Sen. Josh Bryant

Maddy summaryHB 1117 requires public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools to provide firearm safety instruction that includes "neutral viewpoints" on all topics, specifically mandating coverage of "the prevention of accidental firearm injury." The law directly affects all K-12 public schools in the state by altering how firearm safety education must be delivered. Key provisions include banning one-sided instruction and requiring balanced content on firearm safety, including accidental injury prevention. This bill became law as Act 229 on March 4, 2025, after passing the legislature. It focuses on the content of school curricula, not funding or enforcement mechanisms.

Maddy summarySB 169 corrects grammatical and punctuation errors in Arkansas Constitution Amendment 51, which governs voter registration rules. It specifically revises sections about voter registration forms (requiring clearer statements on eligibility, penalties for false applications, and confidentiality), voter eligibility requirements (clarifying felony conviction rules), and registration cancellation procedures (updating the list of reasons like address changes or death). The bill makes no policy changes - it only fixes wording in existing constitutional language to improve clarity and consistency. This technical update directly affects voters, election officials, and third-party registration organizations by ensuring registration forms and rules are accurately reflected in the constitution.

Maddy summaryHB 1071 amends Arkansas's Frank Broyles Publicity Rights Protection Act to clarify how the law applies to the commercial use of an individual's name, voice, photograph, or likeness. It specifies that the law should be interpreted liberally to protect these rights and does not invalidate existing contracts or licenses for such use. The amendment also explicitly states that these rights are not considered "intellectual property" under federal law (47 U.S.C. § 230), which shields online platforms from liability for user content. This change ensures state publicity rights remain enforceable without conflicting with federal internet regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 1075 prohibits local governments (like cities or counties) from regulating the sale or use of lawn care devices (such as leaf blowers or lawn mowers) or imposing taxes or fees on them. The law specifically bans local sales and use taxes on these devices but allows governments to enforce noise ordinances or purchase devices using specific energy sources. This bill, now Act 146, took effect February 25, 2025, after passing the Arkansas legislature. It directly affects homeowners, landscapers, and local governments by preventing localized restrictions on common lawn equipment.

Maddy summarySB 214 adds second-degree murder (as defined under Arkansas law §5-10-103) to the list of crimes that make inmates ineligible for meritorious furloughs - a program allowing eligible prisoners to earn early release for good behavior. This bill directly affects individuals convicted of second-degree murder, barring them from participating in such furlough programs. It expands an existing exclusion list that already covers capital murder, first-degree murder, rape, and other serious offenses under Arkansas correctional rules. The change became law as Act 137 on February 25, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1357 is a technical correction bill that amends minor wording in Arkansas Code Title 16, which covers court procedures and practices. It specifically revises a phrase in the code to clarify language about who may be subject to certain court procedures. This bill does not create new laws or affect any individuals or groups; it only fixes a grammatical or structural error in existing legal text. As a purely procedural amendment, it has no substantive impact on court operations or citizens' rights.

Maddy summaryHB 1363 makes technical corrections to Arkansas Code Title 25, primarily updating outdated references and clarifying state entity names. It removes obsolete provisions (like a 2004 website privacy policy deadline and repealed boards such as the "Arkansas State Board of Registration for Foresters"), clarifies cybersecurity office references (e.g., standardizing "State Cyber Security Office"), and fixes inconsistent language in government relocation and operations rules. The bill directly affects state government code and administrative procedures but does not create new policies or impact citizens. It streamlines existing law by removing outdated language and ensuring consistent terminology for state entities.

Maddy summaryHB 1364 makes technical corrections to Arkansas' transportation code (Title 27) by removing outdated language and updating references. It revises sections concerning deaf person license decals, disabled veteran parking definitions, antique vehicle plate requirements, and obsolete traffic law references. The bill specifically repeals obsolete definitions (like "disabled veteran - World War I") and outdated provisions (such as speed limit reporting exceptions for chauffeurs). It does not create new policies or change existing transportation rules, but aligns the code with current law by removing references to repealed statutes.

Maddy summarySB 172 makes technical corrections to Arkansas' education code by removing obsolete provisions and fixing errors. It repeals outdated sections like the 2024 meeting deadline for education cooperatives (§6-13-1006(c)) and the expired Smart Core Incentive Program (§6-15-215), which ended in 2020. The bill also corrects grammatical errors in sections about computer science courses (§6-16-152) and updates references to include open-enrollment charter schools in teacher compensation rules (§6-17-2403). These changes ensure the code accurately reflects current law without altering existing programs or funding.

Maddy summaryHB 1362 makes minor technical corrections to Arkansas retirement and pension laws without changing policy. It updates the title of the executive director position in the Arkansas Public Employees’ Retirement System (Section 1), removes an obsolete 2004 rule adoption deadline (Section 2), and deletes a duplicated vacation pay provision (Section 3). These changes clarify existing language and eliminate redundancies in Title 24 of the Arkansas Code. The bill affects the administrative structure of retirement systems but does not alter benefits, eligibility, or funding. The General Assembly confirmed these are purely technical updates, not substantive policy changes.