Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1803 authorizes the placement of a monument on the State Capitol Grounds. This monument is intended to recognize and honor Maurice Lee “Footsie” Britt.
Maddy summaryHB 1815, now Act 687, modifies the state's legal authority in two distinct areas. It amends the state's jurisdiction regarding federal lands located within its borders. Additionally, the bill ensures that the state retains jurisdiction over juvenile justice matters. An amendment clarifies that these juvenile cases will be heard by the circuit court or the juvenile division of the circuit court.
Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1440, now Act 629, amends the existing Massage Therapy Act. This legislation establishes a new requirement for massage therapy establishments to register with the state. It also clarifies that these establishments cannot employ, contract with, or permit individuals without a current massage therapy license or a massage therapy learning permit to perform massage therapy techniques. This bill aims to regulate both the facilities and the practitioners within the massage therapy industry.
Maddy summaryHB 1743 amends Arkansas's 1997 Feed Law to update administrative details and clarify inspection fees for feed manufacturers and distributors. It revises definitions (like "official sample" and "board") to consistently reference the Department of Agriculture, and adjusts fee requirements: a $0.30 per ton inspection fee applies to commercial feeds, with a $10 minimum fee for quarterly reports on small-volume distributions (25-34 tons or less). These changes directly affect businesses manufacturing, distributing, or labeling commercial feed within Arkansas, requiring them to pay fees and file reports as outlined. The bill focuses on administrative clarity and fee structure updates, with no new policy changes to feed safety standards.
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 463 requires Arkansas public utilities to obtain approval from the Arkansas Public Service Commission before entering settlement agreements that would close or eliminate power plants or transmission assets. The bill directly affects utilities, the Commission, and consumers by mandating that settlements must legally resolve claims, not exceed regulatory costs, and avoid decisions driven by environmental goals rather than law. The Commission must evaluate whether proposed settlements are legally sound, cost-justified for consumers, and based on reasonable legal interpretations before approving or denying them. This creates a new review process to ensure settlements protect consumer interests and comply with state regulations. The bill does not change existing utility operations but adds oversight for specific settlement agreements.
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 1741 amends Arkansas's Agricultural Liming Materials Act to update requirements for producers of soil conditioners (liming materials). It requires manufacturers and importers to register each product ($15 fee), submit quarterly tonnage reports (30¢ per ton), and pay penalties of double the deficiency value for products falling short by 5% or more. The bill directs 20¢ of each tonnage fee to the State Plant Board Fund and 10¢ to the University of Arkansas's soil testing and research fund. This law, now Act 526, directly affects agricultural producers, distributors, and the University of Arkansas's soil science programs.
Maddy summaryHB 1658 modifies property tax penalty rules to help military personnel on deployment. It creates a clear exception allowing service members to avoid penalties for late property tax payments during and immediately after deployment. The bill defines "deployment" and requires affected taxpayers to submit a DD Form 214 (proof of service) to their county collector within one year of deployment ending. This directly affects active-duty military members whose property taxes would otherwise incur penalties due to deployment-related absences. The law removes previous requirements for continuous deployment over 60 days and excludes training from the calculation. (Enacted as Act 550 on April 10, 2025)
Maddy summaryThis bill updates Arkansas' seed certification rules to clarify penalties for false claims and streamline certification processes. It specifies fines ($25-$500 per offense) for falsely advertising certified seed, misusing labels, or making false statements to the State Plant Board. Growers and sellers must follow strict quality standards to obtain certification, with fees covering inspection costs and promoting certified seed. Certified seed must display proper labels, and fees collected for promotion are distributed to seed industry associations. The law directly affects Arkansas seed producers, sellers, and the State Plant Board's certification program.
