Maddy summarySB 607 aimed to establish requirements for Arkansas public school districts that choose to implement a four-day school week. The bill would authorize local school boards to adopt this schedule, explicitly preventing the State Board of Education from approving or denying their decision. However, the State Board would be required to set standards for state funding distribution and ensure districts provide an average of 30 hours of instruction per week. Districts would also need to provide documentation of their program's success using state-approved tests and include the four-day week on their annual report for community input. A district could forfeit the four-day week option if classified as needing intensive support and showing persistent underperformance.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySenate Bill 82 aimed to modify the sales and use tax regulations for used motor vehicles. The bill proposed to increase the sales and use tax exemption for these vehicles, meaning a larger portion of a used vehicle's purchase price would not be subject to tax. It also sought to amend the reduced sales and use tax rate currently applicable to purchases of used motor vehicles. These changes would directly affect individuals and businesses purchasing used motor vehicles.
Maddy summaryHB 1177 amends the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act to clarify its applicability. The bill explicitly states that the Act does not apply to the business relationship between an insurance company and its agents who sell insurance on its behalf. This change means that the rules governing franchise relationships will not apply to how insurance companies interact with their agents. The bill also applies these clarifications retroactively to earlier effective dates of the Act.
Maddy summaryHB 1193 aimed to require insurance companies to include a lienholder's name on payments made under an insurance policy. This would primarily affect policyholders whose insured property, such as a motor vehicle, has an outstanding lien. However, the bill included exceptions, stating that the requirement would not apply to lienholders without a physical location in the state. For in-state lienholders, it would not apply if the motor vehicle damage claim was less than $2,500 or if the payment was made directly to a repair facility.
Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1980 aimed to create the Technology and Energy for Sustainable Logistics Act (TESLA). A primary provision of the bill was to add electric vehicle charging stations to the definition of "critical infrastructure." This change would classify EV charging stations alongside other essential services and facilities, potentially impacting their security and regulation. An amendment to the bill further specified language regarding limiting or restricting unauthorized access or use of these facilities.
Maddy summaryHB 1978 proposed to add an additional state district court judgeship to the Seventeenth District, which encompasses Clay and Greene counties. This would have increased the number of judges serving that district from one to two. The bill outlined that the new judgeship would become effective on January 1, 2027, with an election planned for 2026. The salary and benefits for this additional judge would have been funded jointly by the City of Paragould, Greene County, and Clay County.
Maddy summaryHB 1623 proposes to exempt certain H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program participants from the skills portion of the driver's license examination in Arkansas. This bill directly affects foreign nationals working in the state under the H-2A visa program. Under the bill's provisions, these individuals would not be required to take the driving test if they possess a valid International Driving Permit and present it when taking the written portion of the driver's license examination.
Maddy summaryHJR 1015 was a proposed constitutional amendment in Arkansas that aimed to change how judicial candidates appear on the ballot. If approved, it would have required candidates for Supreme Court Justice, Court of Appeals Judge, Circuit Judge, and District Judge to declare their political party affiliation or independent status. This declared affiliation or independent status would then be printed on the ballot for voters to see. The stated purpose of the amendment was to ensure transparency regarding judicial candidates' affiliations. This amendment would have taken effect on January 1, 2027, if passed.
Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1469, known as the "Broadband Expansion and Efficiency Act," aimed to create a sales and use tax exemption for machinery and equipment used by companies providing broadband communications services in Arkansas. This bill would have directly affected telecommunications, video programming, and internet access providers by exempting their purchases of specific infrastructure components like wires, cables, fiber, antennas, routers, and software from state sales taxes. The exemption was intended to encourage investment in broadband infrastructure by reducing costs for these service providers, though it specifically excluded personal consumer electronics and consumer-grade modems/Wi-Fi routers.
Maddy summaryHB 1662, titled "TO PROHIBIT LOBBYING FOR A COVERED FOREIGN ENTITY," aimed to prevent individuals or organizations from lobbying on behalf of certain foreign entities. The provided text is an amendment to the bill, which made minor changes to specific wording and references within the original text. Without the full original bill text, the specific definitions of "covered foreign entity" or the detailed mechanisms and scope of the prohibition are not available.