’s confusing title likely contains an error, as its substance focused solely on voting offense penalties.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1043 aims to establish new requirements for campaign finance in appellate judicial elections. Specifically, it seeks to mandate the disclosure and reporting of expenditures made by groups or individuals not directly associated with a candidate's campaign (non-candidate expenditures). Additionally, the bill proposes to implement new laws governing these appellate judicial campaigns. The full details of these new laws and reporting mechanisms are not provided in the given text, but the intent is to increase transparency around spending in these elections.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1029 aimed to establish specific reimbursement rates within the Arkansas Medicaid program for services related to mental health and addiction. This bill would have directly affected healthcare providers offering these services and individuals receiving them through Medicaid.

Maddy summaryHB 1030 aims to enhance mental health support for students by requiring specific training for school personnel. The bill mandates that School Resource Officers (SROs) and other law enforcement working in schools obtain certification in Youth Mental Health First Aid. It also requires school counselors to receive Youth Mental Health First Aid training. An adopted amendment specifies that the requirement for SROs will be integrated into their existing continuing education hours.

Maddy summaryHB 1041 bans the creation and distribution of deceptive or fraudulent deepfakes (manipulated audio/video) in election-related communications, such as campaign ads or voter outreach. It directly affects political campaigns, candidates, and advertisers who produce or share election content using AI-generated deepfakes meant to mislead voters. The bill prohibits using deepfakes to falsely represent candidates, distort policies, or spread false information during elections. It does not cover non-election content or deepfakes without deceptive intent. The bill was introduced in the 2025 legislative session but died in committee without becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 1019, titled the Affordable Childcare Act of 2025, proposes changes to state income tax credits related to employer-provided childcare. The bill establishes a new income tax credit for businesses that help their employees with childcare costs. It also replaces the existing income tax credit previously available to employers who operate their own childcare facilities. These provisions aim to incentivize employers to support their employees' childcare needs.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1027, titled the "Brighter Start Act of 2025," aimed to provide financial support for college savings. The bill would have required the Treasurer of State to make a one-time contribution to all existing and future Arkansas Brighter Future Fund Plan Accounts. This mechanism was intended to provide a direct financial boost to individuals saving for future education expenses through these state-sponsored accounts.