Sen. Terry Rice

Maddy summarySB 530 is a procedural bill that added 21 senators and 37 representatives as cosponsors to the original bill. It did not change the tax credit policy itself, as the title references an existing Arkansas Wood Energy Products and Forest Maintenance Income Tax Credit. The bill's purpose was solely to expand the list of legislators supporting the tax credit legislation. The bill was passed and became Act 701 on April 18, 2025. No substantive policy changes to the tax credit were made by this amendment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new system for property insurance for public schools, state-supported higher education institutions, and other state-owned properties. It creates the State Captive Insurance Program and the Office of Property Risk within the Department of Transformation and Shared Services to manage these combined insurance efforts. The act allows the state to create its own captive insurance company and prohibits the use of public adjusting for these property insurance claims. The goal is to create a more stable and sustainable property insurance system for these state entities by consolidating existing programs and ensuring proper property valuation. (SB 481, Act 779)

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 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 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 189, now Act 396, allows pharmacies and consumers to purchase Ivermectin for human use without a prescription or consultation with a healthcare professional. The bill removes existing requirements for medical oversight when buying this medication. It directly affects pharmacies (which can now sell it without a prescription) and consumers (who can obtain it without seeing a doctor). The law took effect after the bill passed the legislature and was signed by the governor on March 31, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 298 repeals Arkansas Code § 18-60-510, which previously allowed individuals to challenge a court's final quiet title decision within three years (or anytime after removing disabilities like infancy or mental illness). This change eliminates the ability to contest past quiet title rulings, creating finality in land ownership disputes. It directly affects landowners or claimants who might have sought to overturn a prior court decision establishing clear title to property. The bill, now enacted as Act 320, streamlines property rights by preventing future challenges to settled quiet title actions.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 263 (now Act 330) increases the amount of the homestead property tax credit available to Arkansas homeowners. This policy change directly benefits qualifying homeowners who own and occupy their primary residence, reducing their annual property tax bill. The bill amends the existing tax credit structure to provide a higher dollar amount for eligible taxpayers. It became law after passing the Arkansas legislature and being delivered to the Governor on March 13, 2025. The change represents a concrete adjustment to tax relief for qualified homeowners without altering eligibility requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds nitrogen gas as an additional method of execution for individuals sentenced to death in Arkansas, alongside the existing lethal injection option. It requires prison officials to notify death row inmates of the chosen execution method (nitrogen gas or lethal injection) at least seven days in advance. The bill also includes confidentiality provisions preventing public disclosure of execution protocols, drug sources, and personnel involved under Arkansas' public records laws. This change applies to all future capital punishment cases in Arkansas, following its passage into law as Act 302.

Maddy summaryHB 1007, now Act 248, provides legal immunity to certain individuals involved in shooting sports events, shielding them from liability claims for injuries that occur during these events. It directly affects event organizers, participants, and staff by limiting their legal responsibility for accidental injuries sustained at such events. The key mechanism is the immunity provision, which would prevent lawsuits from being filed against these individuals for injuries related to the event. The bill was enacted into law in Arkansas on March 6, 2025.