Maddy summaryHB 1689 requires all public high schools in Arkansas to grant military recruiters equal access to campus facilities and student engagement opportunities as other groups like employers or colleges. It mandates that schools allow military recruiters to interact with students in grades 10-12 during regular school hours, at public events, or outside school hours - without extra restrictions beyond those applied to other organizations. The bill also extends this requirement to state-supported career academies and postsecondary institutions, ensuring military recruiters can share educational and career opportunities on the same terms as other entities. Schools must inform students about these opportunities through electronic means or class sessions, and the Arkansas National Guard will monitor compliance. This law directly affects students, schools, and military recruiters by standardizing access to campus recruitment activities.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 1579 amends Arkansas law to prevent incarcerated individuals convicted of sex offenses from requesting a reassessment of their risk level while in prison. The bill specifically adds a provision stating that such reassessment eligibility is only available after a person is released from incarceration. This change directly affects sex offenders currently serving time in state prisons, as they cannot seek a lower risk classification during their sentence. The law modifies existing eligibility rules under Arkansas Code § 12-12-917(h)(1) to require release before any reassessment can occur. The bill became Act 357 on March 20, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 393, now Act 362, amends Arkansas' Sex Offender Registration Act to expand mandatory lifetime registration requirements. It adds six new triggers for lifetime registration, including offenders convicted of rape by forcible compulsion (or similar offenses), those with three or more registration violations, and individuals who committed offenses against victims under 15 years old while aged over 24. The law directly affects sex offenders meeting these specific criteria, requiring them to register for life regardless of sentence length or time since conviction. The bill does not alter registration procedures or penalties but broadens the scope of who must comply with lifetime registration under the 1997 Act.
Maddy summarySB 222 aligns Missouri's Medicaid provider marketing rules with federal standards by requiring direct service providers to follow the federal managed care marketing rules (42 C.F.R. § 438.104) as they existed on January 1, 2025. This affects Medicaid providers who market services to enrollees, ensuring their advertising complies with established federal guidelines. The bill mandates that the state department revise its marketing rules to match these federal requirements. The legislation was passed quickly with an emergency clause, becoming law on March 18, 2025.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 263 (now Act 330) increases the amount of the homestead property tax credit available to Arkansas homeowners. This policy change directly benefits qualifying homeowners who own and occupy their primary residence, reducing their annual property tax bill. The bill amends the existing tax credit structure to provide a higher dollar amount for eligible taxpayers. It became law after passing the Arkansas legislature and being delivered to the Governor on March 13, 2025. The change represents a concrete adjustment to tax relief for qualified homeowners without altering eligibility requirements.
Maddy summaryHB 1068 (now Act 311) expands Arkansas' Employees' Retirement System to include employees of metropolitan port authorities. This policy change directly affects port authority workers by granting them access to the state's existing retirement benefits program. The bill amends the retirement system's membership criteria to explicitly cover these employees, requiring port authorities to enroll them in the system without creating new retirement structures. The bill passed both chambers and became law on March 18, 2025.
Maddy summaryThis bill adds nitrogen gas as an additional method of execution for individuals sentenced to death in Arkansas, alongside the existing lethal injection option. It requires prison officials to notify death row inmates of the chosen execution method (nitrogen gas or lethal injection) at least seven days in advance. The bill also includes confidentiality provisions preventing public disclosure of execution protocols, drug sources, and personnel involved under Arkansas' public records laws. This change applies to all future capital punishment cases in Arkansas, following its passage into law as Act 302.
Maddy summaryHB 1556 amends Arkansas law to formally establish March 1 as Arkansas Music Appreciation Day, correcting a previous inconsistent reference in the statute. The bill requires the Governor to issue an annual proclamation before March 1, highlighting Arkansas musicians' contributions and encouraging public observance. It directly affects the state's annual recognition of musicians, which includes Capitol Building performances. The change does not alter the day's purpose or create new requirements - only clarifies the date for the existing observance. This procedural update was enacted as Act 260 on March 12, 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 1217 establishes Arkansas as a participating state in the Interstate Massage Compact, creating a formal agreement with other states to streamline massage therapy licensing. The bill creates a Compact Commission that can charge annual assessments on member states to cover its operational costs, with fees allocated via a Commission-determined formula. This directly affects massage therapists seeking to practice across state lines in participating jurisdictions and Arkansas' regulatory oversight of the profession. The bill was enacted as Act 267 on March 12, 2025, enabling Arkansas to join the interstate agreement.
Maddy summaryHB 1599 would have amended Arkansas law to exempt motor vehicles leased for at least 12 months by institutions of public charity (such as hospitals or shelters) from property taxation. This change would have expanded existing tax exemptions for these institutions' buildings, land, and other assets to include qualifying leased vehicles. The bill, filed in February 2025, was scheduled to take effect for property tax assessments starting January 1, 2026. However, the bill was withdrawn by its author on March 11, 2025, and did not become law.