Sen. Breanne Davis

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1681 establishes the Water and Sewer Treatment Facilities Grant Program. This program provides grants to local entities to help fund improvements and upgrades to their water and sewer treatment infrastructure. The grants will be supported by revenues authorized by law. The program is set to expire five years after its effective date, and the administering commission is required to report annually on the status of all awarded grants.

Maddy summaryHB 1756, now Act 803, allows a parent, legal guardian, or a person standing in loco parentis to a student to document and maintain the community service hours that student obtains. This bill directly affects students who perform community service and their families, granting parents or guardians the authority to track these hours.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HB 1833, amends the law concerning admissions at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine. The provided text, Amendment No. 1, modifies specific conditions related to the number of qualified applicants. It specifies that certain admission provisions apply only if fewer than twenty-five applicants from a congressional district, or fewer than twenty-five Arkansas residents, meet published admissions standards and accept an offer. This directly affects prospective medical students and the College of Medicine's admissions process by setting thresholds for geographic and residency-based considerations.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1874 modifies how specific professional development funding is used for public school teachers in Arkansas. It reallocates funding that exceeds the standard maximum amount awarded to individual schools, which is an additional $16.5 million. This excess funding, previously designated for general professional learning communities, will now be used by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to implement the LEARNS Act. The Division can distribute these funds through grants to eligible entities. This change directs a portion of professional development resources towards statewide educational initiatives outlined in the LEARNS Act.

Maddy summaryThe provided context for HB 1657 only shows cosponsor additions and procedural status (it became Act 709 on April 16, 2025), not the bill's substantive policy content. The title references an "income tax credit" for wood energy products and forest maintenance, but the text does not explain how the credit is amended or who it affects. Without the actual policy provisions or bill text describing changes to the tax credit, a factual summary of its mechanisms or impact cannot be generated. To provide a meaningful summary, the bill's specific policy language would be required.

Maddy summaryHB 1962 would ban Arkansas schools from serving or selling ultra-processed foods during regular school hours. It defines "ultra-processed food" as items containing specific additives like yellow dyes 5 and 6, red dyes 3 and 40, or titanium dioxide. The ban applies to all public schools, charter schools, and private schools in Arkansas, but does not restrict food brought by parents or guardians. Schools would need to comply with this rule for foods produced after January 1, 2028. The bill aims to promote healthier school meals by focusing on nutrient-dense options.

Maddy summaryHB 1818, the "Medicaid Provider-Led Care Transparency and Accountability Act," establishes new standards for Arkansas Medicaid risk-based provider organizations. It requires these organizations to create a beneficiary and provider workgroup, pay for care coordination from capitated rates, prohibit "gag clauses" that restrict advocacy, and collect specific quality data for intellectual/developmental disability services. The bill also mandates standardized credentialing, limits audit frequency, and sets timelines for provider documentation. The bill was filed on March 17, 2025, referred to committee, and withdrawn by the author on April 14, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1821 creates a single State Captive Insurance Program to replace fragmented property insurance systems for public schools, state-supported colleges/universities, and state-owned properties in Arkansas. It combines these entities under one program, prohibits the use of public adjusting firms (which the bill states increased premiums), and requires independent reappraisals of higher education properties to ensure proper valuation. The bill also establishes the Office of Property Risk within the Department of Transformation and Shared Services to manage the program and mandates coordination among state agencies for a smooth transition. These changes aim to stabilize insurance costs and improve market competitiveness for these public entities.

Maddy summaryHB 1690 moves Arkansas' Nuclear Planning and Response Program from the Department of Health to the Division of Emergency Management within the Department of Public Safety, effective July 1, 2025. The transfer includes all program assets - staff, records, contracts, funds, and responsibilities - while existing radiation surveillance rules and regulations remain in effect. The bill amends statutes to clarify the Division of Emergency Management’s role in managing nuclear emergency planning, radiation monitoring, and public safety protocols near nuclear facilities. This law, now Act 583, updates administrative oversight but does not change funding mechanisms or public safety requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1641 (now Act 600) makes it a crime to use a tracking device to follow or monitor someone without their consent for the purpose of harassment. It specifically adds using such devices to the list of harassment offenses under Arkansas law, defining a "tracking device" as one that reveals location via electronic signals. The law includes an exception allowing parents or legal guardians to track minors with a tracking device. This directly affects individuals who use location-tracking technology without consent to harass others, while permitting parental monitoring of children. The change clarifies that unauthorized tracking for harassment is now explicitly punishable under existing harassment statutes.