Sen. Matt McKee

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 307, now Act 373, creates the "Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025" to support energy infrastructure investments. It requires the Arkansas Public Service Commission to consider strategic investments in natural gas and electric generation when setting utility rates, allowing companies to recover costs for approved projects. The bill mandates refunds to customers for imprudently incurred costs and sets new requirements for utility infrastructure projects to ensure grid reliability during extreme weather. It directly affects investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities operating in Arkansas by changing how they recover infrastructure costs through rate cases. The legislation declares an emergency to expedite these energy infrastructure developments.

Maddy summarySB 304 allows voters who have moved to a new county to vote in an upcoming election if they update their registration with the new county clerk's office by 4 days before the polls close. It directly affects Arkansans who change counties shortly before an election but haven't completed registration changes in time for the current voting cycle. The bill amends voting rules to permit voting in the new county's precinct if the updated registration is received by the county clerk no later than the fourth day before election day. Voters who miss this 4-day deadline will not be eligible to vote in that specific election.

Maddy summaryHB 1634 establishes the Arkansas Sports Raffle Act, allowing Arkansas public colleges and universities and their approved nonprofit affiliates to conduct raffles tied to official athletic games. These raffles can be sold digitally or in person, with proceeds limited to supporting student-athletes (e.g., scholarships, publicity rights), athletic programs, and facility improvements - never for staff compensation. The law prohibits sales to minors, caps transactions at $250, and requires public prize announcements. It amends gambling laws to exempt these sports-linked raffles from standard restrictions, effective as Act 305.

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 1465, now Act 312, clarifies liability for property owners who allow dirtbike use on their private land. It establishes that owners are not automatically liable for injuries or damages occurring during such use, unless they acted negligently. This directly affects landowners who permit off-road recreational vehicles on their property. The law changes previous assumptions about owner responsibility by setting a clear standard for when liability applies.

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 summaryHB 1263 creates a new Class A misdemeanor offense for individuals under electronic monitoring supervision (such as probation, parole, or pending charges) who knowingly remove their tracking device or fail to properly charge it, causing location monitoring to fail. The law defines "electronic monitoring device" as a location-tracking device approved by corrections officials. Violators face misdemeanor penalties and must pay restitution for device repair or replacement costs. This directly affects people under court-ordered electronic supervision in Arkansas.

Maddy summaryThis Arkansas bill (SB 133, now Act 50) amends state commercial law to define "central bank digital currency" (CBDC) and clarify its exclusion from key financial terms. It adds a specific definition for CBDC as digital currency issued directly by central banks (like the Federal Reserve) or governments, and explicitly states CBDC is not considered "money" or a "deposit account" under the Uniform Commercial Code. These changes ensure CBDC is treated separately from traditional currency and bank deposits in commercial transactions. The bill directly affects how Arkansas financial institutions and legal systems categorize digital currencies issued by government entities.

Maddy summaryHB 1204 (now Act 28) amends Arkansas law to clarify that plaintiffs in medical negligence cases can only recover the actual costs they paid for necessary medical care, treatment, or services - or costs legally owed by them or a third party. It directly affects individuals filing medical malpractice claims and healthcare providers by limiting recoverable damages to amounts actually paid or legally responsible. The key provision changes the standard for medical cost recovery from billed rates to verified payments, preventing recovery of unpaid or inflated charges. This law, enacted on February 11, 2025, provides a clearer financial framework for medical negligence claims in Arkansas.