Sen. Kim Hammer

Maddy summaryHB 1156 changes Arkansas teacher retirement rules to allow surviving spouses to qualify for annuity benefits if married to the teacher for at least one year before the teacher's death, instead of the previous two-year requirement. This directly affects teachers enrolled in the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System and their surviving spouses. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, to align with the state's fiscal year and streamline retirement system administration. It was enacted as Act 224 on February 27, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 228 amends Arkansas law to clarify conditions under which a background check waiver remains valid for nonlicensed staff in educational settings. It requires that such waivers (granted by school boards) stay effective only if the employee does not experience a break in employment or receive a new disqualifying conviction after the waiver is issued. This directly affects school districts, colleges, and other educational entities that hire nonlicensed staff (like cafeteria workers or administrative aides), as well as applicants for those positions. The law specifies that waivers expire if employment is interrupted or if the applicant later faces a conviction that would disqualify them under the background check rules.

Maddy summaryHB 1222 requires the state Attorney General to review ballot titles for initiatives and referendums to ensure they don’t conflict with the U.S. Constitution or federal law. If a title conflicts, the bill prohibits submitting that petition. It directly affects citizens and groups seeking to place initiatives or referendums on the ballot by adding a pre-submission review step. The key mechanism is the Attorney General’s mandatory review process, which blocks conflicting petitions before they can be circulated. This policy change aims to prevent state ballot measures from violating federal legal standards.

Maddy summaryHB 1221 requires that signatures on initiative and referendum petitions must be collected before the next general election after the ballot title is certified. It invalidates signatures gathered after that election date and sets the ballot title certification to expire on the next general election. This directly affects citizens who gather signatures to propose new laws or constitutional amendments through Arkansas's initiative process. The bill includes an emergency clause to take effect before the 2026 general election.

Maddy summaryHB 1118 is a technical correction to Arkansas law regarding the Arkansas Fire and Police Pension Review Board's management of premium taxes. It amends a single line in the statute to clarify that the Board "may" manage these taxes (correcting a grammatical error in the original text). The bill does not change pension benefits, tax rates, or eligibility for firefighters and police officers. It was passed quickly as a procedural amendment and became Act 151 on February 25, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1119 shortens the deadline for political subdivisions (like cities and counties) to pay into the Arkansas Local Police and Fire Retirement System from 10 to 5 days after the due date. If payments are late, the state treasurer must withhold all state funds owed to the subdivision until the debt and interest are paid. The bill also transfers administration of these payments from the retirement system to the Department of Finance and Administration, effective July 1, 2025, to improve financial management.

Maddy summaryHB 1292 amends residency requirements for adopting minors by changing the rule for infants under six months old. Specifically, it removes the prior requirement that adoptive parents must have resided in the state for a certain period before filing an adoption petition, replacing it with a new provision stating the child must be "less than six (6) months of age at the time the petition was filed." This change directly affects adoptive parents seeking to adopt infants under six months, streamlining the process for this age group. The bill became law as Act 139 on February 25, 2025, after passing both legislative chambers.

Maddy summarySB 142, now Act 122, bans students from possessing or using personal electronic devices (like phones) during the entire school day, directly affecting public school students. The law requires schools to update discipline policies to include specific exemptions: devices issued by the school for educational use, special events (defined by future rules), and devices needed for students with special education plans or concurrent enrollment college courses. It replaces prior rules with these clear exemptions while maintaining the overall "bell to bell" device ban. The bill passed in February 2025 and became law without additional committee action.

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 1425 would have abolished Arkansas' Fire Protection Licensing Board and transferred all its duties, records, and funds to the Arkansas Fire Protection Services Board. The bill amended multiple state codes to replace references to the "Licensing Board" with the "Services Board" in provisions about fire extinguisher licensing, standards, and enforcement. This was a procedural change to consolidate oversight under one board, affecting fire protection professionals and businesses requiring licensing. The bill was withdrawn by its author on February 20, 2025, and never became law.