House Convenes
Video
Transcript
Bills discussed (110)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
HR1106
· 7 mentions in transcript, chapter
Matched: “…een adopted. Gentlemen, thank you. Madam Clark, please read House resolution 1106.”
|
TO RECOGNIZE ARKANSAS STATE GAME AND FISH COMMISSION GAME WARDEN BRADY SMITH AS THE NATIONAL … | Pearce | READ AND ADOPTED. |
|
HR1105
· 6 mentions in transcript, chapter
Matched: “…opriate time. And so Madam Clerk, I would ask that you read House Resolution 1105.”
|
TO PROCLAIM APRIL 9, 2025, AS ARKANSAS LINEWORKER APPRECIATION DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL AND … | Pearce | READ AND ADOPTED. |
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HR1023
· 4 mentions in transcript, chapter
Matched: “…your resolution has been adopted. Madam Clerk, please read House resolution 1023.”
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TO RECOGNIZE THE SALEM FOOTBALL TEAM AS THE CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONS. | Steimel | READ AND ADOPTED. |
|
HR1104
· 4 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HR1104 Beaty Jr. TO HONOR LARRY WALTHER FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL SERVIC…”
|
TO HONOR LARRY WALTHER FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO THE STATE OF ARKANSAS AND TO … | Beaty Jr. | Died in House at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1829
· 3 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…ommunications to The Senate All those in favor of recalling House Bill 1829, say aye. Nate, I had it. Direct chief clerk to recall that…”
|
TO AMEND THE DOMESTIC ABUSE ACT OF 1991; TO PROVIDE FOR REMOTE TESTIMONY IN CERTAIN … | Dalby | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
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HR1099
· 3 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HR1099 R. Scott Richardson TO RECOGNIZE THE ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSI…”
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TO RECOGNIZE THE ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY ROBOTICS CLUB FOR WINNING THE TOURNAMENT CHAMPION AND INNOVATE … | R. Scott Richardson | READ AND ADOPTED. |
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HB1105
Act 1004
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…Mr. Speaker, we your committee on joint budget, to whom the House Bill 1105, vaguely reporting the same consideration here for”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - SECRETARY'S OFFICE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1105 is now Act 1004 |
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HB1126
Act 873
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…Mr. Speaker, your committee on Joint Budget and Homes fired House Bill 1126. Vaguely”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1126 is now Act 873 |
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HB1202
Act 1006
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “House Bill 1202 vaguely the same consideration here for return the same rec…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION - DISBURSING OFFICER APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1202 is now Act 1006 |
|
HB1561
Act 473
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “ninety-fifth General Assembly. House Bill 1561 Act 473, House Bill 1598 Act 474, House Bill 1633 Act 475.…”
|
TO ESTABLISH THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2025. | Painter | Notification that HB1561 is now Act 473 |
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HR1079
· 2 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HR1079 Brooks TO HONOR D.J. DANIEL FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST BRAIN CAN…”
|
TO HONOR D.J. DANIEL FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST BRAIN CANCER AND SUPPORT NAMING HIM AN … | Brooks | READ AND ADOPTED. |
|
HR1109
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…Mr. Speaker. We're your committee on management to whom the House resolution 1109, House Resolution 1110. House resolution 1111. House resolu…”
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TO URGE THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND THE UNITED STATES … | Beaty Jr. | READ AND ADOPTED. |
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HR1110
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…committee on management to whom the House resolution 1109, House Resolution 1110. House resolution 1111. House resolution 1112. House Memori…”
|
TO RECOGNIZE WORLD WAR II VETERAN AND MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT JAMES R. HENDRIX OF … | Rye | READ AND ADOPTED. |
|
HR1111
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…t to whom the House resolution 1109, House Resolution 1110. House resolution 1111. House resolution 1112. House Memorial resolution 1011. Hou…”
|
TO RECOGNIZE APRIL 7, 2025, AS THE DAY OF LOVE IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. | Rye | READ AND ADOPTED. |
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HR1112
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…olution 1109, House Resolution 1110. House resolution 1111. House resolution 1112. House Memorial resolution 1011. House Memorial Resolution…”
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TO RECOGNIZE THE WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY HIGH SCHOOL LADY EAGLES BASKETBALL TEAM AS THE … | A. Brown | READ AND ADOPTED. |
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SB442
Act 667
· 2 mentions in chapter
Matched: “SB442 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO PROVIDE FO…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HUMAN TRAFFICKING; TO PROVIDE FOR FORFEITURE OF ASSETS USED TO … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB442 is now Act 667 |
|
SB478
Act 738
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…your Committee on Public Transportation to House Bill 2001 Senate Bill 478 vaguely report to some consideration here for return the sa…”
|
TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS DIESEL ENGINE FREEDOM ACT OF 2025; AND TO PROHIBIT STATE ENFORCEMENT … | G. Stubblefield | Notification that SB478 is now Act 738 |
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SB500
Act 780
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…ure, Forestry and Economic Developments and who were fired. Senate Bill 500, Senate Bill 563, Senate Bill 573. be leave reporting the s…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LEVEE DISTRICTS; AND TO ALLOW A LEVEE DISTRICT CREATED BY … | J. Petty | Notification that SB500 is now Act 780 |
|
SB563
Act 741
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…Economic Developments and who were fired. Senate Bill 500, Senate Bill 563, Senate Bill 573. be leave reporting the same”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE ARKANSAS LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY COMMISSION TO IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALTY FOR CERTAIN … | Irvin | Notification that SB563 is now Act 741 |
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SB573
Act 783
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…ments and who were fired. Senate Bill 500, Senate Bill 563, Senate Bill 573. be leave reporting the same”
|
TO AMEND THE METHOD OF VALUATION UNDER ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 16, § 5, BY DEFINING … | J. Petty | Notification that SB573 is now Act 783 |
|
SB629
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…t objection, the Senate respectfully requests the return of Senate Bill 629. Saying”
|
TO ALLOW AN OFFICER OF A CLOSELY HELD CORPORATION TO REPRESENT THE CORPORATION IN COURT … | Caldwell | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1017
Act 904
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1017 A. Collins TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID MATERNITY LEAVE…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID MATERNITY LEAVE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES; AND TO REQUIRE … | A. Collins | Notification that HB1017 is now Act 904 |
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HB1084
Act 884
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1084 AN ACT FOR ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE AUDIT OF THE LEGISLATIVE JO…”
|
AN ACT FOR ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE AUDIT OF THE LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING COMMITTEE APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1084 is now Act 884 |
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HB1086
Act 784
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1086 AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS APPROPRIATION FOR…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1086 is now Act 784 |
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HB1092
Act 785
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1092 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF P…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF PROVIDER SERVICES AND QUALITY … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1092 is now Act 785 |
|
HB1096
Act 786
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1096 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - MEDICAID TOBA…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - MEDICAID TOBACCO SETTLEMENT PROGRAM APPROPRIATION FOR … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1096 is now Act 786 |
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HB1101
Act 787
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1101 AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS GOVERNOR'S MANSION COMMISSION APPRO…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS GOVERNOR'S MANSION COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1101 is now Act 787 |
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HB1106
Act 872
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1106 AN ACT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF STATE APPROPRIATI…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF STATE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1106 is now Act 872 |
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HB1107
Act 788
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1107 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF C…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF COUNTY OPERATIONS APPROPRIATION FOR … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1107 is now Act 788 |
|
HB1112
Act 789
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1112 AN ACT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF STATE - CITY-COUN…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF STATE - CITY-COUNTY TOURIST MEETING AND … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1112 is now Act 789 |
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HB1174
Act 790
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1174 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF CORR…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF CORRECTION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1174 is now Act 790 |
|
HB1178
Act 993
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1178 R. Scott Richardson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE CONTRAC…”
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TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE CONTRACTING OF A MUNICIPAL ATTORNEY; TO AMEND THE LAW … | R. Scott Richardson | Notification that HB1178 is now Act 993 |
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HB1200
Act 791
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1200 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - DIVIS…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY APPROPRIATION … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1200 is now Act 791 |
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HB1206
Act 792
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1206 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF ELEMEN…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION - … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1206 is now Act 792 |
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HB1242
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1242 J. Mayberry TO AMEND THE MECHANISM BY WHICH SCHOOL NURSES A…”
|
TO AMEND THE MECHANISM BY WHICH SCHOOL NURSES ARE COMPENSATED. | J. Mayberry | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
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HB1468
Act 558
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1468 #1 Cozart TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING CLAIMS AGAINST H…”
|
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING CLAIMS AGAINST HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTORS, RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CONTRACTORS, AND SUPPLIERS. | Cozart | Notification that HB1468 is now Act 558 |
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HB1632
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1632 Wardlaw TO REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS STATE GAME…”
|
TO REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS STATE GAME AND FISH COMMISSION FOR FREE OR DISCOUNTED … | Wardlaw | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
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HB1649
Act 793
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1649 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - ARKANSAS NATURAL…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - ARKANSAS NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Vaught | Notification that HB1649 is now Act 793 |
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HB1691
Act 497
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “Act 494 Hospital 1125, at 495. Hos1232 A 496. House Bill 1691, Act 497, House Bill 1716 Act 498. Sincerely, Sarah Huckabe…”
|
TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN PROPERTY TO BE EXEMPT FROM TAXATION; AND TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN … | Torres | Notification that HB1691 is now Act 497 |
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HB1705
Act 478
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…, House Bill 1633 Act 475. High school 1640 at 476 1697477, House Bill 1705 Act 478. High 1271 at 479. House 1557 Act 480. House 1382 A…”
|
TO REQUIRE INFORMATION CONCERNING HOW THE RELIGIOUS AND MORAL BELIEFS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS INFLUENCED … | Duke | Notification that HB1705 is now Act 478 |
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HB1719
Act 905
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1719 Vaught TO AMEND THE DAYS INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MA…”
|
TO AMEND THE DAYS INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MATERNITY LEAVE DAYS APPROVED BY … | Vaught | Notification that HB1719 is now Act 905 |
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HB1745
Act 604
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1745 #1 Hawk TO REQUIRE CERTAIN COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSE HOLDER…”
|
TO REQUIRE CERTAIN COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSE HOLDERS TO POSSESS A UNITED STATES WORK AUTHORIZATION; TO … | Hawk | Notification that HB1745 is now Act 604 |
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HB1832
Act 975
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1832 M. Shepherd TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT AND COU…”
|
TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT AND COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE … | M. Shepherd | Notification that HB1832 is now Act 975 |
|
HB1874
Act 795
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1874 B. McKenzie AN ACT TO AMEND THE USE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOP…”
|
AN ACT TO AMEND THE USE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING THAT EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT … | B. McKenzie | Notification that HB1874 is now Act 795 |
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HB1894
Act 842
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1894 Beaty Jr. TO ESTABLISH A METHOD OF VALUATION FOR REAL PROPE…”
|
TO ESTABLISH A METHOD OF VALUATION FOR REAL PROPERTY USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING; AND TO … | Beaty Jr. | Notification that HB1894 is now Act 842 |
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HB1897
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1897 Painter TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS TOWING AND RECOVERY REFORM A…”
|
TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS TOWING AND RECOVERY REFORM AND EFFICIENCY ACT OF 2025; TO AMEND … | Painter | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
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HB1903
Act 911
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1903 Walker TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO PROVIDE…”
|
TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH FLEXIBILITY REGARDING ALTERNATIVE … | Walker | Notification that HB1903 is now Act 911 |
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HB1914
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1914 Long TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS MOTOR CARRIER…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS MOTOR CARRIER ACT, 1955; AND TO REQUIRE AN … | Long | Died in House at Sine Die adjournment. |
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HB1915
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1915 Eubanks TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO REQUE…”
|
TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO REQUEST A BROAD-BASED CATEGORICAL ELIGIBILITY WAIVER FOR … | Eubanks | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1916
Act 979
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1916 Bentley TO AMEND THE PROTECTING MINORS FROM MEDICAL MALPRAC…”
|
TO AMEND THE PROTECTING MINORS FROM MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ACT OF 2023; AND TO INCLUDE GENDER-AFFIRMING … | Bentley | Notification that HB1916 is now Act 979 |
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HB1917
Act 839
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1917 M. Shepherd TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS STUDENT-ATHLETE PUBLICITY…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS STUDENT-ATHLETE PUBLICITY RIGHTS ACT; AND TO AMEND THE LAW RELATED TO … | M. Shepherd | Notification that HB1917 is now Act 839 |
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HB1926
Act 980
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1926 Unger TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE SUSPENSION, REVOCATIO…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE SUSPENSION, REVOCATION, OR NONRENEWAL OF A PERSON'S DRIVER'S LICENSE … | Unger | Notification that HB1926 is now Act 980 |
|
HB1930
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1930 Wardlaw TO MANDATE MINIMUM REIMBURSEMENT LEVELS FOR HEALTHC…”
|
TO MANDATE MINIMUM REIMBURSEMENT LEVELS FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES. | Wardlaw | Died on House Calendar at Sine Die adjournment. |
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HB1935
Act 882
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1935 Eaves TO CREATE A MODERNIZATION AND AUTOMATION TAX CREDIT T…”
|
TO CREATE A MODERNIZATION AND AUTOMATION TAX CREDIT TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT BY EXISTING BUSINESSES WITHIN … | Eaves | Notification that HB1935 is now Act 882 |
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HB1945
Act 913
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1945 McCollum TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CH…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT; TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE … | McCollum | Notification that HB1945 is now Act 913 |
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HB1960
Act 1013
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1960 Wardlaw TO PROVIDE THAT THE LESSEE OF A LEASED MOTOR VEHICL…”
|
TO PROVIDE THAT THE LESSEE OF A LEASED MOTOR VEHICLE IS THE OWNER FOR PURPOSES … | Stone | Notification that HB1960 is now Act 1013 |
|
HB1961
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1961 Achor TO ALLOW MEDICAL PROVIDERS TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS FROM…”
|
TO ALLOW MEDICAL PROVIDERS TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS FROM FEDERAL INFORMATION-BLOCKING REGULATIONS TO SAFEGUARD PATIENTS DURING INFORMATION … | Achor | Delivered to the Secretary of State |
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HB1966
Act 914
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1966 Barnett TO AUTHORIZE AN INCORPORATED TOWN OR A CITY OF THE…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE AN INCORPORATED TOWN OR A CITY OF THE SECOND CLASS TO PETITION THE … | Barnett | Notification that HB1966 is now Act 914 |
|
HB1979
Act 983
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1979 Gazaway AN ACT TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW TO ALLOW WARRANTLESS S…”
|
AN ACT TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW TO ALLOW WARRANTLESS SEARCHES BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER … | Gazaway | Notification that HB1979 is now Act 983 |
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HB1980
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1980 Gazaway TO CREATE THE TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE…”
|
TO CREATE THE TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE LOGISTICS ACT (TESLA); AND TO ADD ELECTRIC … | Gazaway | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1982
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1982 Wooldridge TO AMEND THE USED TIRE RECYCLING AND ACCOUNTABIL…”
|
TO AMEND THE USED TIRE RECYCLING AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; TO CREATE THE TIRE MANAGEMENT AND … | Wooldridge | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1984
Act 984
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1984 Hudson TO CREATE A DESIGNATION FOR A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDE…”
|
TO CREATE A DESIGNATION FOR A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER ON A DRIVER'S LICENSE OR IDENTIFICATION … | Hudson | Notification that HB1984 is now Act 984 |
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HB1986
Act 794
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1986 Nazarenko CONCERNING EXCUSED ABSENCES FOR CHILDREN OF FALLE…”
|
CONCERNING EXCUSED ABSENCES FOR CHILDREN OF FALLEN SERVICE MEMBERS AND CHILDREN OF FALLEN FIRST RESPONDERS. | Nazarenko | Notification that HB1986 is now Act 794 |
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HB1987
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1987 Ennett TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE STATE BOARD OF EMBAL…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE STATE BOARD OF EMBALMERS, FUNERAL DIRECTORS, CEMETERIES, AND BURIAL … | Ennett | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB2001
Act 932
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ir, Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Public Transportation to House Bill 2001 Senate Bill 478 vaguely report to some consideration here f…”
|
TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS TOWING AND RECOVERY REFORM AND EFFICIENCY ACT OF 2025; TO AMEND … | Painter | Notification that HB2001 is now Act 932 |
|
HCR1005
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HCR1005 T. Shephard TO HONOR THE ARKANSAS MINORITY HEALTH COMMISSIO…”
|
TO HONOR THE ARKANSAS MINORITY HEALTH COMMISSION DURING AMERICAN HEART MONTH IN FEBRUARY FOR ITS … | T. Shephard | Died in House at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1022
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HR1022 Brooks TO WELCOME DR. BRENDAN KELLY AS PRESIDENT OF THE ARK…”
|
TO WELCOME DR. BRENDAN KELLY AS PRESIDENT OF THE ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. | Brooks | READ AND ADOPTED. |
|
HR1072
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HR1072 McGruder TO RECOGNIZE KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INC., FOR…”
|
TO RECOGNIZE KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INC., FOR ITS POSITIVE IMPACT UPON ITS COMMUNITIES, THE … | McGruder | READ AND ADOPTED. |
|
HR1097
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HR1097 Duke TO RECOGNIZE THE GRAVETTE HIGH SCHOOL LIONS WRESTLING…”
|
TO RECOGNIZE THE GRAVETTE HIGH SCHOOL LIONS WRESTLING TEAM AS THE 2025 CLASS 4A STATE … | Duke | READ AND ADOPTED. |
|
HR1107
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HR1107 Torres TO PROCLAIM APRIL 24, 2025, AS TEACH CHILDREN TO SAV…”
|
TO PROCLAIM APRIL 24, 2025, AS TEACH CHILDREN TO SAVE DAY IN ARKANSAS. | Torres | READ AND ADOPTED. |
|
SB290
Act 921
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB290 B. Johnson Vaught TO PROHIBIT A MORATORIUM ON THE ISSUANCE…”
|
TO PROHIBIT A MORATORIUM ON THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS IN WATERSHEDS AND OTHER BODIES OF … | B. Johnson | Notification that SB290 is now Act 921 |
|
SB302
Act 659
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB302 Gilmore Beaty, Jr. TO CREATE THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF GIFT C…”
|
TO CREATE THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF GIFT CARD FRAUD; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. | Gilmore | Notification that SB302 is now Act 659 |
|
SB303
Act 644
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB303 Dees Torres TO ALLOW A RESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PERMIT A…”
|
TO ALLOW A RESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PERMIT A PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE IN … | Dees | Notification that SB303 is now Act 644 |
|
SB314
Act 661
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB314 Irvin Duke TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SEXUAL SOLICITATION;…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SEXUAL SOLICITATION; AND TO AMEND THE PENALTIES FOR THE OFFENSE … | Irvin | Notification that SB314 is now Act 661 |
|
SB375
Act 662
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB375 Stone J. Moore TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF CAPITAL RAPE; AND T…”
|
TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF CAPITAL RAPE; AND TO AMEND A PORTION OF ARKANSAS CODE … | Stone | Notification that SB375 is now Act 662 |
|
SB390
Act 695
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB390 J. English Lundstrum TO ESTABLISH THE STATE APPRENTICESHIP…”
|
TO ESTABLISH THE STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY ACT. | J. English | Notification that SB390 is now Act 695 |
|
SB397
Act 931
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB397 D. Wallace Rye TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIAL PERSONAL INFORMATION…”
|
TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIAL PERSONAL INFORMATION OF RAIL EMPLOYEES IN REPORTS INVOLVING RAILROAD FATALITIES. | D. Wallace | Notification that SB397 is now Act 931 |
|
SB408
Act 696
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB408 B. Johnson Eaves TO PROVIDE AN INCOME TAX EXEMPTION FOR CER…”
|
TO PROVIDE AN INCOME TAX EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN PAYMENTS BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF … | B. Johnson | Notification that SB408 is now Act 696 |
|
SB426
Act 654
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB426 Hester Cavenaugh TO CREATE THE DEFENSE AGAINST CRIMINAL ILL…”
|
TO CREATE THE DEFENSE AGAINST CRIMINAL ILLEGALS ACT; AND TO ESTABLISH ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL … | Hester | Notification that SB426 is now Act 654 |
|
SB427
Act 663
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB427 J. Bryant McAlindon TO AMEND PROMOTING PROSTITUTION OFFENSE…”
|
TO AMEND PROMOTING PROSTITUTION OFFENSES; TO ENHANCE THE PENALTIES FOR PROMOTING PROSTITUTION IN THE FIRST, … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB427 is now Act 663 |
|
SB428
Act 664
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB428 J. Bryant Rose CONCERNING A CIVIL CAUSE OF ACTION FOR VICTI…”
|
CONCERNING A CIVIL CAUSE OF ACTION FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; AND TO PROVIDE A … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB428 is now Act 664 |
|
SB429
Act 665
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB429 J. Bryant Joey Carr TO EXPAND THE SEALING OF CRIMINAL RECOR…”
|
TO EXPAND THE SEALING OF CRIMINAL RECORDS FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; TO PROVIDE THAT … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB429 is now Act 665 |
|
SB430
Act 666
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB430 J. Bryant Rose AN ACT TO REQUIRE MANDATORY RESTITUTION TO B…”
|
AN ACT TO REQUIRE MANDATORY RESTITUTION TO BE AWARDED TO A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB430 is now Act 666 |
|
SB431
Act 987
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB431 J. Bryant R. Scott Richardson TO AMEND THE HUMAN TRAFFICKIN…”
|
TO AMEND THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2013; TO ELIMINATE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB431 is now Act 987 |
|
SB446
Act 668
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB446 Gilmore Gazaway TO AMEND THE AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER…”
|
TO AMEND THE AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM ACT; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE USE … | Gilmore | Notification that SB446 is now Act 668 |
|
SB449
Act 669
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB449 Dees Beaty, Jr. TO PROVIDE CIVIL IMMUNITY FOR CONFISCATION…”
|
TO PROVIDE CIVIL IMMUNITY FOR CONFISCATION OF ALTERNATIVE NICOTINE PRODUCTS, VAPOR PRODUCTS, E-LIQUID PRODUCTS, TOBACCO … | Dees | Notification that SB449 is now Act 669 |
|
SB464
Act 698
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB464 A. Clark C. Cooper TO AMEND THE LAWS CONCERNING SALES OF RA…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAWS CONCERNING SALES OF RAW MILK; TO ALLOW SALES OF RAW MILK … | A. Clark | Notification that SB464 is now Act 698 |
|
SB467
Act 645
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB467 C. Penzo Gramlich TO MODIFY THE DEFINITION OF "HEALTHCARE P…”
|
TO MODIFY THE DEFINITION OF "HEALTHCARE PROVIDER" REGARDING STUDENT ATHLETE CONCUSSION EDUCATION TO INCLUDE CHIROPRACTORS … | C. Penzo | Notification that SB467 is now Act 645 |
|
SB470
Act 646
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB470 J. Dotson Brooks TO REQUIRE AN ADULT APPROVED TO OVERSEE TH…”
|
TO REQUIRE AN ADULT APPROVED TO OVERSEE THE ADMINISTRATION OF A STATEWIDE STUDENT ASSESSMENT TO … | J. Dotson | Notification that SB470 is now Act 646 |
|
SB485
Act 670
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB485 C. Tucker Gazaway TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM; AND TO AMEND THE LA…”
|
TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE SUSPENDED IMPOSITION OF A SENTENCE, … | C. Tucker | Notification that SB485 is now Act 670 |
|
SB492
Act 699
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB492 J. Bryant Lundstrum TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE RELOCAT…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE RELOCATION OF UTILITY FACILITIES; AND TO AMEND THE LAW … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB492 is now Act 699 |
|
SB494
Act 717
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB494 J. Bryant Eaton TO REDUCE THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF PERMITS I…”
|
TO REDUCE THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF PERMITS ISSUED BY ARKANSAS TOBACCO CONTROL; AND TO … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB494 is now Act 717 |
|
SB495
Act 718
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB495 J. Bryant Eaton TO AMEND DEFINITIONS USED UNDER THE ARKANSA…”
|
TO AMEND DEFINITIONS USED UNDER THE ARKANSAS TOBACCO PRODUCTS TAX ACT OF 1977; AND TO … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB495 is now Act 718 |
|
SB496
Act 700
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB496 Caldwell Hollowell TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PERMITS FOR…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PERMITS FOR SPECIAL CARGOES; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING … | Caldwell | Notification that SB496 is now Act 700 |
|
SB497
Act 655
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB497 D. Wallace Nazarenko TO REQUIRE THE CREATION OF A POSTER RE…”
|
TO REQUIRE THE CREATION OF A POSTER REGARDING VETERANS' BENEFITS AND SERVICES; AND TO REQUIRE … | D. Wallace | Notification that SB497 is now Act 655 |
|
SB515
Act 647
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB515 J. Petty Nazarenko TO REQUIRE THAT A UNIT DEDICATED TO ARKA…”
|
TO REQUIRE THAT A UNIT DEDICATED TO ARKANSAS VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES BE INCLUDED WITHIN … | J. Petty | Notification that SB515 is now Act 647 |
|
SB522
Act 648
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB522 M. McKee M. Brown TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING THE ARKANSAS S…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING THE ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR MATHEMATICS, SCIENCES, AND THE ARTS; AND … | M. McKee | Notification that SB522 is now Act 648 |
|
SB530
Act 701
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB530 B. Davis Beck TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS WOOD ENERGY PRODUCTS AN…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS WOOD ENERGY PRODUCTS AND FOREST MAINTENANCE INCOME TAX CREDIT. | B. Davis | Notification that SB530 is now Act 701 |
|
SB540
Act 702
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB540 M. Johnson Ennett TO LIMIT THE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF…”
|
TO LIMIT THE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE OR IMPOSITION OF RESTRICTIONS ON … | M. Johnson | Notification that SB540 is now Act 702 |
|
SB550
Act 703
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB550 Hill Painter TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE ARKANSAS LIVESTOCK A…”
|
TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE ARKANSAS LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY COMMISSION TO THE ARKANSAS BOARD … | Hill | Notification that SB550 is now Act 703 |
|
SB552
Act 650
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB552 K. Hammer Eaves TO CLARIFY THE DEFINITION OF "PRINCIPAL OFF…”
|
TO CLARIFY THE DEFINITION OF "PRINCIPAL OFFICE" USED UNDER THE ARKANSAS BUSINESS CORPORATION ACT OF … | K. Hammer | Notification that SB552 is now Act 650 |
|
SB553
Act 671
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB553 K. Hammer Milligan TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS MUNICIPAL ACCOUNTI…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS MUNICIPAL ACCOUNTING LAW; TO AMEND THE DUTIES OF A MUNICIPAL TREASURER; … | K. Hammer | Notification that SB553 is now Act 671 |
|
SB562
Act 704
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB562 Hill Holcomb TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF INTE…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL AUDIT; AND TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT … | Hill | Notification that SB562 is now Act 704 |
|
SB567
Act 719
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB567 Crowell R. Burkes TO AMEND AND MODERNIZE THE LAW CONCERNING…”
|
TO AMEND AND MODERNIZE THE LAW CONCERNING THE APPORTIONMENT OF INCOME DERIVED FROM MULTISTATE OPERATIONS; … | Crowell | Notification that SB567 is now Act 719 |
|
SB572
Act 649
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB572 J. Dotson McAlindon TO CREATE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ACCESS AND…”
|
TO CREATE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ACCESS AND TRANSPARENCY ACT; AND TO REQUIRE PUBLIC ACCESS TO … | J. Dotson | Notification that SB572 is now Act 649 |
|
SB576
Act 623
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB576 B. Davis Pilkington TO AMEND THE COVERAGE OF CONTINUOUS GLU…”
|
TO AMEND THE COVERAGE OF CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORS WITHIN THE ARKANSAS MEDICAID PROGRAM. | B. Davis | Notification that SB576 is now Act 623 |
|
SB577
Act 720
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB577 J. Petty Hall TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL SALES AND U…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL SALES AND USE TAXES; AND TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT … | J. Petty | Notification that SB577 is now Act 720 |
|
SB594
Act 705
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB594 M. McKee Milligan TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EXEMPTIONS FO…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EXEMPTIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR NEW … | M. McKee | Notification that SB594 is now Act 705 |
|
SB9
Act 622
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB9 B. Davis Pilkington TO CREATE THE MAKE ARKANSAS HEALTHY AGA…”
|
TO CREATE THE MAKE ARKANSAS HEALTHY AGAIN ACT; AND TO PROHIBIT MANUFACTURING, SELLING, DELIVERING, DISTRIBUTING, … | B. Davis | Notification that SB9 is now Act 622 |
|
SB93
Act 1010
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB93 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION APPROPRIATION FOR TH…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB93 is now Act 1010 |
Machine transcript
May contain errors. Verify important quotations against the official video.
