Sen. Kim Hammer

Maddy summaryHB 1802 creates a state-funded Talent Recruitment Grant Program to incentivize individuals to relocate to Arkansas. The program provides grants to municipalities and qualifying nonprofits (e.g., for economic development) to offer relocation incentives to individuals who either hold remote jobs paying at least $55,000 annually or accept full-time in-state employment. Grants up to $500,000 per applicant require recipients to cover 20% of program costs and meet 50% of their target relocation goals before receiving final payment. Recipients must report quarterly on participant income, tax impacts, and economic outcomes to ensure accountability.

Maddy summaryHB 1306 would grant legal protection from lawsuits (civil immunity) to churches and other places of worship, as well as volunteer security personnel working there, if they act in good faith. The bill specifically requires that volunteer security personnel receive "adequate training" to qualify for this immunity, replacing an earlier "requires training" language through Amendment 1. This legislation directly affects religious institutions and their volunteer security staff by limiting their liability for certain actions taken while providing security. The bill was withdrawn by its author on April 10, 2025, and is no longer active.

Maddy summaryHB 1303 (now Act 546) creates a state income tax credit for businesses producing sustainable aviation fuel in Arkansas. The credit allows eligible producers to reduce their state income tax liability by up to the full amount of tax they owe in a given year. It directly affects aviation fuel producers who meet the bill's sustainability criteria, providing financial incentive to develop and use cleaner fuel alternatives. The law, enacted April 10, 2025, establishes this credit as part of Arkansas' efforts to support sustainable energy infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHB 1707 requires candidates for school district, township, municipal, and county offices to file campaign contribution and expenditure reports electronically with the Arkansas Secretary of State instead of county clerks. The bill mandates that reports be stored electronically for eight years (accessible via the Secretary of State’s website), automatically aggregated to track contributor limits, and then transferred to the Arkansas State Archives. This centralizes reporting for local elections, aiming to increase public transparency by making contribution data searchable and publicly available online. The bill was enacted as Act 524 on April 10, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 293 is a technical amendment to election law that updates the legal references governing required postings at polling sites. It modifies specific sections of the law (changing references from §7-1-103 and §7-1-104 to §7-1-103(a)(18)(B) and §7-1-104(a)(10)) but does not change the actual requirements for what notices or materials must be displayed. The bill directly affects election officials and polling locations by clarifying the statutory basis for posting requirements. It passed unanimously and became Act 487 on April 9, 2025, with no substantive changes to voter-facing procedures.

Maddy summarySB 414 modifies Arkansas election procedures by requiring county clerks to send election commissioners a written oath notice via registered mail within 30 days of their selection. It also mandates that county clerks notify political party committee chairs about candidate ballot filing deadlines at least 100 days before general elections, using registered mail or certified mail. The bill allows email notification (with read receipt) as an alternative method if both political parties agree in writing. These changes directly affect county clerks, election commissioners, and political party committees involved in election administration.

Maddy summaryHB 1693 standardizes how Arkansas election officials handle damaged or defective ballots. It requires election officials to create a true duplicate of such ballots in the presence of witnesses, label both the original and duplicate with "original" and "duplicate," assign the same serial number, and securely store them before counting the duplicate. The bill also authorizes the State Board of Election Commissioners to create detailed rules for this duplication process. This directly affects election officials at polling sites and central counting facilities, ensuring consistent handling of disputed ballots during elections. The law updates existing procedures to clarify ballot duplication requirements and reporting timelines for county election boards.

Maddy summaryHB 1574 requires paid canvassers working on statewide initiative petitions or referendums in Arkansas to be both residents of the state and domiciled in Arkansas. The law defines domicile as "actual residence plus the intent to remain" in the state, based on a 2000 Arkansas Supreme Court ruling. This applies specifically to canvassers collecting signatures for statewide ballot measures, not local elections. The bill amends Arkansas Code § 7-9-103(a) to add this requirement and clarifies that individuals may have only one domicile. The law became effective as Act 453 on April 3, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1836 (2025) would require all Arkansas public entities (like city councils, school boards, and county commissions) to record public meetings in video format with sound and post the recordings online within 24 hours. It mandates recordings be kept for one year and accessible upon request, with exemptions for executive sessions, volunteer fire departments, and cities of the second class until July 1, 2020. The bill applies to all "open public meetings" but does not cover meetings held by entities without websites (which would need to use social media). The bill was filed on March 18, 2025, referred to committee, and withdrawn by the author on March 31, 2025, so it is no longer active.

Maddy summarySB 111 establishes the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, enabling dentists and dental hygienists to practice across participating states with a single license. The bill directly affects dental professionals seeking to work in multiple states by creating a standardized licensing framework. Key provisions include Arkansas delegating its authority to reject compact rules to the state General Assembly or Legislative Council, rather than retaining that power internally. This change streamlines interstate practice for dental professionals while maintaining state-level oversight of compact rules. The bill passed in March 2025 and became Act 395.