Sen. Kim Hammer

Maddy summaryHB 1831 amends the law governing how the Arkansas Attorney General's office manages and uses funds received from legal settlements and civil penalties. The bill specifies that these funds must be distributed for purposes such as restitution to Arkansas consumers or state agencies, payment of attorney's fees, or for the Attorney General's office operations and grants. It also mandates that the Attorney General's office provide quarterly reports to legislative committees, detailing the source, amount, and planned disbursement of all received funds, including specific rationale for disbursing funds to any particular entity.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1830, now Act 689, amends the law concerning the Arkansas Attorney General's procurement of contingency fee contracts with private attorneys. The bill prohibits contingency fees from being based on penalties or civil fines. It establishes new requirements for these contracts, ensuring that government attorneys retain complete control over the litigation, including decision-making, direct communication with defendants, and exclusive authority over settlement. Additionally, the Attorney General must develop a standard contract addendum detailing the responsibilities of both the private attorney and the Attorney General.

Maddy summaryHB 1416 allows volunteer fire departments that serve unincorporated areas of a county to levy dues. For a department to implement this, the county's quorum court must pass an ordinance, which then requires approval from a majority of registered voters in the affected fire protection district. These departments gain the ability to collect and enforce payment of delinquent dues. Additionally, active volunteer firefighters may be exempt from paying these annual dues at the department's discretion.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1602 amends the Arkansas Pharmacy Benefits Manager Licensure Act, establishing annual application fees for pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) operating in the state. The bill allows the commissioner to reduce these fees if a PBM demonstrates financial hardship, particularly when serving a limited number of Arkansas patients or offering limited services. While information from PBM examinations is generally confidential, certain reported data can be made available through a secure online database or directly upon request from Arkansas-licensed pharmacists, pharmacies, or their administrative organizations.

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 1666, now Act 656, is titled "TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS SELF-FUNDED CYBER RESPONSE PROGRAM." Based on this title, the bill modifies existing laws related to the program designed to handle cyber incidents within Arkansas. The provided text only details an amendment to add a cosponsor, not the specific changes or mechanisms introduced by the bill itself. Therefore, the exact policy changes affecting the cyber response program are not available in this context.

Maddy summaryHB 1745, now Act 604, requires commercial drivers in Arkansas to possess valid U.S. work authorization (such as a work visa or Employment Authorization Document) and demonstrate sufficient English proficiency to read traffic signs, converse with the public, respond to officials, and complete vehicle records. It directly affects commercial motor vehicle operators in Arkansas who must meet these requirements to legally drive. Violations carry fines up to $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses. The law creates specific offenses for operating without required work authorization or English proficiency.

Maddy summaryHB 1713, now Act 602, requires ballot titles for citizen-initiated measures to be written at or below a specific grade-level reading standard. This law directly affects voters and initiative proponents by mandating that ballot titles use simple, accessible language to improve public understanding. The key mechanism sets a standardized readability threshold (using a "Grade Level formula" per the amended bill) for all such titles. The bill was passed quickly with an emergency declaration and is now law, aiming to make ballot measures clearer for all voters.

Maddy summarySB 433 (now Act 573) requires all Arkansas state government buildings to display a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a large font, alongside the national motto and accurate representations of both the U.S. and Arkansas state flags. The law mandates specific placement, with the U.S. flag displayed under the national motto and the Arkansas flag(s) included. This procedural bill affects all state government facilities, not specific individuals or policies. The legislation passed in 2025 and became effective after the governor signed it on April 14, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 479, now Arkansas Act 593, requires any person assisting a voter with a disability at the polls to present valid identification. This directly affects voters with disabilities who need assistance and the individuals helping them. The law mandates poll workers to maintain a list of all assistants using the name from their ID, and the State Election Board must define acceptable identification documents. The bill updates existing voting assistance rules to add this identification requirement, effective immediately upon the governor's approval.