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- October 2, 2026
Chair
Unverified
7:29
I invite the members, staff, press, and guests in the galleries to stand and be led in prayer by Pastor George Shears, the New Hope Baptist Church of North Little Rock, guests today of Representative Tracy Steele and to remain standing for the Pledge of allegiance to be led by Representative
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
7:47
Lane Jean. May we bow for a word of prayer. Gracious and eternal God. We pause in this sacred moment not to be partisan but to be prayerful.
We acknowledge you as the source of all wisdom, the giver of every good gift and the sustainer of this great state. Thank you for these representatives who have answered the call to serve. They are not just lawmakers, their mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, neighbors and friends. Today, I lift them to you as one by one, row by row, sold by soul. Give them clarity when the issues are complex.
Give them courage when the choices are costly. Give them compassion when the people are hurting. And give them calm in the chaos of long days and weightier decisions. May this chamber not just echo with debate. But resonate with discernment. May their hearts not grow weary in well doing. But rise with renewed purpose. May they remember that behind every policy is a person.
Behind every name or number is a name. protect their minds from burnout. Guard their homes from strain. Shield their families with peace that surpasses all understanding. Let this day's work not just to make laws, but make a difference. Not just move legislation but move lives. I pray not just for what happens in this house. But for the hearts in this house.
And Lord, I trust that when we seek you first. Everything else will fall into the rightful place. In the strong name of Jesus, I pray.
Members, please indicate your presence by pushing your yellow present button. Prepare the machine, madam clerk.
Chair
Unverified
10:51
Everyone indicated their presence, cast up the ballot. With 99 members present, the chair sees a quorum. Any requests for leave. Representative Meeks, for what purpose? Uh, Lee for Representative Milligan. His leave granted for Representative John Milligan. So ordered. Representative Matthew Shepherd moves that we dispense with the reading of the previous day's journal. With no objection. So ordered. Madam Clark, do you have reports from select
committees. You're recognized Mr. Speaker. We're your committee on management to whom the House resolution 1109, House Resolution 1110. House resolution 1111. House resolution 1112. House Memorial resolution 1011. House Memorial Resolution 1012. Begly reporting the
same consideration here for terms the same recommendation that do pass respectfully submitted. Representative Val chair. Mr. Speaker, we your committee on joint budget, to whom the House Bill 1105, vaguely reporting the same consideration here for
terms the same recommendation that do passes Amendment number 2, respectfully submitted. Representative Jean, co-chair. Mr. Speaker, we your committee on joint budget was required
House Bill 1202 vaguely the same consideration here for return the same recommendation that do pass Amendment number 3, respectfully submitted. Representative Jean, co-chair. Mr. Speaker, your committee on Joint Budget and Homes fired House Bill 1126. Vaguely
Speaker 27
12:01
reporting the same consideration and hear concerns the same they do pass effectively submitted Representative Jean, co-chair. Thank you, Madam Clark.
Chair
Unverified
12:09
You have reports from standing committees. You're recognized. Mr. Speaker, we your Committee on
Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Developments and who were fired. Senate Bill 500, Senate Bill 563, Senate Bill 573. be leave reporting the same
consideration here for the same recommendation that do passly submit it. Representative Lynch, chair, Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Public Transportation to House Bill 2001 Senate Bill 478 vaguely report to some consideration here for return the same recommendation that do pass respectfully submitted. Representative Holcomb, chair. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Any unfinished business? Do
you have any executive communications? Please read the letter from the governor. April 9, 2025 to the Speaker of
the House. Dear Mr. Speaker, this will inform me that on April 8, 2025, I reviewed and approved the following measures from the regular session of the
ninety-fifth General Assembly. House Bill 1561 Act 473, House Bill 1598 Act 474, House Bill 1633 Act 475. High school 1640 at 476 1697477, House Bill 1705 Act 478. High 1271 at 479. House 1557 Act 480. House 1382 Act 481. House 1474 Act 484. House Bill 1551 Act 485. High 1760 at 486, 1549 Act 489. House 1654 Act 490. High 1094
Act 494 Hospital 1125, at 495. Hos1232 A 496. House Bill 1691, Act 497, House Bill 1716 Act 498. Sincerely, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Governor of Arkansas. Thank
Speaker 36
13:34
you, Madam Clerk. Members, I would ask you to rise at this
Chair
Unverified
13:42
time. Just to give some special recognition to a couple of folks we have with us today, Sergeant Austin Ley of the regulatory Services Division in Corporal Trey Keller of the Highway Patrol Administration.
Gentlemen, thank you for your service to Arkansas and to the House of Representatives, members your Arkansas state
troopers of the day. Also on the back of the chamber, we have with us today our doctor of the
Speaker 98
14:13
day, Doctor Tim Payton, Family Medicine physician, guest of Representative Stetson Painter, uh, from Mountain Home. Doctor, welcome. Yeah
Serving alongside the good doctor today, we have our nurse, Ms. Lee Fazio. Ms. Lee, thank you very much for
Speaker 98
14:39
your service to the House of Representatives. Also, you may recognize a face, uh, if you've been around here for
very long in the back of the chamber. Representative Eubanks running block and tackle back there. A friend to many of us, uh, A good leader in state
government, uh, former member Bill Gossage. Would you
please make him welcome. And to get you to turn around this way down in the front, uh, along the benches in the front. We
Speaker 98
15:11
have a great group of pages here to help us today. Uh, we appreciate very much their willingness to come and work on behalf of the House of Representatives and, uh, give us a good experience with their efforts. One particular one we want to point out today, uh, over to my right, on the very
end, we have Miss Rebecca Meeks. She is the daughter of ranking member Steven Meeks. Please make
Speaker 98
15:45
Rebecca welcome. Members have a letter, uh, from the Senate, uh, without objection, the Senate respectfully requests the return of Senate Bill 629. Saying
Speaker 47
15:52
no objection. As the chief clerk to send the bill back to the Senate.
Speaker 98
16:13
Members also, uh, we have a request to recall back from the Senate House Bill
1829. Any objection? Seeing none Please send the communications to The Senate All those in favor of recalling House Bill 1829, say aye. Nate, I had it. Direct chief clerk to recall that bill. Members, we have a lot of guests here with us. You'll see our galleries are
full. We are so grateful for them being here today and give us, giving us the opportunity to honor them. We have also have some groups, uh, out in the hallway still, uh, that we're going to welcome in at the appropriate time. And so with that objection as we move into resolutions, uh, without objection, I want, I need to bounce around, uh, just so I can kind of coordinate the logistics of honoring guests that are Seeded and then, uh, getting some others in the, at the
Chair
Unverified
17:09
appropriate time. And so Madam Clerk, I would ask that you read House Resolution 1105.
House Resolution 1105 by Representative Pierce to proclaim April 9, 2025 as Arkansas line worker Appreciation Day at the state Capitol and to commend the men and women who serve
Arkansas as utility line workers. to explain your resolution.
Representative Shad Pearce
Unverified
17:48
Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you, colleagues. And at this time, could I ask, uh, Representative Schultz to
Chair
Unverified
17:54
join me in the well, please. Represent Schultz,
Representative Shad Pearce
Unverified
18:00
you joined Representative Pierce in the well. Colleagues in Arkansas, approximately 2140 line workers
share a common attribute that transcends their knowledge of technical jargon like knucklebuster, lobster claw, or booger wire. What truly unites them is their unwavering commitment to their driving and driving them to exceed heights of 40, 60, and even 120 ft amidst challenging conditions such as heavy rain, sleet, or extreme heat. burdened with over 40 pounds of gear. They tirelessly repair and restore electrical systems,
transmitting voltage ranging from 13,800 votes to 765,000 votes. Often dedicating up to 16 hours a day to their craft, Amazing, and
your grid has not went unnoticed
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
18:59
with us. The dedication of these professionals shines on holidays like Christmas or Memorial Day. During significant life events
such as their child's first despite the emotional toll of being separated from loved ones and the physical demands that can inflict lasting strain. It is their grit that motivates these line workers to persevere. Their resilience endures that we continue to enjoy the vital modern convenience of electricity. Underscoring the silent sacrifices made by those who serve in this critical role. Now, I want to add a personal note to this. As most of you all know,
On March 14th. My district, District 28 was hit. Hard by a significant tornado incident. All 4 counties in District 28 were hit the the next morning as the sun came up. In my hometown of Cave City. We didn't know where to start. Poles down wires, you just can't imagine the devastation. By that afternoon, Main Street in Cave City looked like a Transformers movie.
Somewhere I have a picture on my phone. There were so many booms in the air working. It was just unbelievable in, in coordinated madness. It it was quite a thing to see. My point is these people are miracle workers. Within a couple of days, Our residents were back up and going. And it's due to the dedication of these people. We appreciate you all please stand?
grade to title only? Madam Clerk, please
Speaker 68
21:07
read the resolution by title proclaim April 9, 2025 as Arkansas line Worker Appreciation Day at the state
Chair
Unverified
21:12
Capitol and to commend the men and
women who serve Arkansas as utility line workers. Representative Pierce has explained the resolution. Would anyone like to speak against the resolution? For the resolution. Representative Pierce, you're closed for the resolution.
Chair
Unverified
21:27
Question before the house is the passage of House resolution
1105. All those in favor say aye. Po, Pona. You guys have it. Congratulations, Representative
Pierce, your resolution has been adopted. Gentlemen, thank you. Madam Clark, please read House resolution 1106.
Chair
Unverified
22:02
House Resolution 1106 by Representative Pierce to recognize Arkansas State
Game and Fish Commission Game Warden Brady Smith as the National Wild Turkey Federation Wildlife Officer of the
Year. Representative Brown, you're recognized to explain resolution 1106. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, this
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
22:18
is the resolution that we honored Officer Brady Smith from Cleburne County the other day and so I'd asked the clerk to read the resolution in title only. Madam Clerk, please read the
Chair
Unverified
22:33
resolution by title. To recognize Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission Game warden Brandy Brady Smith as the National Wild Turkey Federation's wildlife Officer
of the Year. Representative Brown has explained the resolution. Would anyone like to speak
Chair
Unverified
22:48
against the resolution? For the resolution. Representative Brown, closed for the resolution. Representative Brown is closed for the resolution. Question before the house is the passage of House Resolution 1106. All those in favor say aye. Bona,
Ya have it. Congratulations, Representative Pierce Anne Brown, your resolution has been adopted. Representative
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
23:24
Brown, for what purpose? privilege. You're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, I am so honored today to recognize the West Side Grose Ferry High School, Lady Eagles basketball
team. They are in the North gallery, and they are the 2025 class 1A state championship team. They won in their final game in this uh championship with 63 to 49 and even more, this team had multiple players and athletes who were recognized throughout the state. They were coached by coach Keith Cornett. We are proud to have them as state champions. We're also proud to have them as women leaders growing up in my
district. So would you join me in honoring them. The resolution will be run tomorrow, but we want to honor them while they're here
Speaker 87
24:27
in the chamber. You, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Representative Brown. Madam Clerk, please read House resolution. 11:04.
Chair
Unverified
24:42
House Resolution 1104 by Representative Beatty to honor Larry Walther for his exceptional service to the state of Arkansas and to the
Speaker 98
24:50
United States of America. Members, uh, Representative Beatty would like
to pass over that today. Madam Clerk, please read House resolution
Chair
Unverified
25:07
1099. House Resolution 1099 by Representative Richardson to recognize the Arkansas Tech University Robotics Club for
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
25:13
winning the tournament champion and innovate awards at the 2025 Texas State
Chair
Unverified
25:19
VEXU tournament. Representative Richardson, you're recognized to
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
25:25
explain your resolution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and uh with your permission, I'd like to invite Representative Duffield, as well as uh any representatives that, uh, happen to represent either a whole or in part of the towns of Bentonville, Conway, Greenwood, Hope, Russellville, and
Sheridan. Y'all please join Representative Richardson in the well. Colleagues, while they make their way down, I want to get started and talk to you just a little bit about how resolution 1099. This resolution is designed to recognize an outstanding STEM performance by in obviously a biased opinion, the best STEM university in our state for its recent and ongoing accomplishments in vexed robotics competitions. Um, and if you don't know, veropotics is
a global robotics program designed to inspire students. To engage with STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics through hands-on collaborative learning. In this chamber, we regularly recognize our various sports teams for great accomplishments requiring physical challenges, teamwork, and skill in a particular sport, yet it is rare that we have the opportunity to celebrate the success of those same requirements coupled with the engineering programming and thought leadership required to
accomplish with these students have done in representing each of their hometowns, Arkansas Tech, and of course our great state. On February 21st and 22nd, the robotics. from Arkansas Tech University, better known as Adam, which is spelled A T U M, one that Texas State vex you robotics tournament to earn a birth and to its 3rd consecutive vex you world championships to be held next month. This great honor is only provided to a select few
who have proven great expertise in design, manufacture, and programming of these robotic devices. Each round their creators must maneuver these devices under extreme competition pressures. To complete increasingly complex engineering. Challenges. If you haven't seen these competitions, you're truly missing out on something great. Along the way, Adam had Adam had to defeat teams from prestigious STEM schools like Texas A&M and
of course, everyone's favorite team to beat from the state of Arkansas, the University of Texas at Austin. This great accomplishment was orchestrated by the following team members, and if you would, uh, please rise when I call your name, uh Brodie Peterson from Bentonville. Cody Stober from Bentonville. Uh, Kevin Cannagara, I'm sorry about that. Um, from Bentonville as well. Be Huey from Conway, Everett
Otis from Conway, Preston deal from Conway, uh, Brady Bray from Greenwood, Brandon Goalless from Hope. I probably missed that one. Hunter Mathis from Hope, uh, Jason Easterling, Juan Leon, uh, who is the club vice president. I miss that Hunter's actually the club president from Hope, uh, Juan from Hope as well. Judith Morales Mora from Russellville, Ryan.
Nathan Lasky, and I'm sorry about that one from Sheridan. Uh, also with them is faculty members. I know it's bad. Uh, faculty members, uh, Mr. uh, and club sponsors, Mr. Woodeler, Mr. Ward, uh, Doctor Crone, uh, Dean John Jackson and Provelos Doctor Adolf Santos. So, uh, would you guys help me welcome these folks to the, uh, house chamber today.
Speaker 102
29:32
And with that, Mr. Speaker, could you have, uh, the clerk read the
resolution by title only. Madam Park, please
Chair
Unverified
29:40
read the resolution by title. To recognize the Arkansas Tech University robotics club for winning the tournament champion and innovate awards at the 2025 Texas State
VEU tournament. Representative Richardson has explained the resolution. Would anyone like to speak
Chair
Unverified
29:55
against the resolution? For the resolution, Representative Richardson is closed for the resolution, question before the House is the passage of House resolution
1099. All those in favor say aye. nays have it. Congratulations, your resolution has been adopted. Madam Clerk, please read House resolution 1023.
Chair
Unverified
30:37
House Resolution 1023 by Representative Steinel to recognize the Salem football team as a Class 3A state champions.
Speaker 95
30:44
Representative Steiner, you're recognized to explain your resolution. Thank you, Mr.
Representative Steiner
Unverified
30:47
Speaker. We had the 3A Salem, uh, football team out here earlier this year. We're recognizing this is gonna be the resolution that confirms that and, uh, You know, really proud of these folks back home and with that, if you would please, Mr. Speaker, have the, uh, clerk read it by title. Madam Park, please read the
Speaker 32
31:08
resolution by title recognize the Salem football team as the
Chair
Unverified
31:12
Class 3A state champions. Representative Steinel has explained the resolution. Would anyone like to speak against the resolution. For the resolution. Representative Steinel is closed for the resolution. Question before the house is the adoption of House resolution 1023. All those in favor
say aye. Osna, you have it. Congratulations, Representative Steel, your resolution has been adopted.
Chair
Unverified
31:46
Madam Clerk, please read House resolution 1079. Pass
resolution 1079 by Representative Brooks to honor DJ Daniel for his fight against brain cancer and support naming him an
honorary state Capitol police officer and to proclaimed March 17, 2025 as DJ Daniel Day in the
state of Arkansas. Representative Brooks, you're recognized
to explain your resolution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We honor
DJ Daniels several weeks ago when he was here in Arkansas. We just didn't have the resolution passed out of committee in time to present.
Chair
Unverified
32:17
And so this is the formality of that, and I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative Brooks has explained the resolution. Would anyone like to speak against the resolution? For the resolution. Representative Brooks is closed for the resolution. Question before the house is the adoption of House resolution 1079. All those in favor say aye. nay, Ya have it. Congratulations, Representative Brooks, your resolution has been adopted. Representative
in it for what purpose? point of privilege. You're recognized to come to the well.
Good afternoon colleagues, how are you doing? I have
in the West gallery, I have Mills High. If you could stand up real quick. I like to congratulate you all for winning. This is your 5th title, right? And so I don't have a resolution in front of me, but I just want to recognize them for winning a 5th basketball tournament here in Arkansas. If, if I,
I'm sorry, if everybody can give them a round of applause, please. Thank you.
Thank you, Representative Ennett. Madam Clerk, please read House resolution 1107. House Resolution 1107 by
Chair
Unverified
33:51
Representative Torres to proclaim April 24, 225 as teach children to save Day in Arkansas. Representative
Torres, you're recognized to explain your resolution.
Representative Randy Torres
Unverified
34:04
Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, House members, as a banker and as a legislator, I'm honored to
stand here and represent the state of Arkansas banking community with this resolution, they couldn't be here, but they are watching live on our cameras here. So, House Resolution 1107, this resolution is asking the Arkansas House of Representatives to officially recognize April 24th, 2025 as teach children to save day in the state of Arkansas. The goal is to raise awareness about the importance of teaching
kids to how to save money and make smart financial choices from a young age. Financial skills are essential, saving, budgeting and managing money or life skills. Every child should learn early. It helps to avoid future struggles. Many adults face money problems simply because they were never taught how to handle finances. Teaching kids now builds a stronger economy later. On this day, school parents, banks, and local businesses are encouraged to get involved in teaching
children about saving money, and this resolution highlights the role of organizations like Arkansas banks and the Financial Education Commission and supporting free financial education across the state. House resolution 1107 makes an official statement that Arkansas values financial
education encourages everyone to support efforts that help kids become financially responsible adults. And I think I want to
start that right here in the House chamber
if I could, by sharing a quick money lesson I learned from my illiterate millionaire grandfather. He said, son, he says, every dollar you have in your hand. That the good Lord places there. He says it's real simple. He says you only have two options. He said, you can take that $1 and you can spend it on an alligator. Or you can take that dollar and invest it into a milk cow. He said, an alligator will eat
and eat and eat and never give you anything in return. He said, in fact, it'll end up biting the hand that's feeding it. He says, but that milk cow, he said, not only will she milk for you while you sleep, but she'll reproduce herself as well. And he said, finally, Never get an alligator until you have enough milk cows to pay for. And I've applied that principle to my personal professional life, and I'm trying to do that. Here's a policy maker as well.
So with that, thank you so much, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to introduce this. If we could have the uh clerk
read this title only. Madam Clark, please read
Speaker 68
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the resolution by title April 24th, 2025 as Teach Children to Save Day in
Arkansas. Representative Torres has explained the resolution. Would anyone like to speak against the resolution? For the resolution. Representative Torres is closed
Chair
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37:11
for the resolution. Question before the house is the passage
of House resolution 1107. Prepare the
Chair
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37:21
machine, Madam Clerk. Oh, all those in favor say aye. Honey, I have it. Congratulations, Representative Torres, your resolution has
Speaker 87
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been adopted. Madam Clerk, please read House Memorial resolution
Speaker 137
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1009. How's Memorial resolution 1009 by Representative Moore to remember former Speaker of the
Chair
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37:49
House of Representatives Benny Petris for his service to the community and to the state of
Representative Kendra Moore
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37:58
Arkansas. Represented more, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues, I'll keep this brief as I made my remarks yesterday, Mr. Benny Petris was former Speaker of the House and served in this chamber from 2002 until 2009. He was a great man and a dear friend of mine. And with that, I would appreciate.
Representative Moore has explained the resolution. Would anyone like to speak against the resolution? For the resolution.
Chair
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38:22
Representing Moore is closed for the resolution. Question before the house is the passage of House Memorial resolution 1009. All those in favor say aye. nay, you have it. Congratulations,
Speaker 106
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Represented Moore. Resolution has been adopted.
Representative Ray, for what purpose? Request. I hear your request. Mr. Speaker,
pursuant to House Rule 38T, I'd like to request a fiscal impact statement on House Bill 1930. That's
a proper request. Let the records show the
Speaker 98
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request has been made for a fiscal impact on that bill. As the clerk prepare a fiscal impact. tain that and lay it upon the desk of the members. Within 5 days.
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
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39:53
Members will now go to concurrence, Senate
Speaker 98
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amendments. Representative RJ Hawk recommends that we concur and Senate amendment number one to House Bill 1745. Madam Clerk, please read Senate
Speaker 27
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Amendment number one Amendment Bill 1745.
Chair
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40:10
Representative Hawk, you're recognized to explain Amendment One.
Representative RJ Hawk
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40:15
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues, um, this amendment did two things. We added or work visa everywhere that work permit
already appears in the bill. We need to add the or work visa to capture all the scenarios in which a foreign CDL might be legal and make sure that this law will be enforceable in those situations, both work permits and work visas are issued by the United States government and provide assurances that these individuals are who they say they are and are in the country legally. The second part of the amendment was that we codified the English language proficiency requirement for commercial drivers exactly as it appears in federal law. The new language mirrors both
the regulation and the associated penalties. This was the suggestion of the Arkansas Highway Police and the Arkansas State Police. Currently the regulator regulation is only enforceable by the Arkansas Highway Police, putting, putting it in state code will allow for law enforcement agencies like the state police and local departments to enforce this requirement. Just to reiterate, none of the language in this bill is allowing to expand licensing. This bill was done to make sure that we, uh, cut down
on fraudulent CDLs from Mexico. The original, the original passed with 93 votes out of this chamber and this amended version received 33 votes in
Speaker 156
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the Senate. I would ask for a good vote. Representative Hawk
Speaker 98
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has explained the amendment. Would anyone like to speak against the amendment? For the amendment Representative Hawke is closed for the amendment. Question before the house his concurrence with Senate Amendment number 1
Chair
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41:59
to House Bill 1745. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. So everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. By a vote of 82, yeah, 0, nay, and 0 present. You've concurred in Senate Amendment number 1, the House Bill 1745. Representative Bruce Cozart recommends that we concur in Senate Amendment number 1 to House Bill 1468. Madam Clerk,
please read Senate Amendment 1 to House
Bill 1468. Senate Amendment number 1 of
Chair
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House Bill 1468. Representative Cozarch, you're recognized to
explain your amendment. Colleagues, this is a, an amendment that we put on for the, uh, Attorney General And, uh,
that we had forgot to put it on when we ran it through the house and it just excludes them from some of the information would not be
Speaker 98
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responsible for it. So, uh, I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Cozart has explained the amendment. Would anyone like to speak against the amendment?
Chair
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43:12
For the amendment. Represent Cozart is closed for the amendment. Question before the house's concurrence with Senate Amendment number 1 to House Bill 1468. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. So everyone voted.
As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Speaker 98
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The vote of 90, 0, nay, and 0 present. You've concurred in Senate Amendment number 1 to House Bill 1468.
Chair
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43:46
Members at the request Representative Wayne Long. We'll pass over House Bill 1914 today. At the request of Representative Stetson Painter, we will pass over House Bill 1897.
Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1832. 1832 by Representative Shepherd to amend the rules of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals of the state of Arkansas and to amend the rule of the Supreme Court
and Court of Appeals under the authority granted by the Arkansas Constitution. Representative Shepherd, you're recognized to explain your bill.
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
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44:40
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, House Bill 1832, uh, by myself
and Senator Hester, uh, provides for an amendment to the rules of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. And also, uh, amends the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals. This bill is really very simple. All it does is moves. The original jurisdiction of a facial. Constitutional challenge to the Arkansas Court of Appeals.
And I know that, uh, when you start talking about jurisdiction and facial challenges that That can be, uh, a little much for Non-lawyers, uh, but I'll try to explain it as best I can. There's two ways that there's generally two ways that actions of the General Assembly. Or, uh, rules and regulations. Can be challenged. One is
It's challenged constitutionally as applied. And what that means is that the plaintiff is saying as to its application.
As to the law's application to me. And only me, it is unconstitutional. And then the court makes
a decision based upon whether the act Or the rule is unconstitutional as to that claim. This bill does not affect those challenges.
The other type of constitutional challenge is what's called a facial challenge. A facial challenge. is when a claimant or a plaintiff is saying that the act, the law, the rule, is unconstitutional on its face. In other words, there is no instance. In which That law can be applied constitutionally. And so in essence, what they are seeking to do is to strike.
