Sen. Jim Petty

Maddy summaryHB 1692 amends laws impacting polygraph and voice stress analysis examiners, private investigators, and private security agencies in Arkansas. The bill updates the criminal background check criteria for licensing and grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation, which can now include arrests, indictments, and sealed or expunged offenses for certain roles. It also repeals the requirement for the Director of the Arkansas State Police to notify local law enforcement about applications for commissioned security officer positions. Additionally, it clarifies training requirements for security officers and allows for electronic identification cards for commissioned security officers.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1887 amends Arkansas law to strengthen the framework for statewide child abduction response teams, aiming to improve efforts to rescue abducted or endangered children. It mandates collaboration among several state agencies, including the Office of the Attorney General and the Division of Arkansas State Police, to form and implement these multiagency teams. These agencies are required to execute a memorandum of understanding and coordinate their resources for responding to and preventing child abductions. The Division of Arkansas State Police is responsible for assembling the teams, while the Criminal Justice Institute coordinates their certification and recertification.

Maddy summaryAct 624 generally prohibits Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) from holding retail pharmacy permits in the state, directly affecting PBMs, retail pharmacies, and their patients. The Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy will identify existing retail pharmacies affiliated with PBMs and notify them of this prohibition by January 1, 2026. Affected pharmacies must then notify their patients and prescribing healthcare providers that they can no longer dispense retail drugs after this date. However, an exception allows for temporary "limited use permits" for PBM-affiliated pharmacies if a rare, orphan, or limited distribution drug is otherwise unavailable to patients in the market. This exception for limited use permits is set to expire on September 1, 2027.

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 1468 amends Arkansas law to clarify that certain legal claims against home improvement and residential building contractors do not apply when the Arkansas Attorney General enforces consumer protection laws under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (§ 4-88-101 et seq.). Specifically, it excludes mediations and consumer actions initiated by the Attorney General for civil enforcement of that Act from the bill's requirements. This change directly affects the Attorney General's office and contractors when the state pursues enforcement actions. The amendment ensures the Attorney General can use standard legal processes without being subject to the bill's specific claim rules during consumer protection cases. The bill passed as Act 558 on April 14, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 498 amends Arkansas law to limit public access to driver and vehicle records, primarily protecting individuals' personal information. It restricts who can obtain these records (e.g., only the driver, authorized parties, courts, law enforcement, or employers with written consent) and requires written agreements for electronic copies, with fees of $1 for certified copies and $20.50-$30 per 1,000 electronic records. The bill repeals older provisions that allowed broader public inspection of driver records and explicitly prohibits using records for solicitation or unauthorized disclosure. These changes directly affect drivers (by limiting how their data is shared), courts/law enforcement (who retain access for official purposes), and businesses/employers (who must now secure written consent).

Maddy summarySB 448 authorizes local governments in Arkansas to create financing districts that enable property owners to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy, building resilience, and water conservation improvements through special property assessments. These assessments are added to property tax bills or collected privately by third parties, remain tied to the property (not the owner), and do not use public tax revenue or require government repayment. The program applies to commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily residential properties, with financing structured as a non-governmental obligation. This legislation establishes a formal process for local districts to administer such financing under Arkansas law.

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 summarySB 359 increases funding for Arkansas' existing after-school programs by raising the appropriation from $1.7 million to $3.9 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The bill directly affects the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, which administers grants for out-of-school time programs. These programs typically provide academic support, enrichment, and safe supervision for students outside regular school hours, primarily benefiting K-12 schools and community organizations operating such services. The key provision is the budget adjustment, expanding available resources for these established programs without creating new requirements or eligibility rules.

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.