Sen. Steve Crowell

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1898 reorganizes regulatory and enforcement functions within the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. It creates a new Regulatory Division and a Regulatory Enforcement Division, consolidating existing oversight for tobacco, alcohol, and medical marijuana. The bill merges the Alcoholic Beverage Control Enforcement Division and Arkansas Tobacco Control Enforcement Division into the new Regulatory Enforcement Division. Personnel within this new enforcement division will be designated as agents with statewide law enforcement authority to investigate violations related to tobacco, alcohol, medical marijuana, and gambling.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1589 updates and clarifies laws governing the financial operations of counties in Arkansas, directly affecting county treasurers, clerks, and comptrollers. It amends the duties of county treasurers, specifying how they receive and disburse funds and requiring them to refuse payments that would create a deficit in county accounts. The bill also revises the requirements for the annual county financial report, detailing its content, compilation responsibilities, and publication methods. These changes aim to standardize and modernize county financial reporting and management procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 1851 updates and clarifies the sales tax exemption for food, food ingredients, and prepared food sold in public, common, high school, or college cafeterias and dining facilities. The bill specifies that this exemption applies to facilities operated primarily for teachers and pupils, and not for profit. A key provision ensures that a cafeteria or dining facility will still qualify for this sales tax exemption even if it contracts with a for-profit third party for its services or management. This aims to align the exemption with current school food service practices.

Maddy summaryHB 1526 authorizes Arkansas' Department of Military and Arkansas National Guard to form public-private partnerships (e.g., with businesses for facility maintenance or training support) while adding transparency requirements. It directly affects the military department, National Guard, and private entities entering such agreements. The bill requires the department to report partnerships valued between $10,000-$50,000 annually or $350,000 total to the Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee for review, and mandates full committee review for partnerships exceeding those thresholds. This updates existing gift rules to cover partnership agreements, ensuring legislative oversight of significant military spending without creating new funding.

Maddy summaryHB 1515 (now Act 574) amends Arkansas law to expand the authority of the Adjutant General to order the Arkansas National Guard into active service. It specifically authorizes the Guard for two purposes: (1) supporting military justice proceedings when federal duty orders are unavailable, and (2) providing voluntary state active-duty support to address critical security staffing shortages in military operations. The bill directly affects the Arkansas National Guard and state military justice processes. This change became law on April 14, 2025, after passing both chambers of the legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 1740 exempts specific agricultural data from public disclosure under Arkansas' Freedom of Information Act. It protects veterinary inspection certificates and personal information linked to animal identification tags held by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. This directly affects farmers and ranchers who provide this information to the Department, as it prevents public access to these records through FOIA requests. The law changes how certain farm-related data is handled, making it non-public without altering broader agricultural regulations.

Maddy summarySB 503 reduces the employee threshold requiring Arkansas employers to file annual income tax withholding statements electronically, from 125 to 75 employees. This change directly affects Arkansas businesses with 75 or more employees, mandating they submit these tax forms electronically instead of on paper. The bill also requires third-party payroll services handling Arkansas wages to file electronically if their client employers meet the new threshold. It includes a hardship waiver option for employers facing undue difficulty with electronic filing. The law takes effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2025, for the threshold change.

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 summaryHB 1498 amends the law governing military-type canteens and exchanges to restrict their merchandise offerings. The bill specifically prohibits these establishments from selling automobiles, household appliances, furniture, building products, motorcycles, or bicycles. This change directly affects military canteens and exchanges operating under the current law, limiting their product range. The bill was enacted as Act 507 on April 10, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1303 (now Act 546) creates a state income tax credit for businesses producing sustainable aviation fuel in Arkansas. The credit allows eligible producers to reduce their state income tax liability by up to the full amount of tax they owe in a given year. It directly affects aviation fuel producers who meet the bill's sustainability criteria, providing financial incentive to develop and use cleaner fuel alternatives. The law, enacted April 10, 2025, establishes this credit as part of Arkansas' efforts to support sustainable energy infrastructure.