Or to enjoin. The application of the law in all circumstances. So in essence, they're asking the court to strike down an act of the General Assembly. This bill is only applies to those situations. It only applies to a facial challenge of an act
of the General Assembly or a rule or regulation. And
so, I want you to remember that. That's a very narrow category of cases. And as I served as Speaker of
the House for those number of years, uh, I became more and more aware of the number of constitutional challenges. And those challenges can be filed sometimes in federal court, which obviously we have no, no control over that. Or they can be filed in state court. And in state court, they're filed in circuit court, which you're probably familiar with circuit court. That's your local, uh, trial court of record.
And so I became more and more aware of these facial challenges, you've probably been aware of them. There are cases in which the lawsuit is filed and then immediately the judge may enjoin or hold up the application of law across the board while it makes its way through the court system. And so, you know, I would get questions from legislators, but also from constituencies, why, how is it that a circuit judge in some part of Arkansas can Enjoying an action that has been
voted on by both ends of the legislature and approved by the governor. And, you know, I, so I've heard these questions, these complaints, and so I became more and more aware of this, and quite honestly, I'm trying to get out in front of, of this issue. And there's a number of ways that we could have approached this issue and really this to me is the simplest way. But this bill simply says that if there's a facial challenge, That instead of it being The jurisdiction where it's filed in circuit court.
is that it would be filed with the Arkansas Court of Appeals. That's all it does. The Court of Appeals is elected from across the state of Arkansas. There's Court of Appeals districts, and so these judges are elected from across the state and my, my really my desire in doing that is that if we're going to have lawsuits in which a judge, even for a short period of time can hold up. The the implementation and the enforceability of an action in
the General Assembly to me, shouldn't they be elected from across the state of Arkansas, just at the very least. And so that's what this bill does. And so it simply moves, it does not, it doesn't add an extra level. It simply moves from circuit court over into the court of appeals. Ultimately, those cases, many of them are going to make their way to the Arkansas Supreme Court for a final decision. And so it's really very simple, but I will say this, there's some things that we can't do.
And as I looked at this issue, I, I recognize there's certain things that we can't do under Amendment 80. Um, you, you've heard, if you've been here for any length of time, you've heard that we can't do things concerning process and procedure of the courts. So I can't, I can't implement, we can't implement exactly what that process will look like. But under amendment 80 section 10, we do determine jurisdiction and venue. And so this bill is based on Amendment 80, Section 10, we're providing for jurisdiction
of this limited category of cases to be moved over to the Court of Appeals. Ultimately, The implementation of this, and whether it is effective and efficient. Or whether it is poorly implemented is ultimately going to be dependent upon two things. One is the court rules that are passed and adopted by the Supreme Court, and I've put an amendment on to delay implementation until November 1st. So they have about
6 months to implement rules. And then secondly, it's gonna be dependent upon how the Court of Appeals handles it. But I'm confident that they will be able to handle it in an efficient way. I think that we're getting ahead of an issue. It just so happens, this has been an issue I've looked at for the past several years. It just so happens that about the time I filed this bill, if you've been paying attention to what's going on at the federal level, there's a similar discussion going on about nationwide injunctions from federal district courts.
It's a lot of the same types of issues. And so I believe we're being proactive
with this. I'll be glad to answer any questions. Uh, again, very simple, Bill, and, uh,
Chair
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51:38
I'll be glad to answer any questions. Representative Springer, for what purpose? You're
Representative Joy Springer
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51:45
for a question? Oh, good afternoon. I would just like a response to a question. What is your legitimate Non-discriminatory reason for proposing this legislation.
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
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51:57
So that, so that Arkansans. A greater cross section of Arkansans can elect. Judges that are going to decide these issues.
As you know right now, most of these cases that involve the state are filed in Pulaski County. And the point of this is to provide for a greater cross section of the state to have a voice and who those judges are that are deciding these cases. I'd appreciate a good vote.
Chair
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52:28
Representative Shepard has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Representative Hudson, you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank
Representative Ashley Hudson
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52:46
you Mr. Speaker and thank you Representative Shepherd for bringing this.
And to be clear, he and I have talked about this a few times, and this is just sort of lawyer stuff where we get wonky about it. However, I think that there are a couple of issues that you need
to be aware of before, um, this bill ends up in front of the Pulaski County Circuit Court, um, when someone files a lawsuit about it. So, the first problem that I have with this bill is the issue of standing. In order for any litigant to bring a case in front of any court, they have to have standing to bring the claim. So I have to have some sort of harm that I can point to or some sort of interest in the case in order to bring standing. In this case, The appellate court doesn't typically decide standing. That is a factual issue and appellate
courts don't make decisions on the factual issues. They look at the law once the appellate court receives the case. So generally, even if there's a dispute about standing at the appellate level, they will rely on the record that was created below in order to make that determination. The reason that's important is because it saves us from having frivolous lawsuits filed by people who have no interest in the case. So for example, it saves us from having just anybody come in and file a lawsuit about a bill that you passed this session, who
doesn't have any interest, who may not even be from Arkansas, who's just filing it to try to gum up the system. That's another problem. The Court of Appeals right now is taking about a year plus to decide cases. They have one of the heaviest caseloads in the state. And so if you're talking about trying to make things more efficient and faster as Representative Shepherd pointed out in trying to have to go through the trial court level before you get a decision, this ain't it. And the reason for that is because this will be thrown in on top of the
other work that the judges are already doing, um, and they are going to cause additional delays in getting these cases out on top of the criminal appeals and the civil appeals and the domestic appeals that the Court of Appeals already hears. The other problem that we have though, is that this isn't a rule change. The Arkansas Constitution and Amendment 80, Section 5. Says that the Court of Appeals shall have such appellate jurisdiction as the Supreme Court shall by rule determine.
And so you say, well, OK, I mean, he said by rule, this says by rule, except that there is a distinct legal difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction. By definition, original jurisdiction means that it is a, it is a court that hears a case for the first time. If we pass this bill, that's what the Court of Appeals will be doing. On the other hand, appellate jurisdiction means the court's
ability to review decisions made by lower courts. What's decision, court's ability to review decisions made by lower courts. If the Court of Appeals is hearing it for the first time, it is doing something that is unconstitutional based on Amendment 80, Section 5, and y'all can look it up. That's exactly what it says. There is a difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction. There is a difference between what we're doing in this bill versus what the state constitution requires, and there
is most certainly a constitutional issue with passing this bill. Happy
to answer any questions. Representative Steele, for what purpose? Question, you're recognized
for a question. So Representative Hudson, are you saying that the Court of Appeals can only hear cases that have been litigated in the lower court. That's
Representative Ashley Hudson
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56:24
correct. I mean, by definition, the Court of Appeals, according to Amendment 80, Section 5 is an appellate court. An appellate courts are required to review cases that have already been heard in a trial court.
Speaker 199
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Thank you. Representative Clowney, for what purpose? Question.
You're recognized. Representative Hudson, uh, do you have any sense of what the impact may be on the Court of Appeals just kind
Representative Ashley Hudson
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56:47
of logistically for taking this on. Yeah, so, you know, there are a few issues with this. One is that when there is a facial challenge to in, in the, in the, in the course of litigation, it's often not the only claim that's being made. So a facial challenge may be, um, towed along with several other claims. So then the question becomes, in a civil case, what do we do with those other claims while we're waiting on the facial challenge to make.
it through the Court of Appeals. And as I said before, right now, the Court of Appeals has got about a year-long delay on getting their cases out. So what do we do with that lower court case, if you've got a facial constitutional challenge, but you've also got a damages claim, and you've got maybe a personal injury claim. What do we do with those claims in the meantime, because all of us know that claims get stale, witnesses move away, they die, um, people lose documents, video tapes, um, get re-recorded over from security cameras. All those things happen that make a
sale and make it difficult for a litigant to, to continue their litigation. But where it really becomes a problem and where the rubber really hits the road is criminal cases. So if a criminal litigant, um, who is entitled to speedy trial under both the US and Arkansas constitutions has their case delayed or can delay their case by taking it to the Court of Appeals. We're talking about justice delayed being justice denied, and that doesn't just appeal to the criminal litigant. It all or apply to the criminal litigant rather. also applies to the victim, who
is going to have to wait that much longer for this case to be decided, this constitutional question to be decided before they can see the, the defendant have a day in court. So there are some really logistical issues. I know that, um, when this was presented to us in committee, Representative Clowney, they said that there was no, there was no cost to this. There was no fiscal impact, but I find it hard to believe that the Court of Appeals, given the fact that it has already spread so thin, it's not going to get into this during the course of rulemaking. and have to say we need more
staff. Um, we need, we need more clerks in here. We may need another position. I, I think that there's gonna be several different logistical issues with this. I'll be a no on this, and I encourage you to be a no as well, respectfully. Thank you. Representative Hudson has spoke against the bill.
Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Representative Shepherd, you're
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
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59:33
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, So I'll try to respond to A few of the, uh, Maybe Representative Hudson, uh, raised. Uh Number one, number
Speaker 171
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one, let's, let's keep in mind, this only
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
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59:52
applies to facial challenges. It's a very small subset of all cases that are filed. right? And as I explained earlier, facial challenges.
They are not, they're not your run of the mill lawsuits. That is where a litigant is trying to Grow out An action of the General Assembly. They're trying to undo. What a body of 135 and the governor in most instances have signed into law. So it's a very small subset. This issue about, uh, standing and, uh, this, this citation to Amendment 80, Section 5. Amendment 80, Section 10 says
the General Assembly shall have the power to establish jurisdiction of all courts and venue of all actions therein. Unless otherwise provided in the Constitution and the power to establish judicial circuits and districts, a number of judges for circuit courts and district courts provided such circuits or districts are comprised of contiguous territories. This bill is brought under Amendment 80 section 10. It's true that the Court of Appeals has not had original jurisdiction in other cases, that it's true that it
has, has been a trial, an appellate court, but it's not unheard of for original juris. di ction to be held by another court. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over several categories of cases. And one of the questions that I've been asked is why didn't you just allow them to be filed in the Supreme Court. Well, So to the point of Representative Hudson about trying to weed out frivolous cases, I felt that it would be unduly burdensome to just immediately have those filed in the Supreme Court. And so that's
why I chose the Court of Appeals as an intermediate court, just because they haven't had appellate juris or they haven't had original jurisdiction in the past, I'm confident that they can figure this out. You know, if the Constitution didn't preclude us from making rulemaking, I'd be glad that we would bring detailed rules on that, but the fact of the matter is that they can figure that out. They have law clerks, they have staff attorneys. Right now, these challenges are being heard at the circuit court level in Pulaski County, they have clerks
in many other counties, they don't have law clerks. So I'm very confident that, uh, this is something that can be, that can be, um, dealt with the court of appeals can, uh, work through. Now this question about efficiency and timing. That's something that can be dealt with in rulemaking, but what I could see is the court severing the other claims. The court could decide the facial challenge and then could send it to a circuit court. There, they're in the practice of law, there's all kinds of instances
where courts, uh, historically that at the trial level, they may have an interlocutory appeal to a court of appeals, and then it's sent back to the circuit court. Again, that can be dealt with in rulemaking. And you know, one of the things about it, all, all I, all that this bill tries to do is to say, if we're gonna have a trial court judge that is deciding That's deciding whether an act of the General Assembly will stay in place or not. I shouldn't that judge potentially be elected from across the state of Arkansas.
I think in the committee, I think all my questions, and I think today all the questions except for one, have come from legislators in Pulaski County. Well, they don't have a problem because they get to elect the circuit judge that hears most of these things. I'm just simply saying, why can't we have it in a court where the judges are elected from across the state, And again, this is gonna be dependent. This is gonna be dependent on the court of appeals. It's gonna be dependent on the Supreme Court, but I'm confident that they can work this out, that it'll be
efficient, and that it's doing a good service for the people of Arkansas, and I'd appreciate a good
Chair
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1:03:51
vote. Representative Shepherd is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1832. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. So everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Speaker 87
1:04:18
By a vote of 75 ya, 19 nays, and 2 present. Bill is passed. Madam
Chair
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1:04:26
Clerk, please read House Bill 1917. Possi 1917 by Representative Shepherd to amend the Arkansas Student Athlete Publicity Rights Act and to amend the law related to athletic program funding. Representative Shepherd,
you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
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1:04:49
Members, uh, this is another very important bill that uh concerns our institutions of higher education. Uh, House Bill 1917 is an update of our Arkansas student athlete publicity Rights Act. For those that have been here in the past 4 years ago, uh, we ran legislation that allowed for name, image and likeness payments in the state of Arkansas. Uh, that was in response to what, uh, really to litigation and what was happening across the nation. I know that there are a lot of
different opinions about name, image and likeness, Representative Wooton has expressed some of those in committee, and I just want to be clear, this is not something that, that we are running because we're necessarily trying to promote those things. It's in response to what's happening across the country. And so if we want our institutions to be competitive, uh, athletically, uh, then we have to, we have to stay up with the times. And so this bill is really, uh, pretty simple. Uh, there's litigation that's It's been ongoing right now it's
out, uh, in California. It's in a district court in California. There's a settlement that has been proposed that would call for our institutions to make payments directly to student athletes. And this has arisen out of, there's been a lot of litigation across the country where student athletes are seeking a share of what these institutions are bringing on or bringing in as a result of athletic competition. This settlement proposal that has been agreed. to and his waiting court approval provides for some of
those proceeds to be paid to student athletes. And as a result, in order for us to be able to comply with that, we need to provide the mechanism, but be a state law. And so that's what this bill does. It provides for those payments, uh, to be made to the student athletes, um, as you can see, we clarified some, uh, some additional, uh, items within this. There are some protections, uh, for the student athletes 4 years ago. we passed this legislation, we made sure to put protections in
for student athletes. We've bolstered those in this bill to require that their representation be licensed in the state of Arkansas. And we've also, again, clarified some other things that this is, uh, that they're not to be considered, uh, employees, um, we, Do provide in here that, uh, that That the revenue that is otherwise being paid to them or shared with them from the
institution is, uh, is exempt from income tax, but all other payments related to name, image and likeness would be subject to tax. And I think that's kind of the high points. I'll be glad to answer any questions. Again, this is really just to try to keep our institutions competitive. I understand athletics is not the most important thing, but it is, it is high profile. There's all kinds of studies to show that when you're athletic team are competitive, it leads to greater, uh, admissions. It leads to greater enrollment and not to mention the economic impact that it makes across the
state. So I would be glad to answer any
questions. I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative Mayberry, for what purpose? Question. Thank you. Can you explain to me a little bit
more what you mean of they're exempt from state income tax, this, this only applies to money that's paid from the institution. There, no money has been paid from the institution of student athletes. So there's no fiscal impact to this, but because of the settlement,
because of where athletics is going, these monies are going to be paid to student athletes. Much of that will be in relatively small payments, but the fact of the matter is that Other states, uh, those monies that are paid out in other states are exempt, and so we're just simply saying at the state level, they're likewise exempt. If they're paid by a third party, they're still going to be subject to
taxation. Representative Shepherd has explained the bill. Would anyone
like to speak against the bill? But I
speak for the bill. Representative Wootton, you're recognized to speak for
Representative Jim Wooten
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1:09:09
the bill. Let me, let me say, At the outset. And I have a grandson that is being courted by an SEC school. That's not why I'm up here speaking for it. Coach Pitman
Coach Jones. And representative to Shepherd made a very valid point. When they stated that in order For us to be able to perform. In the conference that we're in and to be competitive. Unfortunately, note the word unfortunately, we have to fund NIR we have to make payments to
secure Athletes to come in to the university. Same thing is true in Mississippi State, where my grandson's being courted today, Florida. Arkansas State Murray State. So It's just an equality change from what we've all been used to. To what we've got a benefit from
to be a part of athletics as we know it today. I still maintain that the transfer portal and the NIL or destroying football as we know it. But it's a fact of life. It's made it to the federal court, the Federal court is gonna rule and we're just trying as I understand it, to get ahead of Representative Gonzalez, for what purpose?
Question, you're recognized. Representative Wooton, do you know private
Speaker 226
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schools are able to pay athletes. No. Representative
Wooton has spoke for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? I speak for the bill. Representative Shepherd, closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of
Chair
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1:11:32
House Bill 1917, prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. So everyone voted. Does everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of 92 ya, 3 nay, and 3 present. The bill is passed. Representative Eubanks, what
Representative Jon S. Eubanks
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1:11:54
purpose? motion? To your motion. I move that we suspend for the duration of the regular session, House Rule 41A and B. 41A
requires bills to be on the desk for at least 24 hours before final passage, and be prohibits bills from being placed on committee agendas no sooner than the 2nd calendar day following filing.
Speaker 230
1:12:16
That's a proper motion. It's non-debatable, Madam Clerk. Prepare the machine.
Chair
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1:12:59
So everyone voted. So everyone voted. Cast up the ballot, the vote of 2066 nays, and 0 present. Motion
Speaker 87
1:13:11
has failed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1632. 1632 by
Chair
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1:13:18
Representative Wardlaw to require reimbursement to the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission for free or discounted hunting and fishing licenses.
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
1:13:31
Representative Wardlaw, you recognize to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So members, this
bill is pretty simple. It doesn't actually do anything this session because the bill died. But if you have a bill that gives away a free hunting and fishing license, period. The feds could pull all of our match money. They make it very clear in their Writings that you have to have sold that license for a fee, and they have a formula how they
figure that minimum fee. Gaming fish can't take any general revenue, so in the bill, you'll see, we, we're not paying back their general revenue is paying back through leftover funds or, um, Surplus funds. I always call it leftover. And that's the only funds they can take with that I appreciate a good vote. 0
Speaker 242
1:14:20
impact. Representative Wardlaw has explained the bill. Would
anyone like to speak against the bill? Would anyone like to speak for the bill?
Representative Wardlaw is closed for the bill, question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1632, repair the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted As everyone voted.
Chair
Unverified
1:14:54
Cast up the ballot. With a vote of 83 yes, 8 nay, and 3 present, the bill is passed.
Madam clerk, please read House Bill 1935. 1935 by Representative E to create a modernization and automation tax credits to encourage investment by existing business, exiting businesses within the state.
Representative Eaves, you're recognized to explain your
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
1:15:18
bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, this is a, an update on a program we currently have called Investark that was not super successful. So, um, what this bill does, um, it adds to some of our incentive programs. So currently we have an incentive, a lot of incentive programs actually, uh, for
companies that are seeking to move into and do business within the state. What we don't have are adequate incentives, uh, to help companies expand or modernize their plants, and these are companies that are already in the state. So what this has the effect of doing is encouraging these businesses to look at expanding. and putting those investments in other states. Uh, so what this bill will do real quick, it provides for a tax credit for businesses that have been here, uh, for 2 years or longer. They have to incur a minimum of $25 million in eligible costs, they have to hold a direct pay sales
and use tax permit. The project costs, uh, include, uh, construction of a new plant or facility or expansion of a current facility or modernizing and automating a current facility. Um, if allowed, the, uh, credit would be up to 5% of the eligible project cost. Uh, let's see, the maximum credit that can be used in any fiscal year is $2 million. The unused credits can be carried forward for up to 5 years, uh, and the qualified project forming the basis of the credit application must be completed within 5 years. Uh, the
business, uh, and this is a real important one to me. The business must maintain the current yearly average payroll and employment level during the course of the project and for 24 months after that. Uh, it also has to have a positive cost benefit analysis, uh, to the state before it would be. allowed. I'd be happy to take any questions. I see on, I appreciate a good vote. Representative Eaves has
Representative Ryan A. Rose
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1:16:55
explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? for the bill. Representative Eaves is closed
for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1935, repair the machine,
madam clerk. Everyone voted. As everyone voted Cast at the ballot The vote of
Speaker 87
1:17:27
81, 13 nay, and 5 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1894.
Chair
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1:17:36
Hospital 1894 by Representative Beatty to establish a method of evaluation for real
property used for affordable housing and to establish a method of evaluation for certain real property under Arkansas Constitution Article
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
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1:17:51
16, Section 5. Representative Beatty, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members here to present House Bill 1894, um, it is to establish a method of evaluation for real property used for affordable housing. Overall, the pill just, um, aims to establish guidelines for the
assessment of fair value of real property use for affordable housing, ensuring that those properties are fairly valued and assessed according to the
specific criterias and restrictions on those type properties. And with that, I'd appreciate a good vote. There's no known opposition to this bill. Representative Beatty has
explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Beatty
Chair
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1:18:30
is closed for the bill. Questioned before the House is the passage of
House Bill 1894. Prepair the machine, Madam Clerk. So everyone voted. everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of 92 ya, 3 nay, and 2 present bill is passed. Members of House Bill 1930 will remain on the calendar. Pending the request of the fiscal impact statement.
Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1960. Poss 1960 by Representative Wardlaw to provide that the leasing of a leased motor vehicle is the owner for purposes of the assessment and payment of property taxes and amend the law
Speaker 260
1:19:20
concerning local sales and use tax on certain tangible personal property. Description of board
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
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1:19:26
of law, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So members in today's world, you'll see the commercials on TV and they run
the car across the screen, they tell you how great it is, but they don't give you a
price anymore like they used to. They tell you what, when Arkansas, we're not competitive with the rest of the US because we require the lease, the person leasing the vehicle to pay a fee to the manufacturers to pay their taxes. And because of that, that fee comes in at roughly 24% of that lease payment per month. So you take a $500 lease payment, that's $125 a month they pay for their taxes. We need times that out over a three-year lease. They just paid their property taxes
or their sales taxes like 6 times. It's unfair and it's wrong and it's a reason we have very few leased vehicles on the street. And with the prices of vehicles today, it's one of the only affordable ways folks can get into a vehicle. So what this bill does is move that responsibility to match all the states around us, back to the lease, so they can go to the revenue office just like everybody else does if they purchase a car and they pay their taxes themselves. It applies the same cap that's
on buying a car today that $2500 cap. And what we hope is to do is make new vehicles back affordable. For people of Arkansas to have. With that, I'd take any questions. Representative Wardlaw has explained the bill. Would anyone
like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Kavanaugh, you're recognized to speak for the bill.
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
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1:21:15
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm just coming down to kind of let you know from a perspective of the
industry, Arkansas has the lowest leasing rates in the country, and the reason we have the lowest, uh, leasing rates in the country is because of the bill we're trying to correct. This will actually allow more people to be able to lease more vehicles in the state of Arkansas. And with that, I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Kavanaugh
Chair
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1:21:40
spoke for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
For the bill Representative Wardlaw is closed for the bill, question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1960. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk.
So everyone voted. So everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Chair
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1:22:10
With a vote of 99 yeah, zero nay, and 0 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read
House Bill 19821982 by Wilridge to amend the used tire recycling and Accountability Act to create the tire management and recycling Act to repeal the used tire recycling fund and to create
the waste tier abatement fund. Representatives, you're to explain
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
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1:22:31
your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, uh, colleagues. The one thing that we all have in common regardless if you're a freshman or if you're a member that is term limited, uh, as a senior member, we have all been dealing with waste tire issues for far too long. This bill is an, is a
collaborative effort to try to solve that problem. Uh, I've heard that, uh, Representative Gonzalez is supportive of it. I don't know that to be factual. Um, I'm just kidding, he's not. Um, but this is an attempt to solve that problem. So what we've done Historically as we have, uh, tried to continue to put money into the waste tire programs. There's 4 tire districts in the state of Arkansas, and for whatever reason, uh, the state of Arkansas has continued to be in the tire business. I think that when I looked at this issue a couple of years ago, and I
worked with Representative Wardlaw and some others, uh, trying to look at maybe an amendment like this. There were a couple of issues in the timing wasn't right, maybe at that point, uh, things that have changed from uh from then to now, the judges association supports this bill. The governor's office supports this bill. Department was at the table, uh, to testify for this bill. What we have done is continued to put money into the tire districts. We've raised fees and we've tried to make these districts solvent and it's just not worked. There's no
innovation when the state is involved and these 4 districts continue to try to figure out ways to solve a problem that we have not been able to solve because there needs to be some additional innovation and other methods used to solve. this. Tires are not the only usable part of a vehicle. There's motor oil, there's batteries, there's all kinds of things that had to be used, disposed of, and replaced on your vehicle, the state of Arkansas is not in the battery business. We're not in the oil recycling business, but for whatever reason, we have continued to remain in the waste
tire business. This bill, in my opinion, solves that problem, and it privatizes it and it allows the private market to do what the private market does, and that's the. innovative, that's, that's, that's be competitive, make these a product for an end user. The other problem that has existed previously that doesn't exist anymore, was there was no one that could take the tires if we made this, uh, private market product. That problem's been resolved. New Corps has made a huge investment in the state of
Arkansas. They've invested over $3 billion into the state and we are now the largest steel producing state. in the nation, uh, District one, the first congressional district is the largest congressional steel producing district. New Corp has, has retooled a lot of their equipment to offset their carbon, and they can utilize these tires to offset that burden in production, but they've got to have them processed and they've got to have them pelletized in a finer manner than can currently be done by our entire districts in
the current process. There are companies that they have met with. They were at the table to testify that want to come to Arkansas that want to invest in this to be able to make this a usable product. Currently, they can, they're taking in the current size, about 1.5 million tires. They can take over 3 million tires a year through this new process, we just have to create a system to where we allow competition to come in. These 4 tire districts currently, if one of these facilities wanted to come in, they have to approach the tire
district. They have to petition them, and then the tire district has to decide whether they want to. allow competition in their district or not. They're probably not gonna do that. This bill allows uh the private market to do what it does. It reduces the REM fees. They're currently $3. This takes the fee down to $1.50 so this bill reduces fees. This bill puts that fee into an abatement fund. That abatement fund can be used if someone is a bad actor and they're dumping
tires inappropriately or they're not picking those tires up like their contract suggests, there can be abatement grants, there's all kinds of ability to utilize these funds to clean up that in the event that that happens. This also allows tire retailers to contract with multiple vendors so they can get a reduced cost on holiday. their tires off under the current system. I'll give you an example of what happens in my home county. The district that we're in brings a 53 ft trailer,
they put it at the Solid Waste District every tire retailer has to employ someone to come and load those tires at their facility, drive them out to the solid waste district hand load them on a trailer and then pay to have that trailer hauled off. This creates an opportunity to where they could be a competitive product. that someone may want to utilize again, because there is an end user. Uh, I've got a lot of other things that I could say about the bill. I want to hit the highlights. It does reduce
fees. It does take into account, uh, abatement, and I think that it privatizes, allows for innovation, and allows the private market and the free markets to do what we all love so much, and that is to solve this problem with that, I'm happy to take any
Speaker 280
1:27:44
questions. Representative Meeks, for what purpose? Question recognized. Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to ask a question. I, I, I
Representative Stephen Meeks
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1:27:50
think I really like where you're going, uh, with this, um, is this something that you think will eventually lead to lower prices for consumers as they're trying to dispose of
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
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1:28:00
these tires going forward? Absolutely, yes. This, this bill allows for that to be said again based on competition, and we all believe that competition drives down prices. All right, thank you. Thank you, sir. Seeing no other questions, I would
appreciate a good vote. Representative Waldridge has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the
bill? For the bill Representative Waridge is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1982. Prepare the machine, madam clerk.
