Sen. Justin Boyd

Maddy summaryHB 1161 allows Arkansas teachers who retired on or after July 1, 1994, to change their retirement annuity options once within one year of retirement. To do this, they must file a new election form and repay the difference between their original annuity and the new amount, plus interest from July 1, 1994, or their retirement date. The change takes effect retroactively after meeting these requirements. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, to align with the state's fiscal year.

Maddy summaryHB 1286 is a procedural amendment to the Arkansas Triage, Treat, and Transport to Alternative Destination Act, adding Senator J. Boyd as a sponsor. The amendment was approved by the Senate on February 24, 2025, and the bill was enacted as Act 199 on February 27, 2025. This change does not alter the policy provisions of the original act but formally includes Senator Boyd in the bill's sponsorship. The amendment relates solely to legislative procedure, not to substantive policy changes affecting residents or healthcare systems.

Maddy summarySB 178 clarifies that surrogates (people making healthcare decisions for incapacitated individuals) can access a principal's financial records - including income, assets, and bank accounts - to apply for public benefits like Medicaid. It requires a written designation signed by the principal or a healthcare provider, with specific details and witness requirements, to authorize this access. Financial institutions must follow strict procedures when processing requests, including notifying joint account holders, and cannot be held liable for complying in good faith. The law explicitly states surrogates cannot control or direct the principal's assets, and all accessed records must be securely handled and destroyed after the surrogate's authority ends.

Maddy summaryHB 1383 amends Arkansas' Petroleum Storage Tank Trust Fund Act to increase the maximum interim payment for corrective action from $1.5 million to $2 million. It directly affects owners or operators of petroleum storage tanks requiring cleanup after contamination incidents. The bill establishes that 90% of the $2 million amount ($1.8 million) is paid upfront, with the remaining 10% released only after final cleanup is completed and verified. This change provides greater initial funding flexibility for responsible parties addressing tank-related environmental damage.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Arkansas healthcare providers (including doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics) to use digital medical records instead of paper. It eliminates the requirement for physical copies, mandates that electronic records remain readable, backed up, and secure, and confirms electronic records are valid for patient requests, court evidence, and insurance audits. The law aligns with federal privacy rules like HIPAA but does not override them.

Maddy summaryHB 1353 regulates vision benefit managers and amends Arkansas' Vision Care Plan Act and Healthcare Contracting Simplification Act. It prohibits insurance contracts from automatically reducing vision benefits solely due to other coverage (e.g., multiple vision plans), requiring such reductions to follow Insurance Commissioner-approved rules instead. The bill defines key terms like "covered materials" (e.g., lenses, frames) and "vision benefit manager," while banning agreements that force providers to charge more for non-covered services than their standard rates. This directly affects Arkansans with vision insurance plans and eye care providers, ensuring fairer billing practices for covered vision care services and materials. The bill passed in February 2025 and became Act 142.

Maddy summarySB 50 mandates the Arkansas legislature to conduct a study examining workforce and social services systems. It requires the legislature to consider drafting new laws to address issues identified in that study. The bill does not change current services or create new programs - it only establishes a process for future legislative action based on findings. This procedural bill affects the legislature itself, requiring it to complete the study and evaluate potential follow-up legislation. It became Act 145 on February 25, 2025, after passing both chambers.

Maddy summarySB 142, now Act 122, bans students from possessing or using personal electronic devices (like phones) during the entire school day, directly affecting public school students. The law requires schools to update discipline policies to include specific exemptions: devices issued by the school for educational use, special events (defined by future rules), and devices needed for students with special education plans or concurrent enrollment college courses. It replaces prior rules with these clear exemptions while maintaining the overall "bell to bell" device ban. The bill passed in February 2025 and became law without additional committee action.

Maddy summarySB 59 requires all public schools to provide one free breakfast daily to every student upon request, without checking if they qualify for federally funded free or reduced-price meals. This policy directly affects all public school students in the state, eliminating eligibility barriers for breakfast access. The bill includes an emergency clause, allowing it to take effect immediately upon enactment. It changes school meal procedures by mandating universal breakfast availability as a standard practice, not tied to existing federal program eligibility. The bill became law as Act 123 on February 24, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1420 proposed multiple changes to Arkansas' insurance regulations. It amended rules for the state workers' compensation insurance plan (requiring commissioner approval for delegated administration), updated attorney bond requirements for reciprocal insurers, and repealed two existing laws: the Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool Act and minimum mental health benefits standards for group health policies. The bill also updated coverage requirements for alcohol and drug dependency treatment, mandating a minimum $6,000 annual benefit for policies exceeding $6,000 in total coverage. Note: This bill was withdrawn by its authors on February 18, 2025, and did not become law.