Chair
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1:28:37
So everyone voted. So everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of 91, yeah, 3 nay, and 5 present,
Speaker 87
1:28:50
the bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please
Speaker 259
1:28:55
read House Bill 1915. House Bill 1915 by Representative Eubanks to direct the Department
Chair
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1:28:59
of Human Services to request a broad-based categorical eligibility waiver for the supplemental nutrition assistance program and to amend the asset limits under the program.
Representative Eubanks, you're recognized to explain your bill.
Representative Jon S. Eubanks
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1:29:13
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I suspect that a lot of members have heard a lot about this, uh, this bill since the other day. Uh, Arkansas is one of 14 states that still has asset limits on uh the requirement for receiving SNAP benefits, uh, I wanna, I wanna preface my remarks by saying that I believe in a work requirement for able-bodied people. I believe in self-sufficiency. I believe in
doing what we can to help people improve their situation and hopefully get off of public assistance, uh, Representative Wardlaw likes to point out my age. Well, I, I happen to be in high school when, uh, the Great Society, uh, legislation was passed back in the 60s, so that was President Johnson and to be quite honest, I think it's been an utter failure. I mean, we still have high levels of poverty. We spent trillions of
dollars and I think a lot of that has to do with issues that don't even have to do with public assistance. I think it has to do with education and it has to do with providing jobs. And I firmly believe in doing what we can to help people improve their situation. This raises the asset limit to $6000. I was at dinner last night and, and, uh, Representative Kavanaugh, uh, brought up the fact and she said, do you know how few people
They'd even have good jobs, have, you know, $6000 of disposable, uh, liquid assets that they could use in case of an emergency. I think right now what we have are people that are not using our banking system because they don't want to endanger the benefits that they have. So consequently, they're not developing credit. They're not, they're not working within the banking system. They're not, they're not doing the things that we would want them to do, to be responsible individuals. Uh
I think this is a small step in trying to help people improve their situation to accumulate something, uh, like I said yesterday, you know, When you've accumulated something, sometimes you can leverage that. And I've heard, you know, uh, leverage used in this legislature a lot, how the state can leverage certain things, but it allows them, they could leverage that to improve their situation even more. Personally, I believe we need to be a lot of the problems that we're in is because we have
failed with our education system. And if we, and if we've got too many people that are uneducated or under educated, and even if, if we require them to get a job, I don't know that they would qualify for a job that's going to allow them to have a sustainable wage to the point that they can even afford the necessities of life. I also said in, in, in the committee that my daughter is a counselor in an elementary school. I know firsthand from her
stories, the, the food insecurity that our, our, our young people face. I don't, I don't. I don't like people to be on the dole. I don't like people to the game the system. I believe in self-sufficiency. But I think we need to do what we can to help people give them Something Give them a little hope that they can, they can have a chance at doing something.
Chair
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1:32:49
And with that, I'll take any questions. Representative
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
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1:32:54
Kavanaugh, you're recognized for a question. Thank
you. Ebanks. Do you agree that if they're able to have resources, liquid, that when they have an emergency in life, if they're able to draw that and use it in the long run, it saves tax dollars cause they're not coming to us for every little emergency through every little program that is available. Absolutely. Representative Bentley, for what
Representative Mary Bentley
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1:33:22
purpose? You're recognized. Representing Banks, I'm sorry. I was there the first time I presented but not the second. I was at another committee. So when I was there the first time, um, we, I thought DHS was opposed to that. Are they still opposed to this bill? That's correct. OK, so I know that we, when I passed a work requirement for SNAP which I did a couple of years back to require work for SNAP. It took them over 2 years to get that implemented. And when I was in committee, they said that just this week at the bill that, uh, Senator Dimay put into effect last week, so. It takes 2 years, so.
I just wonder why, why now we're gonna, where they just put that implement over another 2 years, so to me we're really wasting Arkansas tax, but it takes them a long time to open the system to update every county has to redo all their entire system to add extra assets. So to me, it's a lot of duplicative work, so if you can you explain to me why we need to do that all over again to to every candidate to go for another 2 years to get to where
Representative Jon S. Eubanks
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1:34:14
they can put this system into play. Well, personally, I believe that the DHS had done their job, we
would have heard the emergency rule before Thursday of last week, and we would possibly have
some data on how this is affecting our statewide system. Uh, I don't, I don't want people to, uh, Go without Necessities of life and I, I certainly believe that, uh, uh, food is a necessity of life and, uh, So I will Get out of the well at this point before Representative Lunstrom stands up.
Chair
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1:34:54
Representative Eubanks has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Representative Lindstrom, you're recognized to
Representative Robin Lundstrum
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1:35:11
speak against the bill. Recognized. Thank
you, sir. Um, I get where Representative Eubank's heart is, it's, it's big. But here's the deal, we're increasing. We currently have 235,000 Arkansans already on
food stamps. This increases that. This increases this big time. At what point do we have so many people in the car that we're trying to help because our heart's in the right place. But what about the people that are pulling the cart, the taxpayers that are paying for all this. We need to stop and think about that as well. And when it comes to the issues where people are hungry, we need our churches to step up and our community organizations to step up. It can't always be government
stepping up with my money, your money, the taxpayers' money. At some point, we have to stop. With that,
I'd appreciate a no vote. Representative Lundstrom has spoke against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Representative
Representative DeAnn Vaught
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1:36:16
Volt, you're recognized to speak for the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, I understand what Representative Lindstrom is saying, I live in a very rural. Very poor district.
I think there's like 180 backpacks sent from one of my elementaries. Every Friday. So they can have food when they get home to eat over the weekend. My churches have stepped up. All of my church is Hispanic, um, Caucasian, they all do food drives, every one of them, every week. I actually have a man in
my district. He does a huge one. He lives in Ashdown, and he does this massive
Drive, the school drive right before school starts. He gives out 500 pairs of shoes. My district is poor. These are not people who are driving up in fancy cars. Waiting to get a handout. These are people who, when they drive up in their car, you know they're on their last leg. I know it's hard to understand because probably all of us have food in our pantries and we can open up and we can get pretty much anything we want out of our pantries.
And we can cook or go out to eat pretty much anytime we want to, more than likely. But there are a lot of people who are hurting. Another thing you have to think about is groceries or what? 56 times higher than what they were. So what little bit they are getting is really not putting much food on people's plates. I can remember growing up. My mom and dad had to have help
sometimes. I don't begrudge anyone who needs help. I do believe in a hand up and not
a hand out. So if we can give somebody some extra food stamps, and they can save money to maybe get the medicine their child needs or maybe diapers. Then I'm for that. I don't believe I might represent a unbanks. I don't think they need to stay on the state's dime all the time. I think we need to do a better
job of helping people learn how to save money. But they can't do that right now. It's hard times. For a lot of people in our state. Just because you're not hurting doesn't mean
that others aren't. And with that, I would appreciate a good
Chair
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1:38:49
vote. Representative Vardis spoke for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Representative McKenzie. You're recognized to speak against the bill.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't come down here to speak against
Representative Brit McKenzie
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1:39:03
the, the sentimentality of the program, and I think we can all have our thoughts and personal backgrounds on um what leads us to believe that individuals need help. I'm here to talk about two facts. One that agrees with both what you represent of Eubanks and Representative Bentley. We have given DHS, we just increased this limit in the last session. We gave them 2 years. We haven't seen that, we have not seen that tree bear fruit. But yet we're coming back here and we're saying we need to increase it again. Based apropos of almost nothing.
The other part is What representative Eubank said relative to access to, and this is liquid assets, this isn't taking into account your car or your camper, or your home. This is your liquid assets. the Federal Reserve says that 37% of people do not have access to $400 for an emergency right now. But yeah, we're gonna come here today and we're gonna vote on a bill that doubles the limit from $3000 to $6000. So the lower third of our, of our state and of all, you know,
extrapolated across the United States, United States don't have access to $400 yet we need to create a higher exemption of $6000. In order for people to draw down SNAP benefits. I think the program has validity. I think the program needs to be sustainable. And I think it needs to be reserved for those who need it most. Voting yes for this bill. Does not accomplish that. And I would encourage no vote.
Chair
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1:40:29
Representative McKenzie has spoke against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Representative Kavanaugh,
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
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1:40:35
you recognized to speak for the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm coming here because of a real-life experience that happened in my district. We have a family. Living on Snap. trying their best to get better.
Very sick child. Child ends up, by the way, passing away from leukemia. During this battle, They had to have the hand up to help with snap. Because of all the expenses they're incurring. They get money to fundraise to help pay expenses for this child. When they do that fundraising. puts them over the resource. Their snap gets taken away.
These are the people that I'm fighting for. These are the people that I think that this helps. I don't believe it's gonna put any more people on the rolls than we already have. These people, will then still be able to pay for those diapers, that medicine, this necessities they need. I myself represent. A very poor area. And I also have an area that's got income. There's a distinct difference between the two. It's like two worlds.
And for that, I want to understand that I'm not talking in theory. I'm talking in reality. And with that, I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative Kavanaugh has spoke for the bill.
Would anyone like to speak against the bill? And when I speak for the bill. Representing
more, you're recognized to speak for the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to tell you about a story
Representative Kendra Moore
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1:42:40
that comes from my hometown of Clarendon, about 1500 residents lived there, uh, there was a young high school kid. He wanted a summer job. He wanted to have enough money to go to the local dairy bar, hopefully save up enough money to buy a car to get. And when he went and applied for a job, His told him
You can't take that job. I think we've got a broken system. It's very, this doesn't solve everything, but I think this solves. Just one small part of that. And because of that story, and because of that kid that was just looking to get a job and be a contributing member of his society and his town.
Representative Morris spoke for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
For the bill Representative Viewbanks, you're recognized to close for your bill.
Representative Jon S. Eubanks
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1:43:54
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, members, I, I do understand both sides
of this issue. I've been on both sides of this issue. Uh Representative Lindstrom talked about the churches stepping up. Well, I don't know about her area, but I know what the churches are doing in my area. I've got a small community church, you know, uh, less than 2 miles from my home. That I'm not a member of. I've, I've helped them with different projects because they're doing good work and
they're trying to help kids and they prepare those backpack, uh, meals and, and helped them during the summer and that sort of thing. I know of at least 2 food banks in Paris. This is a rural community. There are people stepping up and doing and trying to fill the void. Members, I think this is a way to try to help people move in the right direction and I'd appreciate a good vote.
Representative Eubanks is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1915, prepare the machine, Madam clerk. So everyone voted.
So everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. About a 58, 27 nays for president. The bill is passed.
Chair
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1:45:29
1961. 1961 by Representative Acres to allow medical providers temporary exemptions from federal information blocking regulations to safeguard patients during information disclosure and declare an emergency. Representative Acer,
you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank
Representative Sonia Eubanks Barker
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1:45:46
you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues, it's pretty simple bill. What it does is it allows an ordering physician to uh select a specific test that they feel if that information was
released to the patient without proper context and counseling may result in some misinterpretation or undue anxiety, um. I've sympathize with this as someone who has to partake in the usage of a patient portal. There have been times where scans for myself come across with a lot of um confusing jargon and um I'm sympathetic to providers who want time to give patience the full context of what they are reading on their portal. Um, the Attorney General's office has reviewed
this and found no problems for us to implement this with that, I
Speaker 337
1:46:35
welcome any questions. Representative Burkes, for what purpose. So a doctor can withhold my medical records for up to 30 days under this bill. Is
Speaker 338
1:46:41
that right? Your doctor would have to have just cause for a specific test, not
Representative Sonia Eubanks Barker
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1:46:45
your entire medical record. They can't borrow from all of your medical records. It would be a specific test that they ordered. You also have the ability to reach directly to the lab who performed the tests and get them yourselves if you would.
Chair
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1:46:59
I appreciate a good vote. Thank you. Representative Acer has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against
Speaker 15
1:47:09
the bill? For the bill Represent res closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1961. Prepare the machine, Madam clerk. Members, your
Speaker 223
1:47:25
one vote is for the bill in the emergency clause.
Everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of
Speaker 87
1:47:37
75, 6 nay, and 14 present. You've passed the bill and the emergency clause. Madame Clerk, please read House Bill 1017. Representative Collins to amend
Chair
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1:47:46
the law regarding paid maternity leave for public school employees and require the division of Elementary and
Secondary Education to pay for incurred costs for approved paid and maternity leave. Represent Collins, you're
Representative Andrew Collins
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1:47:59
recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So one of the really great parts of the Learns Act was paid maternity leave for school employees. Uh, this bill builds on that foundation and I want to first acknowledge both of the learned sponsors, Representative Brooks and Senator Davis for being sponsors sponsors of this bill as well. I also appreciate the governor's office and Department of Education for working with me on this. So, if you remember, Lane said
that when a district, uh, they could offer up to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave for birth or adoption, and, uh, the district would continue to pay the principal teacher, but the district could then apply to the department for reimbursement of half the cost of the sub while that teacher was on leave. So that fifty-fifty reimbursement has been helpful, but it just hasn't been adopted very widely, um, only 22 districts participated, uh, in 23, 24 school year and 27 last. year. So what this bill does is
it would take that learns fifty-fifty reimbursement and move it to 100% reimbursement by ADE. It would expand it to all districts and it would include foster placements, as under current law, the district would handle the cost of the regular teacher's pay while on leave. The total cost of the program here would be 3.4 million, but there is, uh, the original program was $3 million budgeted and ADE said that they can do this from within their existing budget. So there's is no new GR. This is all gonna be handled within the existing budget for
ADE. And it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway that paid maternity leave has a lot of benefits. It helps kids in the classroom because their teacher isn't being stretched thin by being forced to stay in the classroom while also spending those first few weeks with their newborn. It helps keep teachers in the profession. Obviously, we have a well-documented teacher shortage. Many teachers simply leave when they start a family, while paid leave lets teachers who want to keep working to do so manageably. Paid leave also improves
maternal and infant health, which has been thoroughly researched as one of our priorities this session, I think for everybody. And all of this ultimately strengthens public education, uh, happy to answer any questions. And I'd appreciate a good vote. Thank you. Representative Collins has
explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For
the bill Representative Collins. It's closed for the
Speaker 87
1:50:27
bill, question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1017. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk.
So everyone voted Everyone voted Cast up the ballot. The vote
Speaker 87
1:50:50
of 68, 19 nays, and 4 present. Bill is passed. Madam Clerk,
please read House Bill 1986. That's the
Chair
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1:50:57
1986 by representative Nazarenko concerning excused absences for children of fallen service members and children of fallen first responders.
Representative Nazarenko, you are recognized to explain your
Representative Jason Nazarenko
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1:51:13
bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, I bring to you today
House Bill 1986, which addresses absences for children of fallen service members and children of fallen first responders. This bill was brought to me by the Arkansas Veterans Coalition as well as the heart, as well as the hearts of our heroes organization which focuses on individuals who have dealt with tragic loss. My good friend and Gold Star spouse, Sherry Briley, who joins us here today, mentioned this to me quite a while back, and it is an honor
to be to be presenting this to you today. I spoke in committee, uh, the other day how I sat in a memorial service for my good friend and fellow pilot as his two young boys wept at the loss of their father from a helicopter crash during training. The band I wear on my right wrist for another good friend and pilot I lost in a helicopter crash, uh, on my last tour there. The thought of Dave Stanley and Taylor Galvin's young children never being able to hug their father as they as he returns home, is forever
etched in my mind. The majority of us here have witnessed for ourselves the horrific images of the bodies of our service members being drugged through the streets in Mogadishu back in 1993. The children that are left behind from these tragedies such as this is why I stand
before you here today for House Bill 1986. What this bill does is it makes excused absences for children
of fallen service members and first responders from school when they're attending events by a sponsoring organizations such as Gary
Sinise's Snowball Express, and others that are geared towards bringing these kids together. And helping them work through the grief process. Many times, uh, with others that share in that same experience and providing them with much needed help that has been proven to make positive impacts in their lives as they go forward. As you can see in the language, there are a few minor areas of guidance, such as what the parent or guardian needs to submit as well as a section about absences during standardized testing. Department of Education mentioned seeing the benefit
that this could provide, and this has no fiscal impact at all. I asked you to join
me today to support the children of the fallen, Nightstalkers don't quit. And night
Speaker 269
1:53:26
stalkers, don't forget. Representative Nazareo has explained
the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative
Nazarenko is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the
passage of House Bill 1986, Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted.
Speaker 87
1:54:01
Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. With a vote of 95 yeah, 1 nay, and one present. The
Speaker 40
1:54:06
bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill
Speaker 259
1:54:08
1719. 1719 by Representative to amend the days included in the total number of maternity leave days approved by a school that offers maternity leave.
Representative Archer recognized to explain your bill. Thank you,
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
1:54:20
Mr. Speaker. Uh, I appreciate Representative Collinsville, uh, I made sure that our two bills weren't going to conflict
with each other. So right now, there's kind of a loophole that if, um, a teacher has a baby in a contract year that falls during spring break or Christmas breaks, those are non-contract days, and they don't get paid for them, but they're counted against their maternity leave. So, if a teacher got 4 weeks of maternity leave, and And they had Christmas break in that 2 weeks of that, they don't
get paid, and they, and it counts against them.
So they were getting double whammied on it. So, uh, I worked with Representative Barker and, uh, Representative McKenzie and Representative Meeks, who also helped me figure out how we could do this and it be a better bill than what I had
to begin with. So what we'll do is that 2 weeks it's in that contract, if it's Christmas, they'll be paid for those days where they would not have been paid to begin with. Or if it falls during spring break, that week would be paid
for. It is contract day to the end of the contract, so it does not encapsule summer. Those days are already, uh, they're already off days, so it would not pick up those days. It is from day one contract to the last day of the contract. With
Chair
Unverified
1:55:39
that, I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative Vau has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill
Representativeva is closed for the bill, questioned before the House is the passage of House Bill 1719, prepare the machine, madam clerk.
Chair
Unverified
1:56:00
Everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of 82, 3 nays, and 4 present
Speaker 87
1:56:11
bill is passed. Members at the request of Representative McKenzie will pass over 1874 today. Madam Clark, please read House Bill 1945. High
Speaker 259
1:56:24
school 1945 by Representative McCollum to amend the Arkansas Opportunity Public School Choice Act to amend
Chair
Unverified
1:56:29
the Public School Choice Act of 2015
and allow a student to transfer to another public
school within his or her resident district. Representative
McCollum, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. So, uh, today, uh, it's my honor to present House Bill 1945, um, Got a lot of questions about this and so the best way I want to talk about it is, you know, what problem are we trying to solve for? So currently, if you're a student that's maybe in
a bad environment, um, for whatever reason, you know, we hear a lot about these bad environments. Unfortunately, um, on the education committee, let's say it's something as egregious as bullying or um very particular um learning environments that just don't really fit the students' needs. You have a few options in terms of choice and what you can do. OK, what are your options? Well, I mean, if you can afford it, you can go to private school if there's a charter school that you have access to, um, assuming the charter school is good for
your needs, you go to the charter school, or currently, if you're an F school, you might be able to go to a um school outside of your district. Unfortunately, um, you know, if your school's not enough school, it's actually not an option to go to a school within your district. So that's of the way we're looking at this, we're saying, It doesn't make much sense if you have a difficult time learning in your current environment that you can go outside of your district if there's capacity, but if there
is capacity within another school in your district that you're not able to go to that one. So That's kind of the summary of, uh, the change we want to make, um, I can tell you an example of actually one of your prior colleagues, uh, that just left the chamber. Um, he actually moved to a specific district, Bentonville Centerton, and the reason he wanted to move there, of course, because he has young kids and he's getting ready to go, put them in, uh, a public elementary school, but when he moved there,
uh, by the time his child got to the age to go to school, the school district rezoned where he lived. So, You know, there's this community where These teachers that he does live are his wife does live life with and uh it's actually on its way, you know, where he commutes to. Uh, he can no longer go to that school, even though in this situation, they're very what could be uh capacity and opening and room for the student at that school. So, um, that's what we want to do here. I've gotten some
questions, uh, this morning or this afternoon right before I came. To the chamber that I said I would attempt to address. Representative, and that's mostly around changes around capacity. If you get a page. 3 section 4. You'll see, uh, specifically we're only talking about right here, Arkansas Opportunity Public. School Choice Act where it goes on to change it to 95%. I went on and had a few conversations with the department. Um
And actually, I have the notes from um when Secretary Olivo spoke in the committee about the implementation of this and of the bill as it pertains to both implementation and capacity. So just go through that and hopefully that clears up some of those concerns. So, you know, first of all, local school districts would have to adopt, you know, with this change, the board policy of how they're going to handle these type of interdistrict transfers. The bill outlines capacity which Um, has been a challenge, uh,
we've heard across multiple school districts because we hear our actually from a lot of our school districts, what we're hearing is, um, they want to accommodate more families, they want to accommodate, you know, these different requests, but they Have to make room, um. For a number of reasons because they want, they don't want to be out of compliance with those, with those standards. They don't want to violate, you know, those different ratios that we've talked about. Um, some of the teacher-student ratios are those configurations, um, so there's a capacity
definition that, uh, it says school district actually, uh, should not allow transfer if they're at 95% capacity or greater in that grade level because we have to make sure We are accommodating these future families that are gonna move in. So Having a standard definition for what the capacity and Really what we currently have in law, um, is not helpful. This what the idea of this is to unify that support districts
Speaker 197
2:01:18
that are developing that policy so that they can have more. Representative
Duke, for what purpose? You're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, um, thank you, Representative McCullin for bringing this bill. I do have a question. I know we visited a little bit ahead of time. Um, sorry, I wasn't there yesterday to be able to ask this question in committee, but on the Part on dealing with the capacity. That's at 95%. Can you speak to what it currently is now? And if that is also
What part of school choice, I know it's talk about opportunity, is it all school choice or does it just apply very specifically and
narrowly to the schools that are failing school choice. Yeah, thank you for that question. So, Um, currently there's inconsistency. In our law, um, on defining that. Capacity issue. So, um, I guess if I wanna like rewind how we got here, these inconsistencies what they stem from is
Two different differing statutory regulation provisions. So you have the, the one I mentioned earlier, um, Numerous updates over, here we go. So the lack of capacity was previously defined at 9 90%. OK, so there it is, 4 public school choice. And I think this might be where the confusion is. That was later removed and subsequentr provisions. So it's actually at 100.
Currently, there's only that 95% threshold for the lack of capacity under what I was trying to allude to earlier, the opportunities school choice. So the goal of this, and I think the reason that uh Secretary Olivo. I was excited, or I should say the agency itself and secretary, the reason Secretary came to the table, is he, they want to insure that uniformity. So the goal here is codify that consistent definition, um. At 95%. Follow up. You're recognized for a
follow-up. Thank you. So is it in code at 100% for capacity across
the board or is that a rule right now? I'm, I'm sorry, I'm, and I apologize. I didn't. This is
all a little bit of news to me, so I'm just trying to understand before I vote exactly
what's going on. Thank you, the current law is maximum 100%. There's There's conflicts in the law, so when the 100% was put into law for public school choice. The 90% was not repealed. So both still exist.
So, what I asked specifically what you asked
Speaker 370
2:04:00
me, the department says what they have to enforce currently is the 100%. Because opportunity,
Speaker 199
2:04:11
school choice is clearly 100%. Representative Cozart, for what purpose? Uh, question. You're recognized for a question, Ripson McCollum,
you, you do, you did say it's at 100% right now. That what you just said. OK, so that was from Acts 7:90 of 23 was when it was at 100.
There was actually, it's not set 100, but it's also, it says in there that it goes to capacity and the school has to take them until they Reach capacity, only the school board can change. I believe that is the note that I received from
the department is what they have to enforce is that in 23. That's what it says. Thank you.
Speaker 385
2:04:51
I had a good. Representative McCollum has
explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? And when I speak for the bill. Representative McCollum is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1945, repair the machine, madam clerk. So everyone voted. So everyone voted.
Speaker 87
2:05:31
Cast up the ballot. By a vote of 59 years, 30 nays, and 3 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1966. That's the 1966 by
Speaker 259
2:05:44
Representative Barnett to authorize an incorporated town or city
Chair
Unverified
2:05:47
of the 2nd class to petition the State Board of Education for the establishment of a local public elementary school or
satellite school under certain conditions. Representative Barnett, you're recognized to explain your bill.
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
2:06:06
Thank you Speaker, and good afternoon members. And before you today to present House Bill 1966. This bill intends to promote school choice, local control, community and civic engagement and most importantly, local public education that is accessible. Many of our rural school districts are often limited in their options when it comes to school choice, and this is very true of communities that are part of a consolidated school district in which there are no local schools available for them to choose from, resulted in
their children having to be bussed or transported anywhere to 45 to 50+ miles round trip for school each day. House Bill 1966, seeks to provide rural communities within a formally consolidated school district. a pathway to having a local school choice option. House Bill 1966 in Powers rural municipalities with the ability to partner with the local parents, community members to appeal to their children's
school district school board to either establish a local elementary school or a satellite campus of an existing elementary school within the city limits of the rural municipality. Once the school board approves of the appeal and the joint partnership and plan is established, House Bill 1966 empowers the school board and municipality to jointly appeal to the Board of Education to establish the elementary school or satellite campus of an
existing elementary school within that city limits of the rural rural small municipality. The newly formed school or satellite campus will remain a part of the school district and the local school district will have all authority as it relates to how the school is staffed and operated within that context. House Bill 1966 requires that the rural small municipality. Has the ability to provide adequate facilities. It also provides that the school and the
municipality can enter into a written agreement for the provision of in-kind contributions, which could include things such as utility costs, cost sharing, free use of city utilities, etc. Essentially things that would permit the operation of the campus in a feasible cost to the school district. It requires that the city work in partnership with the school district. House Bill 19 66, creates some means for school districts to expand choice within their districts.
And it would also help reduce school commute time for rural isolated elementary school students who live in isolated communities, giving parents a voice in where their children are educated. It additionally, house Bill 1966 requires buy-in and mutual commitment from both the small rural municipality and the school district school board. Promoting community involvement while giving proper respect to local control. As at its core,
House Bill 1966 requires cross collaboration and community support, which is essential to providing our children with a quality education that is accessible. And with that, I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Wooten, for
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
2:09:26
what purpose? Uh I'm, I'm kind of confused, which is not unusual. I make that statement several times this week, but Are we taking authority away from the local school board. It
didn't sound like it, but yeah, and why are we involving the, uh, Towns and city council where to put. Well This bill empowers
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
2:09:54
that city council to approach the school district about that. They have to have the, the
partnership and approval of the school district. They can't go around the school district at all. And if the school is
established, the school district has the
authority on how that school operates. This bill just permits the municipality to make that appeal to the
school board. And then they jointly take it to the Arkansas
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
2:10:28
Department of Education. You're recognized for a follow-up. Why do we involve the Just
Speaker 401
2:10:35
to get their final approval of and just
Speaker 402
2:10:47
Checking all balances, making sure that nothing's Representative McKenzie, for what purpose? Question,
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
2:10:52
you're recognized. Representative Barnett, thank you for bringing this bill. Uh, I'm in support of it. I do just want to make sure we clarify for the purposes of everyone's understanding here. Nothing about this bill is an end around uh from a town or municipality wanting a auxiliary school campus, they still would have to work in concert with that school district, signed a joint partnership agreement and then go get the waiver from the state school board, correct? OK. wouldn't you agree also that
this would help cut down on um already strained fuel costs from consolidated
Speaker 199
2:11:25
school districts, specifically in the rural areas of our state. I would
Speaker 401
2:11:30
agree. OK, thank you, Representative Beatty, for what purpose? You're recognized. Representative
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
2:11:35
Barnett, who is your Senate sponsor on this bill? Us,
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:11:39
the Senate sponsor? I currently do not have one, but I have someone that has agreed. Yes, sir.
Representative Barnett has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill
Representative Barnett is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1966, repair the machine, Madam Clerk. It's everyone
Speaker 31
2:12:04
voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Speaker 98
2:12:25
The vote of 92, 0, nay, and 3 present, the bill is passed.
Chair
Unverified
2:12:32
Madam Clark, please read House Bill 1916. House Bill 1916 by Representative Bentley to amend the protecting. Minors from medical malpractice Act of 2023 and to include gender affirming interventions as right of action for medical malpractice. Representative Bentley, you're recognized
to explain your bill. Thank you, Speaker, colleagues,
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
2:12:56
recent polls have shown that 80% of Americans oppose gender ideology and using gender affirming care on our children. They understand that there are two sexes, male and female, and no amount of chemicals or surgery can change that. The purpose of House Bill 1916 is the health therapist and psychologist to return to treatments that for decades helped the vast majority of our children overcome gender confusion. House Bill 1916 is an amendment to Act 274, the Senator Stubberfield and I passed with
your help in 2023. The purpose of Act 274 is to protect minors from medical malpractice. This gives minors and their parents 15 years after the child turns 18 to file a civil lawsuit against a healthcare professional who performs a gender transition procedure or gender affirming intervention. Gender forming care is the affirmation of a minor's self-diagnosis of a gender confusion. For decades, healthcare professionals practiced what was called watch and wait when a child had gender confusion.
That did not affirm a minor's confusion. They rather acknowledged it and combined dissident-oriented counseling with therapy until the minor got through puberty. This treatment resulted in a vast majority, up to 80 to 90% of the children. Child child patients overcoming the gender confusion when they got through puberty. Gender pharma care, that's being practiced now, on the other hand, results in 92% of the child patients remaining in gender confusion when they get through puberty. Since healthcare professionals, professionals began using gender
forming care including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones. We have seen a 370% increase and trans identifying youth. Let me repeat that. Since healthcare professionals began gender affirming care, including puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. We have seen a 370% increase in trans identifying youth. Gender pharma care, including mental interventions, carry a host of physical risks, for example, cross-sex hormones are associated with reduced bone
density, stunted growth, blood clots, infertility and cancer. Many of the physical changes caused by these treatments are permanent. 98% of children prescribed puberty blockers subsequently proceed to cross-sex hormones. Puberty blockers cause brain swelling and vision loss. These drugs are also used to castrate sex offenders chemically. These medications have not gone, they have not undergone methodologically sound peer-reviewed evaluations for safety and efficacy for causing puberty. There's no evidentiary basis for asserting that the
harms they cause are fully reversible. Unfortunately, a large percentage of these miners who start with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones proceed with surgical interventions that scar their bodies forever. Transgender medical intervention should be understood for what they are. Grotesque experiments that stunt and suppress a child's natural development and surgically mutilate their healthy bodies in the service of unscientific fantasies. While the long-term effects of transgender medical interventions of children are unknown. No credible evidence
supports the claim that they benefit child's mental health. Indeed, research on adults has not shown these interventions to improve mental health, or to reduce suicidality. Systematic reviews on the effects of puberty blockers do not support claims of improved mental health or reduced suicidality. An alternative and a far less risky approach has been termed first, do no harm. First, do no harm, recognizes the dangers of transgender medical interventions and cautions providers to pursue exploratory psychotherapy instead, and to
help gender confused children navigate puberty rather than to fear it. The advantages of exploratory explorative psychotherapy are so-called affirmation of very strong. Gender form and care requires a therapist again confirm a minor self-diagnosis of transgender. Transgenders and facilitate their access to hormones and surgeries. Exploratory therapy affirms the young genders just for person's feelings as real and valid, but rather than self-diagnosis, rather than confirming the self-diagnosis, it questions and probes and
listened to for developmental factors that may contribute to the gender-related diagnosis. Like Watchful waiting before it first do no harm represents a responsible and a humane alternative to transgender medical intervention. First, do no harm is not rooted in fanciful postmodern ideological claims. Indeed, it does not rely on ideological claims that rather carefully pursues the well-being of vulnerable children. The importance of adopting prudent evidence-based non-nalogical approaches to caring for children, suffering
from gender confusion is increasingly apparent. I'm asking you to put the health and well-being of our children first, to stop basing their care on gender ideology and to, and gender forming care. Let's return Arkansas to a place where a child's well-being is put first, and adults are not making decisions whether they will ever be able to be parents. Because once they take these medications, they will never be able to conceive children. Recall the absent gender ideology, inspired gendering affirmations most gender confused children naturally
desist and thereby avoid proceeding to transgender medical interventions, including surgical mutilations. A general concern for the well-being should incline us not to want to unders should incline us to want to understand and treat the, the sources of these children's distress. 10 years ago, we never heard of treating mental illness by mutilating minors with double mastectomies or removing genital organs. We are allowing adults to take away their ability to ever conceive a child. Gender forming care is a first step in that process.
HP 1916 simply allows minors and parents a civil cause of action to sue for damages that gender affirming care for genderfirma care, up to 15 years after a child turns 18. Before I take questions, I want to let you all know that I am working with a psychiatry association on tightening up the definition just a bit with a couple of words to make sure that the children
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
2:18:57
that need care, that need mental health treatment will get it. And with that, I'll take my. Representative Wardlaw, for what purpose? Question You're recognized.
You lost me about. 30% through there. I'm in, I'm a dirt farmer and I'm slow and you talk really fast. Yes sir. Can you repeat the last half
of that? I can tell you that what we're trying to do is make sure children get the care that really helped for decades. Children were getting what we
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
2:19:30
call a watch and wait to where the counselor would Not confirm a minor self-diagnosis, but they would work with that child and find why. What is going on, what's causing the problem so we can get the mental health that child
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
2:19:42
needs. And in the end, nearly 80 to 90% of the kids will go through puberty and come through fine. I want to return to what we did in the
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
2:19:50
past that was working. If we had a child that had anorexia, we would be appalled by us a Cyrus went to that child and said, you know what? You are really overweight. Let's get you on some diet pills and let you get your gastric bypasses, goodness sakes, you are really fat. That's
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
2:20:02
what we're doing to these kids and these kids deserve better. To help represent Wardlaw, I hope that helps you understand what we're trying to do with this bill. Again, it just amends
the Act 274 that we did two years
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
2:20:16
ago. Do you have any other questions? Representative McCullough, for what purpose? You're
Representative Tippi McCullough
Unverified
2:20:20
recognized Representative Bentley. So you use the anorexia. Example. Well, what if we just said, let's just watch and wait to that person. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying along with watch and wait, we
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
2:20:33
do some, we do, we do counseling, we do mental health for those kids and say, why are you, why are you gender confu? What's going on in your life? We
know that 45% of the kids that are suffering with gender confusion have been sexually assaulted and gone through post-traumatic things, a lot of trauma behind.
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
2:20:50
There's a reason. So I'm not saying not do anything. I'm saying let's do counseling. I'm saying, let's not tell that child yet. I agree with you. You are fat, and let's get you on some diet pills and get your gastric bypass. That's affirming their self-diagnosis of a minor. I'm saying let's stop affirming the self-diagnosis of a minor. Let's find out why. What's the problem behind the issue? Why are you suffering with this? That's what we used to do for
decades, we did that and the results were overwhelmingly good. If we had a cancer treatment for a child that was suffering from cancer, and it was 90% effective, and all of a sudden we stopped doing that. What I would be horrified. I know you would be too. I just want to get back to a treatment where the kids were being effectively treated,
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
2:21:29
and at the end of the day, they were returned back to the gender they were born with and they have a normal healthy life and be able to conceive children if they chose to. That's why I want us
Speaker 199
2:21:40
to return to. Representative Springer, for what purpose? You're recognized.
Representative Joy Springer
Unverified
2:21:45
Isn't it true that the testimony from the persons who are opposed to your bill and it isn't it true that they told you that that's exactly what was taking place, that the children were receiving counseling services. Isn't that the testimonyfortunately the counseling
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
2:21:57
services they were getting were gender firm
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
2:22:00
and care, that was affirming the minor's diagnosis self-diagnosis and not get into the root cause of the problem. That's that to be the
case. Thank you. OK. Thank you very much. I'd appreciate a good vote.
Chair
Unverified
2:22:13
Representative Bentley has explained the bill. Anyone likes
to speak against the bill? Representative Clowney, you're recognized to speak against the
bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, I won't take up too much of your time, um, but I do ask for a little bit of it. I know that you may think, um, that you can anticipate what it is I'm gonna say, and it is true that every chance I have, I will come down to this well and tell the LGBTQ kids in Arkansas that I love you, I value you, and I affirm you. But I want you to listen to the
actual legal problems that I have with this bill because I am speaking right now, um, as a, as a lawyer as well, and I, I want y'all to know that yesterday we heard. From a huge swath of folks who are opposed to this bill, but one of those witnesses, um, was from the Arkansas chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. And I wanted to share with you their concerns because it's really real. So, um, you just heard a whole bunch about puberty blocking drugs, um,
pretty, pretty extreme examples of treatments, um, for gender-affirming care. But if you look with me at the definition here in this bill. This bill creates A cause of action, a private cause of action, so no statute of limitations. Um, for any gender affirming intervention, which is defined as any intervention to support a patient's identification with the gender opposite of his or her biological sex, including puberty blockers and cross-sex
hormone therapy. Those things are covered, but it is certainly not limited to those treatments. The impact of that. Is that any care that at any point in the future. Again, no statute of limitations. So 40, 50 years down the line. A parent or a minor could say they were harmed by any intervention that supported the patient's identification with the gender opposite of his or her biological sex. This bill doesn't just discourage gender
affirming care, and I want you to view it, whether you agree with gender affirming care or not. I want you to hear me when I say this will make doctors, this will make pediatricians. They said as much to this committee committee yesterday. This will make them afraid to treat children for things like the common cold, right? I mean, they didn't say that, but that is ultimately what this does. It makes them afraid to treat any child. Who may be experiencing any of these, these, um, health problems.
Or looking for any mental health care. In this space It will make them hesitant to treat trans children. Because they know that at any point in the future, 40, 50 years down the line, they could be sued for something as simple as using the preferred name of the child in the course of that strep test. For using the preferred pronoun. That in this bill is a gender-affirming intervention. I
think it goes way too far. I would love to see that tightened up at the very least, um, we're not going to get that before the session is over, but I did want y'all to be aware that that's what this bill does, and I would appreciate a
no vote. Thank you. Representative Clowney has spoke against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for
the bill? You would like to speak against the bill. Representative Clown, uh, Bentley, you're recognized to close for your bill.
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
2:25:53
Thank you, Speaker. OK. So, colleagues, This bill is not going on 40, 50 years. It has
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
2:25:57
a 15-year statute of limitations clearly in there, we have 15 years that the child becomes an adult to file it. So it's not 40, 50 years, it's 15 years. And again, I said before I took questions that we're going to change the word there, at least, and I'll probably do more, so I'm working with them to get what they want and the definitions are met with them this morning. They want to be sure to be able to treat children. We don't want to stop mental health of children. The last thing we wanted, we want to encourage it. That's why I met with them this morning. So if we look at that line, they are in
line 28, gender affirming intervent means an intervention and we'll put a firm a patient's identification, not the support of firms that should clear up their questions. And if a pediatrician should uh recommend a child and say they need to go see a cardiologist and that cardiologist says a crappy job and the child dies, they're not held liable for the cardiologist's actions. The pediatricians not be held liable for anybody else's actions. They're only held liable for their own. So if we put a firm in there, that
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
2:26:48
should clear up their concerns. I will say that, uh, Arkansas was the first state to pass a heartbeat Child
Protection Act. Arkansas was the first state to uh, to pass the SAFE Act. Arkansas was the first, one of the first states to pay to save child, women's to say Women's Sports Act. Let's be the first state to push back against this gender ideology that's really hurting the children in our state. And let's put Arkansas on the first try did the right things for our kids. With that, I'd take a
Chair
Unverified
2:27:16
good vote. Thank you. Representative Bentley is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1916. Prepare the machine, Madam
Clerk. Everyone voted. Is everyone voted. Cast up the ballot
Speaker 87
2:27:38
The vote of 73, 16A and one present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1926 Unger to
Chair
Unverified
2:27:52
amend the law concerning the suspension
revocation or non-renewal of a person's driver's
license for failure to pay a court-ordered fine and to amend the law concerning the defendant's inability to pay a court-ordered fine.
Representative Unger, you're recognized to explain your bill.
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
2:28:08
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues, uh, there's a lot of things that I could. Say about this bill, but I'm
really going to try not to say them. Uh, let me give you a little background. This is basically a fines and fees bill as it pertains to driver's license. Let me give you a little background. Around 2017, I
became a volunteer at a halfway house for felons on parole up in Springdale called Returning Home. It was a great learning experience. Uh, I was there Thursday night instructor that taught a class because they had to take classes, part of their parole, came away with a lot of good stories that I can never repeat in mixed company. But here's one of the things I learned about incarceration or helping people get past incarceration. And keep in mind, Arkansas has got like one of the worst recidivism rates may be the worst.
Uh, we stink at this. But here's what I learned. If you really want to help people get past incarceration, the easiest thing you can do is not take away their driver's license for fines and fees. And so when I say fines and fees, I'm not talking about alimony. I'm not talking about child support. And I'm not talking about not punishing DUIs or bad drivers. It is just some judges will suspend driver's license for
unpaid fines and fees. Now I'm happy to say a lot of judges don't. And frankly, I had a lot of help crafting this bill, including from a judge up in Northwest Arkansas. Oftentimes the defendant will ask the judge to send him to jail, vice fining him because he knows the defendant, he can't pay that fine. And so paying the fine would be not paying the rent, losing his house, not feeding his family. And what a horrible position to put somebody in and to put it in
plain language. And I saw this so many times. You have some, some bad boy who is now reformed, and he is living, I'm on a Springdaize this. He's living in a trailer 20 miles away from the chicken factory in downtown Springdale, where he makes roughly $25,000 a year hanging dead chickens on a hook. And he's learning how to be a man and how to be a husband. And a father And the court puts in a position is if you pay this fine, you're gonna leave your family hanging
out to dry. And so what we're asking to do, that's wrong. We need to fix this. Uh, in the past, I have said, And you probably have too that Judge Bean suspended Bubba's driver's license. Well, it turns out I was wrong to say that. Uh, the judge can't suspend a driver's license. He can only ask DFNA to do that. Chapter 16 of the Arkansas Code, which deals with practice procedures and courts. There's 2 times in the code that concerns itself with the payment of a
fine, which part of that is in my bill, 16-13-702. If the defendant claims an inability to pay a fine, the court shall inquire in the defense ability to pay the fine. Then it says it again in 1613, 708, we says it even stronger. However, the court shall not make a request to the department. That is DFNA before the court has scheduled a hearing to address the person's non-payment of the court-ordered fine, and the person has failed to appear.
And put it in plain English. There's two different times in the code that the author said they need to consider the financial state of the defendant. Of DF before they suspend the driver's license. Now, are the judges doing what the law requires. Well, some are, but a lot are not. And all this little old Bill does is ask the judges to follow the law just like everybody else. And I will take some questions as long as they're not too hard or tricky. Representative McGrew, for what
Representative Richard McGrew
Unverified
2:32:07
purpose? You're recognized for a question. I very much support the bill. I think this is one of the bigger problems we have with resciditism. We trap those people in a position where they can't get out by finding them for not being able to pay the fine, and then taking the driver's license away. My question is more, your bill spells out that they have to look at this information, but it doesn't require the judge can still suspend the license. Is there anything that requires them to really pay attention and to make the right decisions. No, sir, my overt
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
2:32:39
Intention with this is by putting this sample budget in here that the judges will look at that and say, you're making it hard for me to do it, therefore, I won't. Uh, we're not at a place that we can say not suspend now someday, maybe. Um That's my best answer. Clothes from a
Representative Unger has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? the bill Representative Bunker is
Speaker 15
2:33:18
closed for the bill. Questioned before the House is the passage of House Bill 1926, prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. So everyone
voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Speaker 87
2:33:42
The vote of 97, yeah, 0, nay, and 1 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read
Chair
Unverified
2:33:49
House Bill 1984. Call 1984 by Representative Hudson to create a designation for a registered sex offender on a driver's license or
identification card. Representative Hudson, you were recognized to explain
Representative Ashley Hudson
Unverified
2:33:59
your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, I bring to you today House Bill 1984, and I wanted to appreciate or give some appreciation to the speaker for, um, bringing this issue to my attention. What this bill does
is it creates a designation on your driver's license for levels 3 and 4 sex offenders so that law enforcement can immediately recognize that it is a sex offender that they're interacting with. This designation would be essentially like the letter or number that you have on your driver's license, if, for example, you wear contacts or, um, have sort of some sort of restriction on your license. Um, it, it, there are several other states that are already doing this, including Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Delaware, West Virginia, and a few others. Um, so it's not something that we've
come up full of whole cloth, but this is something that should help law enforcement more readily identify these level 3 and 4 predators, um, and, and give them, uh, another way to, to determine if there's somewhere they're not supposed to be. Um, just as a reminder, and this came up in committee levels 3 and 4 sex offenders are. the worst of the worst,
um, level 3 is someone who is violent and likely to reoffend
Speaker 87
2:35:17
level 4 as someone who is extremely violent and, and. For the bill Representative Hudson is closed for the bill.
Chair
Unverified
2:35:36
Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1984. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1979. Is 1979 by Representative Galloway and acts
to amend Arkansas law to allow warrantless searches
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
Unverified
2:36:26
by law enforcement officer or a person placed on suspended imposition of sentence and for other purposes. Representative Gazzaway, you to explain the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, this is a bill that, uh, an issue I should say that was pointed out to me by a local circuit judge. That, uh, will conform with practices that are already happening in, in court.
Warrantless searches are allowed of people who are on parole, probation, uh, or post-release supervision, but commonly occurring in courts as you have people placed on suspended imposition of sentences. Well, what is that? That is unsupervised probation and just like someone who's placed on probation, they get a list of terms and conditions of good behavior that they have to abide by. It's a commonly used sentence in circuit court. And on those terms and conditions that a lot of, uh, folks receive, it says that they're subject to search and law enforcement officers commonly do search people who
are on suspended imposition of sentence, thinking that's allowed by law. Circuit judge pointed out to me that if you actually look in the statute, it does not currently provide for suspended imposition of sentence, and this has been something that's been occurring all over the state without statutory authority. So he said, you might want
to go in there and fix that. And I said, that's a good idea. And so that's why I brought this bill. That's what it does and Happy to answer any
questions and appreciate a good vote. Thank you. Representative Gazaway has explained the bill. Would anyone
like to speak against the bill? For the bill, Representative Gassway is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1979. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Has everyone voted? Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot, Madam clerk. With 84 years, 3 nays, and 2
Speaker 259
2:38:20
present, the bill has passed at the request of Representative Gazaway, we're gonna pass over House
Chair
Unverified
2:38:29
Bill 1980. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1987. How's the 1987 by Representative Ennett to amend the
law concerning the state board of Bombers, funeral
directors, cemeteries, and burial services and to increase the civil penalty for violations by a licensee. Representative Bennet, you are
recognized to explain the bill. Hello, colleagues.
Today I have house built um HB 1987, um, a couple of sessions ago I ran House Bill 1543. It's a constituent-led bill. Uh, we have perpetual care cemeteries here and some of the owners are not doing what they're supposed to do. So basically, this bill
is to increase the fine to $1000 from 500 and ask
for a good vote. Thank you. Representative and it has
explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Representative Ray, you are recognized to speak against the bill. I, I don't, didn't actually want to speak against the bill. I think I'll probably vote for it. I was just
gonna ask, um, what is it that they're being fined for? What are they not
doing that they're supposed to be doing and hopefully, Representative Ray has spoken against the bill.
Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Against the bill.
Represent it, would you like to close for your bill? You recognized. Thank you for the question. Representative Ray, um, From what I've been The owners, um, are burying. The dead deceased people and the plots that they did not buy. So when you're the loved ones are coming to visit, I mean, sorry. So when, when visitors come and
look for their loved ones. They're not burying them in the right plots, um, the They mow over them. You have ant hills, everything is sunken in. They're not taking care of the cemeteries, and a lot of people come from out of town to come and visit their loved ones. They can't find them, and you can't get them on the phone. They won't respond to your Correspondence or anything. So
this bill is just to kind of strengthen the law to get them to pay attention and hopefully do better. Ask for a good boat. Representative and it is closed for the
Speaker 457
2:41:12
bill. The question before the House is the passage of House Bill
1987. Prepare the machine, madam clerk, as everyone voted. As everyone voted.
Chair
Unverified
2:41:30
Cast up the ballot, Madam clerk. With 88, 0 nay, and 1 present the
bill has passed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1178. 1178 by Representative Richardson to amend the law
concerning the contracting of municipal attorneys to amend
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
2:41:47
the law concerning sons collected by district courts and to amend the law concerning cost sharing for district court expenses. Representative Richardson, you are recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House
Bill 1178 is a simple bill to take care of a specific problem, as most of you know, I have a very good friend that's a mayor over in East Arkansas, Di, Arkansas, home of Johnny Cash. Um, he, uh, is a small town mayor and apparently small town mayors would like to clean up their, uh, towns by enforcing the ordinances that they have on file. Unfortunately, there's no mechanism currently in law by which they can be repaid for the portion of the fine that should be theirs. This simply provides an avenue by which they can get, uh, they
can hire a, uh, prosecuting attorney to prosecute that in, in court and then be able to be returned. Some of the funds associated with that to remediate the situation.
And with that, I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative Richardson has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill. Representative Richardson, would you like to close for Bill? Representative Richardson is closed for the bill and the question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1178.
Prepare the machine, madam clerk. As everyone voted? As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot, Madam clerk. With 89, 2 nays,
Chair
Unverified
2:43:26
and 6 present the bill has passed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1903. 1903 by
Representative Walker to amend provisions of
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
2:43:36
the Arkansas Code to provide school districts
with flexibility regarding alternative learning environments. Walker, you are recognized to explain the bill. This is a department bill that just changes shall to May. Um, this will simply give our schools the option to provide ALE, um, schools that choose to do or continue to do so, um, to provide ALE will still continue to receive funding, so it does not touch any funding. It just gives schools the option to do it,
um, if it benefits our campus. Um, this is all the bill
does, and I appreciate a good vote. Representative Walker
has left the well. He has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill, Representative Clowney, you are recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, I'm not really speaking against that. I just had a question that hopefully you can answer. So, um, I know that these alternative learning environments are often used for students are only used for students who have challenges in a regular classroom. That's why
we require districts to have them, then they, as ALEs have certain state oversight. I guess my question is, if a district does choose not to have an ALE once that's allowed if this passes, um, what do the alternatives to ALE. Look like and will they receive the state same state oversight because I know that these are populations,
um, that we really want to make sure we're taking very good care of. So,
thanks. Representative Clowney has spoken against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill?
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
2:45:13
Against the bill. Representative Walker, would you like to close for your bill? You're recognized. And that's why we're not wanting to try to, I, I'm a big supporter of the ALE program. I don't want to get rid of it by any means, um, that's why we're trying, that's why we wanna still give them the option, so if it supports their school district, we put these the superintendents, the principals and people and leadership positions to make
these decisions. So if this program, um, helps our kids, helps fill in that achievement gap, then they need to continue to do the ALE, they're going to receive the full funding to
do so, um, hopefully that answers your question, um, but I, I'm closed and I appreciate a good vote. Representative Walker is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1903. Prepare the machine, madam clerk.
As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot, Madam Clerk. With 77 years, 5
Speaker 27
2:46:20
nays, and 10 present, the bill has passed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 124242 by Representative Mayberry
to amend the mechanism by high by which
school nurses are compensated. Representative Mayberry, you are recognized to explain the bill.
Speaker and I'm coming up here chuckling because as I walk up here, my seatmate who is sat
here I am once again. And I'll continue to be up here until we make steps. In helping our school nurses. First of all, I'm gonna back up and I'm gonna start to say what I intended to last session, we did a great thing by giving our
teachers a pay raise. Yay. And just recently, we did a great thing by giving our state employees a pay raise. They needed it. Everything costs more. Everything costs more. So, if you are an RN and you're working for DHS, let's say, or our state health department, your salary starting salary is $75,000 a year up to $111,000 a year.
75,000 to $111,000 if you are a state. nurse If you are working for a school district. You're making between about $3,800,066,000. Our school nurses need help. They have to pay their bills too. And because we've also raised the salary of our state nurses. We're going to have a harder time finding school nurses. This bill
Has no fiscal impact right now. None. Because it does not go into effect until the um 27, 28 school year. So we don't have to find the money right now at all. We have 2 years to do it. And that education committee, if you were a part of it, you know that. We've got a group of people on that education committee who are willing to work with me to find this money.
I also have heard from DHS. And from ADE. And they're going to be working together to bring Medicaid dollars to our state to compensate our school nurses. We are one of very few states who do not make use of federal dollars to come to our state. To pay for the services of our school nurses. That also would have a 0.
0 fiscal impact. Because it is federal money coming here right now, we are losing out. On those federal dollars because we have not done the paperwork essentially and come up with the plan. Other states are doing it. We have 2 years for the Department of Human Services and for ADE to work it all out. I had a bill in the um health committee. I told them I wouldn't run it because they
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
Unverified
2:50:00
have told me they are going to do this in. Rules, however they normally do
it, and they did not need a bill to do it. We have got to do something. This does put us on the whole, on, on all of us. It makes all of us. Legislators, it makes ADE it makes DHS. It makes our school districts all say we are going to do something before 27.
Chair
Unverified
2:50:32
To help our school nurses. With more money. With that, I'd appreciate a
Chair (Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.)
Unverified
2:50:44
good vote. Representative Mayberry has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Representative Beta, you're recognized. Well, I wasn't planning on speaking against the bill. I just had a question. And that question is, and maybe you can answer this in your closing if you come back to the well. Um
Is there anything that we have right now that prevents our local school districts from setting those salaries for school nurses based on the market and the requirement in their school districts to fulfill this position. I'm not aware of anything, but maybe you could answer and address that, um, because I, I do believe in the, in the ability that the school district to set those salaries and take care of, of students. The other question I had for you as a follow-up is earlier on, on some issues I've heard you, uh, worried about the spending that we. doing in the state, but here you
are with a bill that from the fiscal impact said 5 to
$7 million. So I'd like you to address how you can take one knee and make it more important than the other needs that
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:51:55
we have in the state. So I'd like if you'll address that, that'll make me happy. Representative Beatty has spoke against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Representative Meeks, you're to speak for the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, uh,
colleagues, goes without saying, I've been on the education committee longer than anybody else in this chamber except for Representative Cozart. I think we're, we're tied in that regard. Uh, but Representative Mayberry has been working on this bill year after year after year. And what happens is every year, we get to this point and we say, well, we're not sure, we're gonna put it in, in our study. And you all know what that means. That, that's the death of it. And then we come back, we do the same thing. And then we come back and we do the same thing,
right? Last session, we spent $300 million for our teachers. And rightfully so. That's a very easy political thing to do. You can score a lot of good brownie points for doing that. School nurses, Not so much, right? In this response, so, so to Representative Beatty's question. Yes, uh, districts can set the salary levels for their, for the school nurses. The problem, like a lot of other things, is making the money available. And we could actually send more money in the matrix
down to the schools, but the problem is it doesn't necessarily mean the school, the nurses are gonna get it. The sources that she's talking about about trying to bring more Medicaid funds in that, uh, can help pay for this. The, um, again, there's no guarantee that it'll actually go to the nurses to help them. So what, uh, this bill does is to make sure that as these funds become available, it actually goes to, to help these nurses. And the concern is, is if we don't do this, we're gonna start losing our
nurses at our schools and, uh, which means the health of our students and of course if they're
Speaker 280
2:53:46
not healthy, then that's gonna create learning problems. And so, I wish we would do it this. year,
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:53:52
the way her bills stagger set up is, we'll phase it in over the next 2 years. I
Chair (Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.)
Unverified
2:53:57
think that's a reasonable request and happy to try to answer any questions. Representative Beatty, for what purpose? You're recognized. Representative Meeks, so my, my question to you, are, are you saying that again, um, we should mandate to the school districts
how, how they spend and take this money and, and spend it on nurses, because if we gave them extra money, they would spend it on whatever
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:54:20
they wanted to, and it wouldn't go to the nurses and and they couldn't prioritize what's
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:54:25
the the important things for their school districts. So is that what you were telling this body when, when you were speaking in favor of this bill? in this case, yes. And, and that's not unusual. We do that. We do that with teachers and we do that with all other things. Yes, we do send uh money to the schools that are
unrestricted, so they can make decisions for local. I'm all
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
2:54:45
supportive of that when that's the right time. But in this case, if
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
2:54:49
it's the will of this body to make sure we're taking care of our school nurses, then we need to make sure we're
taking care of our school nurses. Representative Nazarenko, for what purpose? Question, you're recognized. Uh, first of all, thank you, Representative Meeks for being up there for questions just for clarification, I had, I had to ask it last night at the committee because it's my understanding for an APRN to charge for Medicaid, they've got
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:55:12
to have a PCP referral, so referral from their primary care provider. Uh, that's my understanding for them in that position. So that kind of concerns me with the Medicaid, uh, recoverables, so, and I agree, and I don't know all the specifics. on that and maybe Representative Mayberry can maybe fill in some of those details. Um, If we can bring that Medicaid money in, that's great. And, in my opinion, that's icing on the cake, regardless of whether the federal government comes through on this, I still think in this instance, this is something we
Speaker 280
2:55:42
need to do because if we keep pushing this down
the road, the problem's not gonna go, go away. What's gonna happen is that that problem is only going to
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:55:52
grow bigger and bigger and bigger. So I think it's, let's address it now. Representative Cozart, for what purpose? You're recognized, do you think this is really gonna hurt the money that they're trying to get for that prison, this would be all right, wouldn't it? Uh, no, we're talking $5 million.06 million dollars, uh, you know, if we could spend $750 million on a prison. I, I think we can come
up with 600 $6 million. Like I said, we did $300 million for our nurses. We did
$35 million for state employees. That was always, that was good. Let's take the next step for our school nurses and I don't know if
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
2:56:32
I did you any good. Representative Mayberry, but, uh, I would appreciate a good vote. Represent Meeks has spoke for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Representative Painter, you're recognized to speak against the bill. I was really not wanting
to speak to Bill. I just had a question, uh, for Representative Mayberry. How do we have any guarantees from the federal government on getting this Medicaid money that we talked about in committee, you know, we're anticipating, you know, getting all this, if we do all these services that the federal government's gonna pay for it, which last time I checked, Medicaid is possibly in the crosshairs of
the current administration. So, can you just please address that and
if you know anything, information about that, I'd greatly appreciate it. Representative Painter spoke against the bill. Would anyone I
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
2:57:14
speak for the bill? Would anyone like to speak against the bill. Representative Beck, you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues. I don't deny that the, the, the shortage that, that I don't have those numbers either back at
our, our, our, or deny it. But here's the situation. We need, we need school bus drivers too. Are we gonna do this for school bus drivers? What about all the other? Positions that we're we're shorted with in the schools, you know, we're getting to a point now where we're trying to run our school districts from this, this chamber. We have school boards we fund the schools. Let them decide where they wanted to put the money that they need to put and not as a group down here, start pushing a little bit of money here and a little bit
of money here just because we think that there's a shortage down there. It's, it's the superintendents and the school boards. Don't take care of this. Let the cities, uh, in the school districts, take care of it, the school boards and the superintendents. It's like we're trying to run everything from
Speaker 197
2:58:31
Little Rock. It's like local control, guys. I've heard everybody will use that
all the time. This is, this is contrary to local control. Representative Beck has spoke against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill?
Representative Glenn Barnes
Unverified
2:58:45
Against the bill Representative Barnes, you're recognized to come to the well and speak for the bill. Thank you, Speaker. Colleagues wanted to.
Rewarding things of going to school, getting an education. And get a degrees. Is being able to promise Better pay. And these nurses are going to go to school. To get certified to do this. They should be paid. And if any of us I've gone to school for whatever it is, we want to be paid the wage that comes
with that. Certification I think in all fairness, This is a good bill. We ought to
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
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2:59:48
support it. Thank you. Representative Barnes who spoke for the bill. Anyone like to speak against the bill? Representative Beatty, for what purpose? Hear your motion. Uh, under Rule
Speaker 493
3:00:03
25A, the motion to, for indefinite postponement and consideration by a joint interim committee. That's a proper motion. It's a
Chair (Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.)
Unverified
3:00:24
debatable motion. Recogn Camera the world to explain your motion. Members, we, we've heard this every year, I guess since I've
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
3:00:30
been here. And what I would say is based on, on the topics and discussions we've had in this chamber today. I, I think we
Speaker 98
3:00:37
should just postpone this, let an interim committee meet and determine this, and, and, and provide us with recommendations at that point. So I'd ask you to support my motion. Representative Beatty has explained the motion. Would anyone like to speak against the motion? For the motion
Chair
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3:00:56
Representative Beatty is closed for the motion. Question before the house is the passage of his motion to table, put an interim postponed indefinitely to an interim study. All those in favor say aye. Osna Nos habit. Representative Mayberry, you're recognized clothes for your bill.
I probably need to say as few words as possible. And I can answer a lot of those questions that have
come up. But I've been here session after session, talking about the school nurses, and I've heard many of you. Tell me every single
session when I'm up here talking about it. Oh, we'll help you next time. I've heard it over and over again. I've come up with different ideas.
Every single session. I've come up with a different way. I don't know what you all have against school nurses. I don't know what
the big deal is. Let me tell you, my daughter, who has spina bifida. Graduated
from high school. With two college credits. And above a 3.5 GPA.
And she has a lot of teachers to thank for that. More than anything, She has schooled nurses to think for that because if those school nurses had not been there to see her every day, twice a day. She would not have been able to be in school. That is why I am so passionate about this topic, and I promise you. We are not in the hook for this money, this session. It's 2 years down the road.
But this is To go to school nurses who are watching. That we hear you. And we are going to help. That's what this does. That gives us the promise that yeah, we actually will do something this time. I know many of you are going to still vote against this, and that's fine. I will love you anyway. We can't all agree. I'm just hoping I get 51 of you to agree with me today.
And more than likely the scent will kill it too. So don't worry about it. Thank
Chair
Unverified
3:03:56
you. Representative Mayberry is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1242. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted So everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Speaker 501
3:04:13
The vote of 59, 18 nay, and 10 present. The bill is passed. Representative Scott Richardson, for what purpose?
Speaker 502
3:04:26
Ocean. Let's hear your motion. Uh, Sorry, I think
Speaker 101
3:04:34
we're, I think we're doing this backwards, uh, point of order.
Chair
Unverified
3:04:44
We help you with that? Sure, I was, I was told the opposite, yeah, but motion, uh, that, uh, Uh, I'm still confused. Representative
Scott Richardson moves that we place, uh, Senate Bill 431 back on second reading for the purpose of amendment. That, that one. That motion. Thank you. That objection
Speaker 199
3:05:04
so ordered, Madam Clark, please read amendment number one. Amendment number 1 is Senate
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
3:05:21
Bill 431. Richardson, you are recognized. All right, come on. I This is a brand new process for me, so I appreciate the indulgence, uh, I'm, uh, we, we need to amend a bill that we passed out of committee yesterday, get it, uh, amended here on the floor,
Speaker 83
3:05:34
it deletes one small little line, uh, and then we're gonna, after that, we're going to actually send it
Speaker 98
3:05:40
back to committee and make sure they approve of it. So I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Richardson has explained the amendment. Would anyone like to speak against the amendment? For the amendment
Representative Richardson is closed for the amendment. The question
before the House is the passage of amendment number 1 to Senate Bill 431, all in favor
Representative R. Scott Richardson
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amendment is adopted. Please send the bill as amended to engrossing. Representative Richardson, for what purpose? Motion. I hear your motion.
After engrossing the amendment, I move that we move uh Senate Bill 431 back to House
Representative R. Scott Richardson
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Judiciary. That's a proper motion. It is debatable. You're recognized to explain your motion.
Speaker 98
3:06:28
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So now we're gonna send this same bill back to the judiciary to get it, uh, taken care of, voted on, and it'll be back on the house as soon as possible. So I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Richardson
Chair
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is explained. The uh Motion You would like to speak against the motion, for the motion, Representative Richardson is closed for the motion. Question before the
Speaker 98
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house is the motion to re-refer Senate Bill 431 back to committee. All those in favor say aye.
Nay, I have it. Send the bill back to committee. Representative Volt, for
Representative DeAnn Vaught
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3:07:12
what purpose? Let's hear your motion. I'd like to make a motion to re-refer Senate Bill 20,290 back to committee motion. Come to the well,
Speaker 98
3:07:19
explain your motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're gonna re-refer it back to committee to try to make it a little bit more palatable for everybody. And with that, I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Vaugh has
explained the motion. You would like to speak against the motion. For the motion Representative Bo is closed for the motion. Question before the house is the motion to
Chair
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refer Senate Bill 290 back to committee, all those in favor say aye. nay, you have it, send the bill back to committee. Representative Jean. Members, we're gonna go to the yellow budget calendar. There he is. You're recognized.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, we've got uh a set of house appropriations today. Just to let you know, the only Senate bill, Senate Bill 93, Uh, we're, we're putting that off and putting on the tomorrow's calendar, there's still some members working with the Department of Education, so we'll put it on the Mars calendar. And uh Of these bills that are on the House bills, the only appropriation that has any significant increase other than
what we did on the salary plan. Is the House Bill 1174. Which is the Department of Corrections. And inside the RSA on the current corrections, nothing to come with the new prison. This is current. We have a $40 million increase when the, when the, uh, governor gave her balanced budget back in November. So there is a $40 million increase, uh, with the current Department of Corrections. This is not do
anything with the new prison. So, And I've had also requests to pull House Bill 1107. Out of the batch. To vote separate. So I'm gonna read the batch to you. We need to pull any of these out, let me know. House Bill 1084. House bill 1086 House Bill 1092, House Bill 1096, House Bill 1101, House Bill 1106, House Bill 1112,
House Bill 1174, House Bill 1200 in house Bill 1206. Get you a minute to look at it if I need to pull any of these out. Representative McCollum, for what purpose? You're recognized. Could we please, uh, pull up for a separate vote. Um HB 1092, as well as HB 1096, not,
not together, both of those individually. Yes, sir.
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
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3:10:27
Yes, sir. And um yeah, not asking them, um, held or anything, just separate. Representative Ward Law, for what purpose? Request,
you're recognized. And you pull out House Bill 1106 for separate votes appropriation. Yeah, I, I think it'd be better if we just pass over today, and I'll get my question answered and we'll vote on it tomorrow.
All right. The batch. Will be House Bill 10901084, 1086, 1101. House Bill 1112,
Speaker 280
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House Bill 1174, House Bill 1200 and House Bill 1206, representative Meeks, for what purpose? Question, please. Thank
Representative Stephen Meeks
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you, Mr. Speaker. Representative Jean, uh, just a moment ago you mentioned on 1174 Department
of Correction. There's a $40 million increase, um, do you know what that $40
extra million dollars is going to be going towards. Part of it is salary increase, part of it's
cost of food and then just maintaining prisoners and upkeep. That's what they had to have. Uh, in the budget hearings
Speaker 536
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in the fall. All right, thank you. Any other questions? All right.
Chair
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3:11:48
You're one vote for the batch is for the Bills and mercy clause, Mr. Speaker, the clerk read the bill a 3rd time. Madam Clark, read the bills for the 3rd time. 1086, house 1101. House Bill
Speaker 98
3:12:03
1112, House 1174, House Bill 1200, House Bill 1206. Prepare
Chair
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the machine, madam clerk. Members, your one vote is for the bill
in the emergency clause of each bill in the batch. Has everyone voted? Cast up the
ballot. Voter 98, 0, nay, and 0 present. You passed the bill in the emergency clause of each bill mentioned in the batch,
Representative Jean. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We'll pick up and do these bills one at a time. House Bill 1092 Department of Human Services, uh, uh, provider services and quality assurance.
Any questions? See no, your one vote is for the bill, emergency clause, Mr. Speaker, the clerk read the bill a 3rd time. Madam Clerk, read the bill for the 3rd time 1092. Representative Jean has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill
Speaker 98
3:13:05
Representative Jean is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House
Speaker 245
3:13:17
Bill 1092. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Members, your
one vote is for the bill in the emergency clause. So everyone voted. So everyone voted. Cassed up the ballot. By a vote of 87, 0, nay, and 11
present. You have passed the bill in the emergency clause. Representative Jeni, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next one will be House Bill 1096. This is part of the Human Services. This is the Medicaid tobacco settlement program. This is the part of the tobacco money that
goes into pays our hospitals and drug costs for the Medicaid program. Seeing none, your one
Chair
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3:14:02
vote is for the bill and the mercy
clause, Mr. Speaker, the clerk read the bill 3rd time. Madam Clerk, read the bill for the 3rd time. Representative Jean has explained the bill. Would anyone
Speaker 98
3:14:22
like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Jean is closed
for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1096. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Members,
Chair
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3:14:33
your one vote is for the bill in the emergency clause. Has everyone voted?
Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. With a vote of 94 e, 1 nay, and 3 present. You have passed the bill in the emergency clause. Representative Jean, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Next bill we're gonna pick up is, uh, House Bill 1107. This is the Department of Human Services. This is our county health offices, uh, Representative Shepherd asked to pull this out so she could vote
present. Uh, I think she does some kind of contract work with them, which is the proper thing to do. So that's why we pulled this out
of the batch. Any questions? Singing none, your one vote is for the bill, the mercy clause, Mr. Speaker, have
the clerk read the bill a 3rd time. Madam Clerk, read the bill for the 3rd time. 10. Representative Jean has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For
Speaker 15
3:15:32
the bill Representative Jean is closed for the bill. Question before
Speaker 98
3:15:40
the house is the passage of House Bill
Chair
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3:15:46
1107. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Remembers, your one vote
is for the bill in the emergency clause. Everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast
up the ballot. The vote of 93 a, 2 nays, and 3 present. You've passed the bill and the emergency clause. Representative Jean, you're
recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The last bill. Uh, House Bill 1649 comes from Representative Vault. This is, uh, on the statewide water plan. Uh, it's a appropriation for 50 million, but Many of y'all have heard the water plan has been cut from 500 million for 10 years to 75 million for 3 years. And so this uh this, the money she'll have appropriated if the one-time
funding bill is passed, it's 25 million. So this other 50 million, there's no funds for it. It's, it's excess appropriation with no funding behind it. So the cost will be $25 million for the first year. Sing, 9,
Chair
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3:16:58
your one vote is for the bill the mergy clause, Mr. Speaker, the clerk read the bill a 3rd time. Ma and clerk read the bill for the 3rd time. Representative Jean has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
Speaker 98
3:17:12
For the bill Representative Jean is closed for the bill. The question before the House is
the passage of House Bill 1649. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Members, your one vote is for
the bill in the emergency clause. Is everyone voted? Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of 94, 1 nay, and one
Speaker 98
3:17:43
present. You've passed the bill in the emergency clause. Members, we've got,
Chair
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3:17:54
um, We've got some committees that need to reconvene to take up some business that was held over from this morning. Uh, and I prefer that those
Speaker 98
3:18:05
committees with respect of our committee staff, not go late into the night like we've, like
we've done earlier already one night this week. So the house is going to stand in recess until 7 p.m. for the purpose of committees to convene. take care
Speaker 27
3:18:30
of the business that was left over from this morning. The House will reconvene at 7:00 p.m. take up the Senate calendar. Madam Clerk, please read committee reports. Mr. Speaker, on state agencies and governmental affairs to whom was
referred Senate Bill 439 Senate Bill 443, Senate Bill 508. Senate Bill 516 Senate Bill 521, Senate Bill 551, Senate Bill 578, Senate Bill 534. They reporting the same consideration here for returning the same nation that do passly submitted. Representative Beck, Vice Chair. Mr. Speaker, we your committee on State agencies and Governmental Affairs and who the Senate Bill 445. Beckley report the same consideration here for the same information. It do pass amendment number. I respectfully submitted Representative Gazaway, Chair, Mr. Speaker, we your committee on House Rules. James the first Senate Bill 447, Senate Bill 533 be reporting the same consideration here for terms the same recommendation that do pass
respectfully submit it. Representative Mebank's chair. Mr. Speaker, we your committee on City, County and Local affairs, to whom was referred House Bill 1991. House Bill 1995. Senate Bill 406, Senate Bill 520, Senate Bill 574, Senate Bill 580. Begly reporting the same consideration here returns the same recommendation that do pass police submitted Representative Gonzalez, chair. Mr. Speaker, we're a committee on City, County and Local Affairs and who's first bill 57. 1 big report the same consideration here for the same recommendations that do passes amendment number 2, respectfully submitted Representative Gonzalez, chair. Mr. Speaker, we're your committee on Insurance and commerce and the
possible 1955. High school 1956, Senate Bill 519. Senate Bill 611 be leave reporting the same consideration here for the same recommendation that do pass as Amendment number one, respectfully submitted Representative Maddox, chair. Mr. Speaker, we your committee on Insurance and commerce to whored House Bill 1625. House Bill 1994, Senate Bill 420, Senate Bill 475, Senate Bill 480, Senate Bill 41, Senate Bill 527. about 5:44, 60 valy reporting the
same consideration here returns the same recommendation that do pass, respectfully submitted. Representative Steiner, Vice Chair.
Speaker 551
3:20:18
Members, do I have any committee reports or any committee announcements. Representative Lynch, for what purpose?
Representative Kendon Underwood
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3:20:25
A committee meet 10 minutes, room 138 if
Chair
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3:20:33
we beat everybody else there. Got one bill Representative Underwood, for what purpose? You're recognized. House Judiciary will meet tomorrow at 9:30. The other committee announcements. Representative Jean,
Representative Kendon Underwood
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3:20:44
for what purpose? Joint budget will meet tomorrow
Speaker 556
3:20:49
morning at 9 a.m. Big Mac A. Representative Maddox, for what purpose? Announcement, you're recognized. Insurance and commerce will win 15 minutes from 149. Insurance and commerce, Representative Gazaway, for what purpose? Announcement you're recognized. State agencies will meet 15 minutes upon adjournment room 151, state agencies, A state
Unknown speaker
3:21:36
Members of the House will stand in recess until 7 p.m.
Representative Lynch, for what purpose? A committee can't meet today because that bill's not ready. There will not be an afternoon meeting of the AG committee.
Chair
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5:35:58
The House will reconvene in session. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 494. 494 by Representative Eden to reduce the
number and types of permits issued by Arkansas Tobacco Control and to consolidate several permits into single permit under Arkansas tobacco Products
Tax Act 1977. Representative Eaton, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues.
Representative James Eaton
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5:36:37
Sorry, had a little trouble getting back in it. What we have here is Senate Bill 494. It has been, uh. The Department of DFNA has asked me to run this bill for the tobacco council. What we're doing here, there's currently 3 permits. That you ask that they're that they're having you fill out,
it's a consolidation bill. So we're gonna go to one permit there. Uh, that's basically what this bill is looking to do. There's also another side of it. There is another, there is another permit. It is called the And what this, sorry.
This is the This bill eliminates a vapor product, an e-liquid product, exclusive permit that allows a permit holder to operate as a manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer. This is the only, there's only one permit holder. In our, of our in Arkansas. So they're gonna do away with that permit. So essentially, you're making 3 permits. In
the one. There's no fiscal impact on the state with this. Any questions on that? Thank you. Appreciate a good vote.
Chair
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5:38:11
Representative Eaton has explained the bill. And when I speak against the
Speaker 245
5:38:21
bill. For the bill Representative Eaton is
Chair
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5:38:28
closed for the bill, question before the House is the passage of Senate Bill
494, prepare the machine, Madam Clerk.
Chair
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5:38:35
So everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of 86 ye, zero nay, and
0 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 495. 495 by Representative Eden to amend definitions used under
the Arkansas Tobacco Products Tax Act of
Representative James Eaton
Unverified
5:38:51
1977 and to amend the definition of invoice and the definition of invoice price use under the Arkansas Tobacco Products Tax Act of 1977. you explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues, this kind of cleans up the last bill. All they're looking to do here is to add an invoicing part of this. The, uh They were having So currently,
The invoices aren't required to have the address on it either for the manufacturer or the retailer. This, this
invoicing just allows them to do that. So if there are issues, they can
track down who the, uh, who the purchasers. Who the purchaser is. Any questions on this one? Thank you. Appreciate a good vote.
Chair
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5:39:30
Grapes of Eaton has explained the bill, what would like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Eaton is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of
Senate Bill 495. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. everyone voted. Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of 95 ya, zero nay, and 0 present. Bill
is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 408 408 by Representative East provide an income tax exemption for certain
Speaker 98
5:40:05
payments by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Representative Les D. Eaves
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5:40:15
Representative Eaves, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, we have a couple of programs that we've uh provided to farmers from federal aid for economic, uh, relief and disaster relief that, uh, we have, we don't collect uh income tax on. There's another program, uh, that has come out. It was part of the American Relief Act of 2025 through the emergency commodity Assistance Program to help farmers mitigate the
impacts of their increased input input costs and falling commodity prices. We just want to do the same thing we've done with
Chair
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5:40:52
other programs. and make sure that the state is not collecting, uh, income tax on these programs to help our farmers. Take any questions.
Seeing that I appreciate a good vote. Representative Eaves has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Eaves is closed for the bill, question before the House is the passage of
Speaker 98
5:41:20
Senate Bill 408. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. So everyone voted. So everyone voted. Cast up the ballot The vote
Chair
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5:41:28
of 91 ya, 0 nay, and 0 present. Bill
is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 594. about 594 by Representative Warren to amend the law concerning exemptions for certificates of
public conveyance and necessity for new construction
to supply a public service or to extend a public service.
Representative Warren, you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, I'm running this bill for Representative Milligan. This bill is just codifying the current practice that no certificate of public convenience and necessity is required. Uh, when transmission lines are connecting power plants to the grid, uh, the PSC Energy and Independent, uh, power producers are all supportive of this and
Chair
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5:42:21
Uh, no opposition that I know of. Any questions? I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative Warren has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
For the bill. Representative Warren is closed for the bill. Question
Speaker 98
5:42:42
before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 594. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted. So everyone voted.
Chair
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5:42:51
Cast up the ballot. The vote of 95, 0, nay, and 0 present. Bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 552 552 by Representative to clarify the
Representative Les D. Eaves
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5:43:03
definition of principal office use under the
Arkansas Business Corporation Act of 1987 and the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. Representative Eaves, you recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a bill that comes to us from the, uh, Secretary of State's office, Senate Bill 552 reflects
modern commerce in which many businesses are operating out of people's homes rather than traditional storefronts. So when a business entity, uh, registers with the Secretary of State, they must provide both a principal office address and a registered agent address where the business will accept the delivery of legal documents. This bill says that when a business does not have a principal office that the business may designate the registered agent address as its principal office. The business must still give the Secretary of State, a residence address for an officer or director, so the Secretary of
State has the information it needs, uh, yeah, that's what the
Speaker 247
5:43:54
bill does. Appreciate any questions. Hang on, you
getting a picture? How about? You got it? Alright, appreciate a good vote. Representative Eaves is. Clothes for the bill.
Representative Eaves has explained the bill I would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill, Representative Eaves is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the
passage of Senate Bill 552. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted Everyone
voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of 95 yeah, 0 nay, and
Speaker 27
5:44:38
0 present. Bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill
390. And about 390 by Representative
Representative Robin Lundstrum
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5:44:46
Langstrom to establish the state apprenticeship Agency Act. Representative Lundstrom, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, sir.
The State Office of apprenticeship, this would put it into the state of, uh, excuse me, the Department of Commerce, and instead of having a bunch of different small pockets of this all over the place. It would put it under one entity. Currently, if you call this the workforce services, you're gonna get help, then you're gonna have to call Dallas. And then you might get an answer in 3 months, then you go back to workforce service.
This puts it all together and makes
Speaker 98
5:45:25
it much easier for an apprentice to get
33 states have also started. Representative Lundstrom has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the
Speaker 157
5:45:44
bill. Representative Lundstrom is closed for the bill, questioned
Speaker 98
5:45:52
before the House is the passage of Senate Bill 390, the machine, Madam Clerk. If everyone voted. Every everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Chair
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5:46:03
vote of 98, 0 nay, and 0 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 553. Senate Bill 553
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
5:46:11
by Representative Milligan. To amend the
Representative R. Scott Richardson
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5:46:15
Arkansas municipal Accounting law to amend the duties of a municipal treasurer and to require training for an individual charged with duties under the Arkansas Municipal Accounting Law. Representative Richardson, you recognized to explain the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, uh. Senate bill 553 is a bill to
require training for our treasurers, when they become new into the office or appointed in the office. This is a good bill. If you don't remember, uh, recently we had a lot of trouble with, uh, municipalities, not knowing exactly how to quantify dollars put into certain categories and, uh, made a mess of specific turnback funds associated for with roads in their in their uh municipalities. This is a good bill to help out with that association is going to be responsible. for providing that train
in conjunction with uh whomever they need to. So with that,
I, uh, would appreciate a good boat. Representative Richardson has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the
bill Representative Richardson is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 553.
Speaker 98
5:47:27
Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted So everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
The vote of 95 yay, 1 nay, and 0 present. The bill is
Chair
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5:47:43
passed. Madam Clerk, uh, members, Senate Bill 290 on your red calendar has been sent back to committee. We'll move down
to Senate Bill 550. Madam Clerk, please read
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
5:47:52
Senate Bill 550. 550 by Representative Painter to change the name of Arkansas livestock and Poultry Commission to the Arkansas Board of Animal Health. Painter, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, colleagues. This is just an agency bill, uh, only two things that this bill does is change
the livestock and poultry commission named to the Animal Health Board. Uh, that is approved by the livestock and Poultry Commission. Uh, they are on board with that. Also, it adds 3 veterinarians. To the board, live, uh, uh, poultry, because
Chair
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5:48:20
it's its own different animal, you know, pun intended. Second is, uh, large animal and then general vet. Appreciate a good vote.
Speaker 15
5:48:27
Thank you. Representative Painter has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Painter is closed
for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of
Chair
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5:48:49
Senate Bill 550. Prepair the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted. So everyone voted. Cast up the
ballot. The vote of 938, 94 ya, 2 nay, and 1 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 464. about 464 by Representative
Cooper to amend the laws concerning sales of raw
milk to allow sales of raw milk and raw milk products at locations other than the farm where the raw milk
or raw milk product was produced and to declare an emergency. Representative Cooper, you're recognized to explain your bill. Colleagues, you may have a sense of deja vu on this. Uh, we passed a bill earlier this session that bill's been signed into law. This is a different bill that will address some issues that we kind of missed on the first bill.
So SB 464 is a simple bill with the potential to make a big impact for small dairy farmers in the state of Arkansas. I want to thank Representative Vo for getting the ball rolling on this bill, and I want to thank the dairy farmers across the state for their input on this bill. We want to build on this, on the success of our first dairy bill and addressing the ideas brought to us by small farmers after passage of that first bill. So this bill does 4 important things. It removes the 500 gallon a month cap on milk sales. There's really no reason for
that cap to be in place. It, it was put in place years ago. Nobody's even sure why it was put in place. The demand is out there, uh, a lot of our farmers are already selling 500 gallons a month. Removing this cap will allow them to actually make meaningful income from it also adjusts the size of the sign that's required at the point of sale. So in current law, a sign is required where you sell the milk. That sign has the farmer's name and address, and the warning label
that the milk is unpasteurized. The issue is in current law that sign is required to be 2 ft by 4 ft. So if you remember in our previous bill, we legalized sales, uh, of delivery of milk. So how do you deliver milk with a 2? by 4 ft sign. That's something I overlooked. Some farmers brought that to my attention, so we're changing the size of that sign to 18 inches by 24 inches. So that be a, be a size that they could create a magnet, put on the, the bill also opens up
sales for products made from raw milk, including butter, cheese, and other products. Currently, uh, you can make these products and you can give them away, but you can't sell them. So what sense does that make? This would also provide more income for our farmers. Safety protocols are included in the bill requiring these products to be refrigerated, and for the producer to provide a statement to the buyer that the product is made with unpasteurized milk. So the buyer fully understands and is aware of what the product is and what they're buying. You also notice this bill
includes an emergency clause that, that may seem strange, but the reason we're doing that is the grass is growing now. The milk production is ramping up and our farmers would really enjoy being able to start taking advantage of this if it should become law immediately instead of having to wait 90. So just as with our other previous dairy bill, this is a Food freedom and food security issue. This is about neighbors doing business with neighbors. This is about promoting locally
grown products. It's about connecting Arkansas farmers with customers who not only want to support their local economy, but they want to know where their food comes from. And they want to know what the food is that they eat. This bill passed the Senate with bipartisan support. It garnered 33 votes. I
know of no opposition. I would appreciate a good vote and I'll answer any questions if you've got. Representative Cooper,
has explained the Bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? When I speak for the bill. Representative Cooper is closed for the bill. Question before
Speaker 98
5:52:57
the house is the passage of Senate Bill 464. Prepare
the machine, Madam Clerk. Remembers your one vote is for the bill in the emergency clause. Everyone voted.
Chair
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5:53:15
Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. vote
of 88 yao nay, and 3 present. Bill the emergency clause has passed, Madam Clerk,
please read Senate Bill 52222 by Representative Brown to amend the law regarding the Arkansas School for Mathematics,
Science and the Arts and to amend
Representative Matt Brown
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5:53:31
the law related to the tuition and fees paid by students enrolled in the online programs. Representative Brown, you're recognized
Chair
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5:53:37
to explain your bill. Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, the, uh, math and science school down in Hot Springs is the state's only
residential high school. So students who apply and are accepted actually live there at the school and attend it just like it's college two years early. Uh, the legislation that created the school back in the 90s provided that no student enrolled at the school would ever be charged tuition. The problem that has occurred is in the 30 some odd years since then, we've invented something called online learning, and the school is actually a position where they can offer online classes to students outside the school, but by law they could not, don't think they could actually do that and they could not charge any tuition like to the school to help reimburse her. costs. This bill
essentially gives the UFA system the ability to charge reasonable tuition for students who are not students of
the school but want to be able to sign in for an online classes. Appreciate a good vote. Representative Brown has explained the bill. Anyone like to speak against the bill?
Chair
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5:54:34
For the bill Representative Brown is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 522. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. So everyone voted. So everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
The vote of 95 yeah, 0, nay, and 1 present.
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
5:54:56
The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 5:30. 5:30 by Representative Beck to amend the Arkansas Whit Energy Products and Forest Maintenance Income Tax Credit to explain your bill. Collis, uh, Senate Bill
5:30 is a companion bill to a bill that we passed
out of here, House Bill. We passed that here about a week ago and I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative Beck has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
For the bill Representative Be is closed for the bill. Question before
Chair
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5:55:35
the house is the passage of Senate Bill 5:30. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. So everyone voted. So
Speaker 98
5:55:41
everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The
Chair
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5:55:44
vote of 82, 3 nay, 13 present bill is passed.
Madam Clerk, please read. Senate Bill 567 567 by Representative Burks to
amend and modernize the law concerning the
Speaker 337
5:55:58
appointment of income derived from multi-state operations and to change the method from sourcing of receipts for services and intangibles. Representative Burke, you're recognized to explain your bill 567 corporate income tax, yay. OK, this is a, this is from a package that DFNA, um, has provided. We reviewed several of their bills this, uh, this session. It modernizes the law
in Arkansas and with its adoption, we joined 34 other states who have moved to market-based sourcing for apportionment of corporate income tax. First note that this bill only applies to businesses who provide services in Arkansas. No one spoke against the bill either in the Senate or House committees. Uh, what does it do? So under current law, uh, businesses who provide services in Arkansas, their corporate income tax is apportioned based on cost of performance. So if they are in Arkansas business and they perform all their
business in Arkansas, they're paying corporate income tax based on everything that every all the income they make. If we go to market-based sourcing, we're switching, and we're saying, well, I guess I should also say if you're an out of state business though, and your cost to performance in you're barely paying any corporate income tax in Arkansas. So that's an important part about our current system. It's quite outdated. Market-based sourcing is going to say whether you're in state or out of state, if you're, if you're, uh, involved in economic activity in Arkansas and
deriving income from Arkansans, you're paying taxes, your corporate income tax based on whatever it is you derived from Arkansas. Uh, again, 34 other states have adopted this. We're going to modernize our system. We did have, um, we did work with the state chamber and they recommended that we provide this ten-year ramp up for the telecom industry because they typically are out of state providing services in state, and this is something that will impact them. So we've given them a 10-year ramp up to, uh, handle this transition. The Tax Foundation
also supports market-based sourcing, um, and with that, I'm happy to answer any questions and I asked for a good vote. Representative Burks has explained the. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative
Burke's is closed for the bill, question before the House is the passage of
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5:58:19
Senate Bill 567. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted
Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote
Chair
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5:58:27
of 96, 0 nay, and zero present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 5777 by Representative Hall
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
5:58:33
to amend the law concerning local
sales and use tax and to require
Representative Brad Hall
Unverified
5:58:40
the Department of Finance and Administration to notify local governments concerning sales and use tax that are set to expire. Representative Hall, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. This came about
because we had our, uh, county judge retire and the same time our county treasury retire, uh, they didn't notify the, uh, newly elected officials about the sales tax expiration. Uh, this bill calls for DFNA to give the, the county quorum Court 120 days' notice of the expiration of a sales tax, uh, our, uh, our county lost $3 million because it wasn't, you know, notified. So Without getting questions.
a good vote. Representative Hall has explained the bill. Would
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anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Hall is
closed for the bill, questioned before the House is the passage of Senate Bill
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5:59:49
577. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted. As everyone voted.
Chair
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5:59:55
Cast up the ballot. The vote of 80s, 9 nay, and 7 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clark, please read Senate Bill 492. Senate Bill 492 by Representative Langstrom to amend the law concerning
the relocation of utility facilities and amend
Representative Robin Lundstrum
Unverified
6:00:13
the law concerning the acquisition condemnation and deposition of real property by the State Highway commission. Representative Lindstrom, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Speaker. I don't know
if you've noticed, but we've had a lot of highway construction and a lot of it's been delayed. That has come from a long-standing problem that has been between our dot, the utilities, and construction. What this does is actually get everybody in the room and communicate and work on a schedule so the adults got back in the room and worked it all out. It's pretty impressive. All the utilities are dot and the construction granted, everybody was in their corners. They finally got together. The adults walked back in. room and this bill is the
outcome of that. It's basically a refresh that will hopefully save us some money and lower
some costs. With that, I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Lundstrom has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Lindstrom is closed for the bill, questioned before the
House is the passage of Senate Bill 492. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. So everyone voted.
As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The
Chair
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6:01:31
vote of 92, yeah, 0 nay, and 0 present. Bill is passed. Madam clerk, please read Senate Bill 496 Representative Holliwell to amend the law concerning permits for special cargoes and amend the
law concerning the issuance of a permit for special cargo transported by
Representative Steve Hollowell
Unverified
6:01:46
a farm machinery equipment hauler. Representative Holliwell, you're recognized to explain your bill. Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Colleagues, this is just a small little bell. Uh, to a man the law concerning the issuance of a permit for special cargo transported by farm machinery equipment. And they're just changing the word from dealer to hauler. A lot of these equipment dealers have LLCs and haul their equipment. So they
will be able to get the permit instead of the dealer. So that's all it does, just
changes that. So I appreciate a good vote. Representative Holliwell has explained
the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
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6:02:30
Anyone like speak for the bill. Representative
Speaker 98
6:02:47
Holliwell is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 496. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. So everyone voted. Everyone voted Cast
Chair
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6:02:55
up the ballot. The vote of 98, 0 nay, and 0 present. The bill is passed.
Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 562. 2
Representative Mike Holcomb
Unverified
6:03:09
by Representative Holcomb to amend the law concerning the Office of Integral audit and to repeal the requirement for an annual project review and efficiency study of the Arkansas Department of Transportation. Representative, how come you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, this is real simple bill. It just, uh, uh, ends a duplicate review and, uh, 21, they established a requirement for our doc to do an efficiency review, those uh reviews were
done in 23 and 24, and the office of Internal audits submitted their 2024 and indicated that, uh, the report was complete by our doc. It
Representative Randy Torres
Unverified
6:03:42
was accurate, and that, uh, they needed no longer involvement in it, so it just does away
art out just does the report from now on. Simple as that. Thank you. I appreciate a good vote. Represented Ward Law
for what purpose? Representative Holcomb has left the world. Representative Holcomb has
explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the
bill? For the bill Representative Hokcomb is closed for the bill, questioned before
Chair
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6:04:19
the House is the passage of Senate Bill 562. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted Because everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. A vote of 95, 1 nay, and 2
present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk. Please read Senate Bill 540. Bill 5405 representative in it to limit
the suspension or ramification of a driver's
license or imposition of restrictions on a driver's license of a person who has
suffered a seizure. Representative Bennet, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have Senate Bill 540. Me and um Senator Johnson have
worked on this for quite some time, you know, personally, the impact is a seizure you have 12 months until you, you, you can't have one, you
Representative Lee Johnson
Unverified
6:05:54
Representative Bennett has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? when I speak for the bill. Representative Johnson, you reckon I speak for the bill. Members, I just wanted to come down and speak in favor of this bill. You know, I see a lot of folks in the emergency department with seizures, sometimes new onset seizures. And a lot of folks have seizures one time in their life and never have them again. And so we, we took a real cautious approach out of the gate with the year. I think a lot of neurologists are even looking at this talking
about maybe 3 months instead of 6. It's a long time to make somebody not drive when they may never
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6:06:31
have a seizure again. And so, I think this is a real reasonable reduction in time, and I'm going to be supportive of this bill. I hope you have a good vote. Thank you. Yes, I'm Representative Steele for what purpose? Question, you're recognized
Representative Lee Johnson
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6:06:38
for a question. Did you say 3 months possibly in the future? I think so, yeah, I think there
are some places that are looking at that, but I think this is a real reasonable reduction from 1 year to 6 months and I appreciate a good
vote. Thank you. Representative Johnson who spoke for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
For the bill Representative Bennett is closed for the bill. Question before the house is
Chair
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6:07:13
the passage of Senate Bill 540. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted As everyone voted. Cast up
the ballot. A vote of 96, 0 nay, and zero present. The bill is passed.
Madam Clerk, please read Senate
Representative Johnny Rye
Unverified
6:07:38
Bill 397 Representative Ry to protect confidential personal information on rail employees and reports involving railroad fatalities. Representative Rye, you're recognized to explain your bill. Good, good to be with you, uh, this, this bill, folks comes from the railroad systems across the United States and is to protect confidential
personal information of real employees in reports, uh, involving railroad fatalities. I read you just a little bit of this. This bill is crucial in addressing the challenges faced by train crews, particularly in the content of the emotional toll. Uh, and, uh, potential harassment they may face following a fatality. Unfortunately, almost every conductor and engineer will be involved in at least one crossing fatality during their
career. Most will experience more than one. In the event of an accident, the crew is responsible for assessing damage to the infrastructure and equipment and the human, human toll. Critical information must be relayed to first responders as quickly and accurately as possible, while this is a duty we all accept it exposes crews to ghastly scenes due to the stress that crews experienced, they are immediately relieved and provided time off and counseling if requested.
The industry has done an admirable job. Of accepting and trying to mitigate the lingering effects of fatalities. Reports involving the railroad fatalities. All reports involving railroad fatalities and all communications between police officers and train crew members involved all those occurrences and shall be maintained by the police departments and any persons in subsequent possession thereof listed below in a manner that
ensures the confidentiality of the train's crew, private information. Any report made public shall have train cruises. members private information redacted. However, F O Y Y I FOA, however, F for you upon written or electronic mail requests, such reports shall be accessible at all reasonable times. We have lost an antimony. In the ushering of the social media age. This bill will allow Arkansas
train crews to ensure that they can reduce their chances of being harassed. And we also add that the anonymy should be removed if a crew is found to be at fault. As one might imagine, every aspect of an accident is inspected in the event of fatality and developing this aspect of the bill, the railroad systems work closely with the Arkansas Press Association to ensure that the
removal of the anatomy is, is not blanket
protection regardless of cause, but a fair and balanced approach.
I think I, thank you. Representative Rye has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Rye is closed for the bill.
Question before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 397. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted
Chair
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6:11:07
As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. By a vote of 84 ye, 4 nay, and 9 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please
read Senate Bill 467. 467 by Representative
Chair
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6:11:23
Grambling to modify the definition of healthcare provider regarding student athlete concussion education to include chiropractors or chiropractic physicians. Representative Gramlich, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in this session, we had a bill
that added physical therapists to call for student athletes, uh, chiropractors had a bone to pick with us because they weren't included. Therefore, I figured we could take a crack at it. This adds chiropractor's list that contains different professions who can run concussion protocols for student athletes. Hopefully, my presentation has adjusted your votes, and
if by chance you strain yourself from pressing that button, we may know someone who can help you with that. I appreciate a
good vote. Representative Gramlich has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill.
For the bill Representative Gramlich is closed for the bill. The question before
Chair
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6:12:28
the House is the passage of Senate Bill 467. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted As everyone voted Cast up the ballot.
The vote is 77, 14 nay, and 1
present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill
572. Representative Malena to create the public school access and Transparency Act and required public access to learning
materials. Representative McAlinden, you're recognized to explain your bill. Colleagues, this is a real simple bill. Senate Bill 572 just basically gives
uh schools the um, the understanding that they make
Representative Ryan A. Rose
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6:13:04
copies for parents or if they let them see some subscription that is digital,
that they are not violating copyright law. And with that, I asked for a good vote. Representative McAloon has explained the bill. We would like to speak against the bill. the bill Representative McAlinden is closed for the bill, question before the House is the passage
Chair
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6:13:35
of Senate Bill 572. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. So everyone voted.
As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. By a vote of 78, yeah, 11 nay, and 2 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk,
please read Senate Bill 303 33 to allow
Representative Randy Torres
Unverified
6:13:55
a resident school district to permit a private school student to participate in an in a scholastic activity
at the resident school district under certain conditions. Representative Torres, you're recognized to explain your bill. Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. House members, uh, what precipitated this and uh post-lens environment, we have a
small number of students that were homeschooled and able to participate in activities and now they are small homeschool co op is going to sign up for Les and will no longer be allowed to be in the band, play baseball, sing in the choir, etc. because they will now be considered an accredited school, so this bill proposes a law that would allow private school students to participate. The local resident public school district or public charter school interscholastic activities under certain
conditions. If you were a member of the general assembly passed a law not long ago that allows homeschool students to
do this. This bill simply can be considered a companion bill to now include private school students. With that, I appreciate
a good Representative Wootton, for what purpose? Represented Orrez has left the well. Representative Torres has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
For the bill Representative Torres is
Chair
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6:15:32
closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of Senate Bill 303. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone
Speaker 27
6:15:39
voted Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. The vote of 56, 32 nay, and 3
present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please
read Senate Bill 470 Representative Brooks to require an adult approved to oversee the administration of a statewide student assessment to certain students in a virtual setting to meet certain requirements. Representative Brooks, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues, this is a very good bill that supports our public school students. Uh, this bill actually deals with, um, virtual assessments. So students who are who are enrolled in virtual courses who
take assessments. Uh, it is an online assessment process and previously the requirement was for 9th through 12th grade to have to have an adult physically in the room while they're taking the assessment. However, the, the, the Proctor, which is an online, uh, technology which has cameras that are watching the students, uh, the, the requirement is no longer needed for someone to actually be physically in the room. This is just moving it to allow an attestation for the adult to say that the the student basically follow all the rules and the guidelines. However, the safeguards are in
place because the student is being monitored by their, their teacher, uh, within the assessment process and so they, they aren't able to cheat within it because, uh, they've got cameras on them. And so this is just
Speaker 98
6:16:56
not, this is just preventing an an adult from actually having to be physically in the room at the
same time. With that, I'm happy to answer any questions. and appreciate a good boat. Representative Brooks has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill. Representative Brooks is closed for the bill, questioned before
the House is the passage of Senate Bill 470. Prepare
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6:17:27
the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted, has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. By a
Chair
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6:17:33
vote of 94 0 nay, and 0 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 515. Representative Nazarenko to
require that a unit dedicated to Arkansas veterans
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
6:17:48
and their families be included within existing Arkansas history course content guidelines. Representative Nazarenko, you're recognized to
explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, I'll bring to you another great veterans bill tonight. Uh, this bill was brought to me by Senator Petty, and I'm honored to, uh, bring it to you guys. So, uh, Senator Petty explained how he was inspired on this bill by uh visiting a veterans organization, VFW or local American Legion, he realized
meeting those veterans that their stories could be lost over time if if we don't start to tell them to others. So he had the idea of bringing this to the schools and presenting it, uh within the current history content that's already there. So within the uh the current school unit just one unit will be brought in with military history. So the stories we brought in by the veterans about the veterans and their families. The stories are not on the war, they're not on the conflict. They're not on who won, who lost. It's about the families,
uh, the struggles that they went through, everything that they had to go through for us to be able to get to the freedoms that we enjoy. Department of Education provided positive feedback, even mentor uh mentioning some different. opportunities, uh, Representative Carolyn Brown even brought up, uh, that she had worked, uh, diligently with the Library of Congress for something similar to this, providing some video content, uh, that can be out there. So giving some other great ideas. So there is no physical impact with this. This is a great
way. Uh, for our veterans and their stories, uh, to live on and not be forgotten.
Say no questions. I asked for a good vote. Representative Nazarenko has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill
Chair
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6:19:41
Representative Nazarenko is closed for the bill, question before the House is the passage of Senate Bill 5:15. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted Everyone voted.
Cast up the ballot. By a vote of 92 ya, 1 nay, and 3 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 44646 by Representative way to
amend the automatic license plate Reader System Act
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
Unverified
6:20:06
and to provide for the use of automatic license plate readers by private landowners, private leaseholder and commercial businesses. Representative Gazaway, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, this bill amends our law related to the use of license plate readers. Currently
license plate readers are restricted for use by municipal state, and other law enforcement entities, parking enforcement entities for purpose of controlling access to a secured area. This bill simply amends the law to allow a license plate reader, to be used by a private landowner, private leaseholder, or commercial business, but for a very specific restricted and limited. purpose and that is to promote public safety, deter crime, and monitor access to private property. This has very tight restrictions on the, uh, use of
the license plate reader, reader, which includes Uh, the user can only retain the captured data for 60 days and then they must dispose of it for government that's 150 days including the state police. It, uh, provides that Uh This data will be accessible to law enforcement, which is the purpose again to deter theft and this will be used primarily by our retailers. Uh, but the purpose, uh, it can only be
released to law enforcement by a valid subpoena, but it can be released, but only with a subpoena. It can be shared with a third party who provides asset protection, analytical services, but that has to be under a contractual agreement. And, uh, they're gonna be bound just as the, uh, Private users and the third party can only keep the data for 60 days. They also have to compile statistical data and they'll have to present that every 6 months. They'll have to make a report to council as to the number of license plates that
they've scanned and any confirmed matches, and then the Attorney General
has, uh, enforcement powers to make sure that this is
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6:22:04
not being abused, if there is any abuse, uh, of this process,
Representative Matt Duffield
Unverified
6:22:08
then the Attorney general can bring an action under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. With that, Happy to answer any questions. Representative Duffield, for
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
Unverified
6:22:18
what purpose? Question, you're recognized. Representative Gasaway, how, how is this gonna be monitored that, that they only keep this data for 60 days. How's that gonna work? So,
they have to present reports to ALC and so there is some oversight that the legislature maintains and then the Attorney General's office again, will have the ability to enforce any violation. So the Attorney
General gets wind that they are, you know, in some way violating our law.
Chair
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6:22:43
Attorney General can sue them, and, and, and for some pretty severe penalties and I don't think they want that, but that's a good question. Follow up, you're recognized for a follow-up.
Representative Kendon Underwood
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6:22:54
How often would these courts have to be presented to ALC every 6 months.
Representative Brit McKenzie
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6:23:01
Representative Ward Law for what purpose? Mo Representative McKenzie, for what purpose? Question, so I understand that this bill pertains to private industry. Uh, but you made the assertion here that they will have to make presentations to ALC. So are we expecting, um, Kroger, Walmart,
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
Unverified
6:23:18
Dillard's to come to ALC on a 6 month basis and present the findings or statistical information about this data that they're collecting. That is the way the bill reads a private landowner, leaseholder,
commercial business who uses an automatic license. lic ense plate readers shall compile statistical data every 6 months. The number
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
6:23:39
of license plates scanned and confirmed matches and make reports of the compiled data. Time in a timely manner to the legislative council and upon request of the chairs of the Legislative council. Follow up. You're recognized. Thank you, sir. So, Individuals will come in front of ALC to present this information and as opposed to um submitting information that's
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
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6:24:02
kind of an empty email to an empty inbox, um, and further to that, um, I guess just answer that and we'll go from there. Yeah, so that's a great question and I think actually I may have answered Representative Duffield's question wrong. They have to compile the data every 6 months. They only have to make reports about the data that they collect to legislative council upon a request from the chairs of legislative council. So if legislative council requests that they present that data to them, that's when they would have to present it.
And this is once again we wanted to maintain very tight restrictions on this. I personally was very concerned about the potential for abuse with this procedure. And, uh, was not a big fan of it. So if there was anybody who was kind of concerned about the potential for abuse of this. It was me. I'm probably not the
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ideal person to run this bill. But, uh, I had concerns and
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
6:24:58
so we put very tight restrictions on it because we want to make sure that it's not abused. Represent a painter for what
purpose? You're recognized. Representative Gaway, just want to make
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
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6:25:09
sure we're clear. As a private business owner, I would have to, if I
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got one of these, I would have to be, I
would have to come to ALC. If the chairs of ALC requested that, correct? OK, thank you. Representative Duke, for what purpose? You're recognizedway. Quick question, is there anything in here, and my apologies if I've missed it, that requires the business or landowner to put a
sign or notification up to the public or the people that are coming on their property that they are being scanned? No. Thank you. Representative McCollum, for what purpose? Question, you're recognized.
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
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6:25:47
Thank you, uh, Representative Gasaway, is it fair to say that Um, this, this bill would help a lot with the issue of organized retail theft that we see 100% that was kind of part of this package and
how this bill was developed in, in, in conjunction with and coordination with our
retail businesses, yes. You're recognized for a follow-up. Can you say a little more, please, about when you said maybe you're not the ideal. at first
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
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6:26:18
thought to run such a bill. Are you coming from a place of like, you
are how it's shared or yeah, can you just say a little bit about that. Thank you for that question. I have been, and I've been outspoken in ALC about the potential for abuse of the use of license plate readers, the fact that we are living in an ever-increasing
surveillance state and society where we're being surveilled by video, uh, 24/7, but I want to point out that this technology, the license Plate readers, this is being used by retailers and virtually every other state in the country except 3 in Arkansas is one of the 3 states that doesn't allow this. And so again, this was our retail merchants who came together and said, look, this would really help us with asset protection. It would really help us with theft prevention and, and prosecution. And so we
drafted this bill, but with privacy protections with security and, uh, you
know, concerns about constant surveillance and and that's why it is very
tightly controlled. Seeing no further questions, I'd appreciate a good vote. Thank you. Representative Gazaway has explained the bill. You're more likely to speak
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
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6:27:32
against the bill, represent board law, you're recognized to speak against the bill.
I have fought these things in cameras and red light cameras, my whole career down here. It's just another step and another place, and last session, I fought till I was blew the teeth, and we finally passed the one we passed for the cities to put them up to catch criminals. And it, and it's fun to catch criminals, but the problem is, where do we, one reason these guys want to put these in this parking lots. This came up 4
years ago was they were trying to catch shoplifters. All that shoplifters's got to
do is run out in the parking lot, throw it in the back of your truck. Now you're license plate's tied to that, to that crime.
I'm telling you folks, this is just one step close watching every move you make. There's no way
I'm voting for the. Representative Wardlaw has spoke against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill? You want I speak against the bill.
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
Unverified
6:28:49
Representative Gazaway, you recognized the cloth for the bill. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I just want to say in relation to representative Wardlaw's concerns. I share his concerns. Big Brother, the surveillance state. I am entirely opposed to those ideas, but this is not a red light camera. The concerns that he has and those that I share are unfortunately already occurring. Everywhere you go in the city of Little Rock, there are cameras, license plate
readers that are, that are capturing your camera. I was talking with the, with the mayor of a small city in northeast Arkansas, and he told me that When you enter the city and when you leave the city, they know because they already have license plate readers and so one of the arguments that Tim Griffin made, and I thought, you know, with some persuasive force was that if we're going to allow the government to have this, why don't we allow private industry to have this to prevent theft, to prevent theft, to prevent crime, and to be clear, that is the only purposes for which these can be used. They're not to be used to track and surveil
there to be used solely for the purpose of theft detection, theft prevention, asset. protection. And so, uh, again, this was developed in coordination with our retail merchants who this would be very helpful for them for those specific purposes only. And I don't know how to
put it any more clearer than that. And so with that, I would appreciate a good vote. Thank
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6:30:10
you. Representative Gazaway has closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of Senate Bill 446.
Chair
Unverified
6:30:31
Prepare the machine, madam clerk. So everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up
the ballot. By a vote of 56, 27 nay, and 8 present. The bill is passed.
Chair
Unverified
6:30:42
Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 4977 by Representative Nazarenko to require the creation of a poster regarding veterans' benefits and
services and to require certain employers to display the poster.
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
6:31:03
Representative Nazarenko, you are recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, uh, one last time tonight, another great veterans bill. Uh, this bill was brought to me by Senator, uh, Dave Wallace. Uh, as you can see in the bill, it's fairly simple, but it's gonna be very helpful to our veterans. So it's gonna allow for uh businesses that have 50 or more full-time employees, uh, what they'll be, uh, required to do is put up a, uh, poster, and that poster is gonna have great information on it. It's gonna have, uh, Department of Veteran Affairs
programs and services, substance abuse and mental health treatment. options, educational workforce and training resources, tax benefits available, uh, the veteran crisis line and then other items. Uh, there is no cost to the business to acquire post this information,
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and there's no fiscal impact either. Another great resource for
Scott Richardson
Unverified
6:31:52
Arkansas veterans in the workplace and seeing no questions, I asked for a good, 01 question. Yes, sir. Representative Richardson, for what purpose? Question, you're
recognized. So these posters are designed to provide the information that you
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
6:32:08
stipulated. Are there any other organizations that currently require these types of posters to be placed in a, in a so that, and this would be a pure guess, but I know when I go into the businesses, uh, that I see you've got required information that's gonna be by the state, by the federal, and it's going to be, you know, all of your, um,
Chair
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6:32:29
Requirements for taxes, requirements for, uh, any folks
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
6:32:34
that are on, you know, different uh disabilities or anything like that. So I know there are some. Follow up, you're recognized for a follow-up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So those are specifically related to employment
Speaker 727
6:32:47
requirements, right? So minimum wage, uh, that type of thing. Is there any other requirements from the
government that we require businesses to place things about non-employment
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
6:32:58
benefits. I don't have a good answer to that at all.
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
6:33:05
Representative Kavanaugh, for what purpose? You're recognized you gonna buy
these posters. So, uh, as mentioned earlier, uh, Representative Kavanaugh, thanks for that question. It's not a purchase, uh, so in, if you read through it does say, I mean, with the requirements there, the way I read that,
they could print their own if they wanted to because you can go online and just print them, or you can, uh, or you can get them from those organizations. This is not something that the business has to purchase. There's no cost to them
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
6:33:32
at all. It's just in order to get that information out
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
6:33:36
there in front of veterans. Uh, so that they have easy access to it.
Speaker 320
6:33:43
You're recognized that they're supposed to do this. That is a great
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
6:33:47
question, and this is gonna have to be something that gets pushed out, uh, to those businesses. Representative Richmond, for what purpose?
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
6:33:55
Question, you're recognized. You're using the word require that these businesses are, are going to be required to do this. Is, is
Speaker 734
6:34:02
that in fact what's gonna happen is that they're gonna be required.
It's the way I read it, Representative Richardson,
Speaker 735
6:34:09
it does say shall, Richmond, Richmond and, and you, you, you need to
put a tiger on front of that. Call me lieutenant Colonel Richmond. Yes sir, yes sir. Seeing no other questions, ask for a good vote. Representative Nazarenko has explained
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
6:34:30
the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill, Representative.
Ladyman, you're recognized to speak for the bill. Uh, just real quick to your question about posters, you know, OSHA, of course, that's a federal.
Speaker 320
6:34:47
They require a poster. And you can get it from the
Scott Richardson
Unverified
6:34:51
US government, go online, print it. Order it and then you, you know, so
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
6:34:56
there are other, other requirements. Representative Richardson, for what purpose? You're recognized and those are specifically related to job performance, but not other benefits, correct?
That's not really it's law. It's so that you know of the law, but it's also for your safety and your health
as well. Right. Thank you. Representative Layman who spoke for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Nazarenko is closed for the bill. Question
Speaker 15
6:35:20
before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 497. Prepare the machine, Madam clerk.
Speaker 98
6:35:41
Everyone voted As everyone voted. casts up the ballot. With a vote of 59 y,
Chair
Unverified
6:35:47
9 nay, and 18 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 9. And about 9 by Representative Pilkington to create the make Arkansas Healthy
Again Act and to prohibit manufacturing,
Representative Aaron Pilkington
Unverified
6:36:03
selling, delivering, distributing, holding, or offering for sale of food product that contains certain substances, you're recognized to explain
your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, I'm sure like many of you, like I am today, you're a little bit fatter than you were when you walked in this chamber. Uh. After my first term, I blew up and uh weighed about 30 pounds more than I currently weigh. During that time, I had to get in shape, had to watch what I eat, and part of that was reading labels. And so as I started to read labels on the food I was consuming, I became very alarmed at how many things
I did not know. You know, I was someone with a uh postgraduate degree and could not tell you what was in the food that I was consuming. And I wonder how many people are also that way. And then, of course, when I had kids and we worried about what we're giving them, we worried about what, what was in those products as well. So I, uh, you know, this was always kind of a niche thing I cared about and of course, as you know, during the last presidential election, there was a campaign to make America healthy again. And there was a targeted certain chemicals that have, that are in some of our food that has
already been banned in other large state and And I thought this was the right move in the right direction. So initially we started out with 3 products, uh, potassium bromate, parapin, and red dye number 3. Now, since we filed this bill, the FDA has already banned red dye #3. So we actually amended that to take it out because we didn't want to make a duplicate what the feds were already doing. But this is the trend that you're seeing. And we also did one more amendment of well to make Tyson happy, to make the implementation date 2008, so we have a very long runway. But what I want to tell you about is what
These chemicals actually do. There's about 10,000 chemicals the FDA currently allows in our food. Whereas in the EU they only allow 300 because the FDA takes a policy where as long as we, you have to prove that it's toxic for us to take it out, where the EU says you have to prove, are you, you have to prove that it's safe to put it in. Um, and now, but some of these, like I said, I think are about to be on the chopping block soon, but we want to be proactive. So potassium bromate, we been in flour, uh, putting flour to improve bread baking, but it's a known carcinogenic.
It's related to kidney disease and thyroid toxicity and even DNA damage. It's been to the EU, the United Kingdom, Canada, and many parts of Asia. Parapin Uh, as, as, uh, related to breast cancer. Uh, lower sperm count and is banned in the EU as well as other, uh, Asian states as well. That's essentially the only two we're doing right now, um, but I do think it sets a good precedent that we are concerned about the things that are in our foods. Luckily, a lot of large
companies have already been proactive in taking these chemicals out of our food, uh, but I just want, I think Arkansas needs to also follow suit and say that we don't want these toxic chemicals. And now I know some people will say, well, You know, shouldn't, shouldn't the consumer just be wiser and know what they're putting in their food. But I would say when you have 10,000 different chemicals that you have to track and what's in your food. I think that we've been let down by the FDA over the past decades. You know, I had a, uh, I had a, a, a teacher when I was getting my,
my bachelor's degree, he used to always remind me that the FDA allows you to have 11 rat hairs in your peanut butter before they say it's toxic. He said, I don't know why that 12th 1 makes it worse than the 10th 1. But, uh, he said never trust the FDA and so, uh, I believe that, but I think this is a very simple, small tailored bill. I think
we're following, like I said, other states are doing this as well, and I think we just need to take one small step to make Arkansas healthy again.
Appreciate a good vote. Thank you. Representative Pilkington has explained the bill.
Representative Pilkington has left the well. Would anyone
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
6:39:58
like to speak against the bill? We would like to speak for the bill. Rips and Brown, you Recognize to speak against the bill. Now Representative Pilkington. I think that food additives are terrible things. I know that they make a lot of us sick, but I have a concern about paraffin.
Isn't paraffin a coating on almost all the chocolates that we sell in America, what are we going to do about our quiet room? If
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
6:40:38
you could please address that. Representative Brown has spoke against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Against the bill, Representative Meeks, you're recognized to speak against the bill. speaker, since the Representative Brown came down to ask her a question. I'm gonna come down and ask my question.
Although the guys over there in the corner, every time I stand up, they all start getting excited for some reason. I don't know why, but, uh, so, so, so my, my, my question is, is, and I think you may have already addressed this or my concern is, um, I, I'm not against what you're trying to do. Love what you love what you're trying to do. My, my concern is, is, uh, if we as a state start listening to a bunch of stuff down, obviously, we're not going to catch everything. And then if, you know, we do a bunch of stuff and then Texas does a a bunch of different stuff in Louisiana and so you get all
these different the disparate list all over the country and of course, Tyson major food manufacturer here in, in the
state. Does that start creating confusion and potentially fuel inflation because they've got to make a certain flavor of chicken for our state and
a different flavor of chicken for Louisiana and Texas and Tennessee. I, I think you kind of see
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
6:41:43
where I'm going with that. So I'd just be interested in your thoughts. Representative Meeks has spoke against the bill. Representative McKenzie, you reckon I speak for the bill.
This is a two-part. One is, I think my wife wouldn't let me sleep in our bed if I didn't come down and speak in favor of this bill, but to the government does play a role, an essential role in listing the additives and the things that we ingest. Um, I don't have to go very far to remind you, and I think a lot of people understand what bottled and bond means. Bottle and bond was an act that was initiated by the federal government to make sure that what we are, what we're ingesting relative to alcohols was true to the label that it said it was. 51% grain was made from um grains harvested in that same year, and it harvest or and it was distilled
in the same year that it said it was bottled. Everyone thought that the world would end when we started to put uh restrictions on the way that we labeled our alcohols. Now it's the gold standard for the best product available. So I appreciate Representative Pilkington for bringing this bill. It's an essential role for the health, safety and welfare of our people to tell us
the things that we know will harm us if we ingest too much. So thank you, I encourage a good vote. Representative McKenzie has spoke for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
For the bill, Representative Cooper, you're recognized to speak for Representative Brown, it's, it's polyparabbin. It's not
paraffin. Want to make that clear. It's not paraffin, it's polyparabbin.
Chair
Unverified
6:43:06
Totally different substance. It's a dangerous substance. This is a good bill. Appreciate a good vote. Representative Cooper
spoke for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Pilkington is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage
of Senate Bill 9. Prepare the machine, Madam
Speaker 98
6:43:38
Clerk. Is everyone voted? Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. By a vote of 72, 10 nay,
Speaker 22
6:43:46
and 9 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill
Representative Aaron Pilkington
Unverified
6:44:00
continuous glucose monitors within the Arkansas Medicaid program. Representative Pilkington, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you. This is way easier, guys. Um, so just stay consistent with federal standards on what qualifies people for CGMs. So 4 years ago, when we updated who qualified. We did 2 or more pumps, but because that was me that was the Medicare standard. Uh, but then in April 2023, they changed it to a person who uses insulin, basically one pump. And so because we now have new medical
technology that only requires one pump. And so because that's changed, we just said let's just follow Medicare so we're not having to.
Speaker 720
6:44:38
run a bill every other session to try to catch up with the changes
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
6:44:41
in medical technology when it comes to CGMs. That's simple, no fiscal impact. So don't be worried that Medicaid's in the title. It's good.
Representative Aaron Pilkington
Unverified
6:44:49
So, appreciate it, good vote. Representative Ward Law for what purpose? You're recognized. Always bothers me when you're messing around with glucose monitors, so. Are you messing with any rebates here?
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
6:45:03
No. To my knowledge, unless you are going to tell me differently.
Representative Aaron Pilkington
Unverified
6:45:10
I, I, to my knowledge, I do not believe so. I
Speaker 748
6:45:15
am glad it's 10 days to the next weather event, or
I'd be really nervous right now, but I'm really gonna need to know that answer. I do not believe that
we are messing with any rebates. Representative Pilkington has
explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill.
Chair
Unverified
6:45:49
Representative Pilkington is closed for the bill. Questioned before the House is the passage of Senate Bill 576. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. So
Speaker 98
6:45:58
everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
By a vote of 96, 0 nay,
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
6:46:15
and 0 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 302. 30s to create the criminal offense of gift card fraud and
declare an emergency. Representative Beatty, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, uh, Senate Bill 302 is to create the criminal offense of gift card fraud. Uh, basically, this bill aims to combat gift card fraud,
establish penalties for offenders based on the value involved and provide immediate protection against such crimes in Arkansas to protect our businesses. So with that, I'd
appreciate a good vote. Thank you. Representative Beatty has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Beatty is closed for the bill, question before the House
Speaker 98
6:47:01
is the passage of Senate Bill 302. Prepare the machine, Madam clerk.
Chair
Unverified
6:47:14
Members, your one vote is for the bill in the emergency
clause. So everyone voted? As everyone voted. Cast up
Speaker 259
6:47:24
the ballot by a vote of 94, 0, nay, and 1
Chair
Unverified
6:47:28
present. The bill is passed. Madam Clark, please, please read Senate Bill 44944 by Beatty to provide civil immunity
for confiscation of alternative nicotine products, vapor
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
6:47:38
products, e-liquid products, tobacco products, and cigarette papers from a minor at a school.
Representative Beatty, you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member of Senate Bill 449 is provides civil immunity for confiscation of alternative nicotine products. They, um, vape products, basically, uh, this bill is meant, uh, to protect those who take action to confiscate
certain products for minors at school, and to prevent usage of such substances on school grounds with that,
Speaker 15
6:48:11
I appreciate a good vote. Representative Beatty has
explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Beatty is closed for
Speaker 98
6:48:33
the bill. Question before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 449. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. So everyone
Chair
Unverified
6:48:39
voted. As everyone voted. cast up the ballot. By a vote of 97, yeah, 1 nay, and 0 present. The bill is passed.
Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 314 314 by Representative Duke to amend the law concerning sexual solicitation and to amend the penalties for the offense of sexual solicitation. Representative Duke, you're recognized to explain your bill. Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, this bill does exactly what it says. Um, it amends it to a first Defense Class A misdemeanor and for second or
subsequent offenses, a class D felony. It received 35 votes in the Senate, no known opposition, and
See, no questions. I appreciate a good vote Representative Duke has explained the bill. Would anyone like
to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Duke is closed for the bill.
Speaker 98
6:49:41
Question before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 314. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Chair
Unverified
6:49:52
By a vote of 79, 9 nay, and 3 present, the bill
is passed. Madam C clerk, please read Senate
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
6:50:03
Bill 426 Representative Kavanaugh to create the defense against Criminal Illegals Act and
to establish enhanced penalties for illegal aliens who commit serious felonies involving violence. Representative Kavanaugh, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This bill does 3 things. It will provide for enhanced penalties for serious felonies that are committed by someone in the
country illegally. It will also require that local
law enforcement, they also comply with ICE. They cooperate with them, and
that it will allow no sanctuary policies, basically anywhere in the state. And with that, I would take any questions. Representative Clowney, for what
purpose? You're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and Representative Kavanaugh asked this yesterday in committee, but I just want to ask one more time, um, to be clear, I understand. What is a reassurance that we're gonna get this
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
6:50:49
federal reimbursement for what this is going to cost our counties. In other words, can we
be sure that the cost is not going to fall onto our counties for, for adopting this. Thank you, Represent Cloudy. My understanding is from speaking
Speaker 277
6:51:01
with the Department of Corrections, they don't feel that there's any problem with the funding coming from
the federal government. and they don't have any concern about that. And with that, I would
create, appreciate a good vote. Thank you. Representative Kavanaugh has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Representative Gonzalez Worthy, you are recognized to speak against the bill.
Thank you, Speaker. I know firsthand. About This bill. Because we had this in Springdale, my community. Um, this bill will Reduce trust. reduce public safety. And It will
Continue to cause fear among the immigrant population. Let me expand. We all want to live in a safe community. And if we're in a safe community, and we feel safe and we have a good, we feel that we have a good relationship with our law enforcement. We're gonna report crimes. Why? Because we know that What no one wants a violent offender or crime in their community. What we have seen is whenever
there are bills like this, um, we have Crimes that will now be reduced in terms of reporting. Um, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that there was a 30% decrease in reporting of crimes. Uh, due to victimization of our Hispanic population and immigrant population. Additionally, when we had this in Arkansas, 62% of those that were charged.
Out of those 62%, 35% did not have criminal, criminal records and 27% were low level offenses. So we were not going after the worst of the worst. Law enforcement, they were targeting anyone who may be an immigrant, Who, they, they were policing markets, churches, areas where immigrants and Hispanic
population were, were they, were they frequented. There were um immigrants help to report crimes such as human trafficking, domestic violence, gang activity, and they'll continue to do that, but that will be reduced because of now of the trust that's being reduced. So this really does lower public trust, um, it
breaks the relationship between our community and law enforcement, we've seen it. Um, it no longer exists in my community. Which is wonderful and And it was because We did not want our community to feel, to live in fear. Um, and so now, if this bill passes, then all municipalities, they're not gonna have a choice. They're gonna have to, they're
gonna have to do uh follow this bill. Uh, this is, this is a mandated uh bill. So this is gonna be targeted to individuals with little or no criminal history based on the research, it's gonna harm relationships between police and local communities. It's gonna increase racial profiling. And we don't really know the cost. There have been municipalities that have done
away with this, and there, um, cities because of the cost. They were told it would
be paid for, but it became too costly. I am against this bill. And I
will be voting no, and I ask that you do the same. Thank you. Representative Gonzalez Worthen has spoke against the bill. Would anyone
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
6:55:39
like to speak for the bill? Against the bill Representative Kavanaugh, you're recognized to close for your bill.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to clarify one thing. Nothing in this bill is going to target the Hispanic community. This is simply about people here illegally in the United States. Doesn't matter what country they're from. If we're gonna speak about why we need this. I can tell you in Northeast Arkansas in the last month, we've had an illegal stab a 70 year old woman in the neck. We have had gangs in 13 have been arrested in our area, and we have had human trafficking.
Chair
Unverified
6:56:20
So for us in Northeast Arkansas, we are seeing the influx of this. And so with that, I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Kavanaugh is closed for the bill. Would
Speaker 98
6:56:47
anyone Repair the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Speaker 32
6:56:56
and 2 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clark, please read
Chair
Unverified
6:57:04
Senate Bill 485. 85 by Representative Gazaway to
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
Unverified
6:57:09
reduce recidivism and to amend the law concerning the suspended imposition of a sentence probation, parole and post-release supervision. Representative Gazaway, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, this is a bill that follows up on the Protect Arkansas Act of 2023.
Uh, as part of the Protect Arkansas Act, many of you may remember, we increased criminal penalties. We fixed our broken parole system. We gave much harsher penalties to repeat offenders. We try to balance that out by also making it comprehensive and addressing the issue of recidivism. Arkansas has one of the highest recidivism rates in the country and so part of the ProTECT Act, we established the recidivism reduction task force. That task force was made up of a number of members. I was a part of that task force, Senator Gilmore was the chair,
Representative, or Senator Tucker, uh, Chairwoman Dalby, uh, we're all members from the legislature. We had judges, we had prosecutors, we had defense attorneys, we had people who had been formerly incarcerated, uh, rehab, uh, those who operated rehabs were all part of this task force. We met for 2 years and worked with the Council of State governments to identify strategies that can be used to reduce recidivism in Arkansas. And so this bill does a number of things in order to, um,
Address the issue of recidivism, hopefully reduce. Recidivism. So, for example, we will implement evidence-based practices in our prisons for in terms of the programming, which we didn't have, we established an evidence-based practices, quality assurance unit. We established community supervision officers will be evaluated and promoted based on adherence to evidence-based practices. We, uh, importantly have implemented or will implement a new risk assessment tool. So
when it's a person enters the Department of Corrections, they'll be assessed according to a tool that once again is based on evidence-based practices. One of the things that we determined in the course of this two year long study is when people entered the Department of Corrections, they weren't being asked the right questions. They weren't being evaluated properly and so they weren't being given the right programming that would help them succeed once they leave prison. So the new risk assessment tool and the evaluations that'll be used that are based on evidence-based practices is a
big part of that. It will create a pilot program with the administrative office of the courts to do pre-sentencing reports. Now where this pilot program will be located, we're not exactly sure. That'll be up to the administrative office of the courts, but the point is, one of the things that we kind of determined through the course of this study was, is that when people are in the court system and they go to court, When the judge does the sentencing, they know very little about that person's background because unlike the federal court system where they have pre-sentencing reports and the probation officers look at
their background, they look at the types of issues that they've had, whether they've struggled with chemical addiction, whether they've been the victim of abuse, what their life circumstances have been, none of that happens in state court. And so we end up not getting the, the right help to the people in the way that they need it. And so there will be a pilot program that will do pre-sentencing reports so that the judges will know when they sentence people exactly what they need to hopefully help them succeed and to not reoffend again.
And the sentencing commission, it uh authorizes them to Uh, and once again, in accordance with evidence-based practices, create presumptive periods and sentences for suspension, probation, parole, post-release supervision. These, these will all be based on evidence-based practices, which is not Currently happening. So there's just a number of things I could go on and on, but I think you guys probably don't want to hear that at this late hour, but it's a good bill. It's been the product of 2 years'
worth of study in cooperation with the Council of State governments who I have to say I give them a lot of credit in the course of this 2 years, they went all over the state. They conducted studies with probation officers, parole officers, they visited our prisons. They came to Northeast Arkansas. They met with several local elected officials, judges, they were in central, they covered every every area of the state, North. Northeast, Northwest, Central, Southeast, Southwest. They devoted a lot of time and so I give them a lot of credit for the excellent work that they did for everyone on the task force.
Speaker 149
7:01:36
This is a good bill and we sincerely hope and believe that it will help reduce recidivism in Arkansas. And with
that, I'm happy to answer any questions. Saying none, I'd appreciate a good vote. Thank you. Representative Gazaway has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative Gazaway is closed for the bill, question before the House is the passage of
Chair
Unverified
7:02:12
Senate Bill 485. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted. Everyone voted, cast up the ballot. The vote of
98, 0, nay, 0 present. The bill
is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 375sentative Moore to create the offense of capital rape and to amend a portion
of Arkansas code which resulted from initiated Act
Representative Kendra Moore
Unverified
7:02:36
3 of 1936. Representative Moore, you're recognized to explain your bill.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. Senate Bill 375 is a very serious bill and one that deals with two issues that are probably two of the most difficult issues to deal with that this chamber will take up this session. The first being capital punishment, the second being child rape. I'd like to first state that this bill was written in close conjunction and approved by the Attorney General. Um Child rape
is defined as a forcible rape of a child that is 13 years age or under. I'd like to start off by saying that this is not a sentencing mandate. This is not required. Um, this is just a simple tool in the toolbox of the justice system. This, this does not apply to perpetrators who are minors. So if you're 17 years or younger, this will not apply to you. This punishment is reserved for the most heinous. Of rape crimes.
And I'll note that Senate Bill 375 is set up to challenge a supreme Supreme Court bench ruling from 2008. The bench ruled in 2008, this was unconstitutional due to the cruel and specifically the unusual standpoint. It was unusual because only 6 states at the time had this on their books. I'll also state that the only 3, the only justices that still remain in the court from that time. Are the three justices who helped author the descent. I'll
close with this. A statement from Justice Alito. Indeed, I have little doubt that in the eyes of ordinary Americans, the very worst child rapist, Predators who seek out and inflict
serious physical and emotional injury on the
defenseless young children are the epitome of moral depravity. With that, I'll take any questions. Singing no,
Speaker 98
7:04:47
I would appreciate it. Representative Moore has
explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For
Chair
Unverified
7:05:09
the bill Representative Moore is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 375. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. So everyone voted, has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
The vote of 74, 13 nay, and 4 present, the bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate
Bill 427. for 27 by Representative Michaelinon to amend
promoting prostitution offenses to enhance the penalties for promoting prostitution in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree and to create a sense of promoting prostitution at a business. Representative McAlinden, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, colleagues. Uh, this bill is part of a package of bills designed to address human trafficking and prostitution. It
was written in conjunction with the Attorney General's office. The specific bill SB 427, revises a law regarding, uh, the promotion of prostitution. It repeals some outdated statutes. It increases the severity of the classifications as well as, uh, penalties for individuals and businesses that facilitate or profit from exploitation. And, um, all the monetary penalties will go to the. human trafficking victim support fund, which, um, is being created in a different bill, and which you'll hear in a few
minutes. And, um, the penalties to ensure that businesses are held accountable for any role that they play in enabling exploitation or profiting from
that exploitation and there's no known opposition, and with that, I asked for a good vote. Representative McAlinden has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the
Speaker 15
7:06:41
bill Representative McAlin and his clothes for the bill, questioned before the House is the passage
Speaker 98
7:06:59
of Senate Bill 427. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. So everyone voted. As everyone voted Cast up
Chair
Unverified
7:07:07
the ballot. A vote of 94, 0, nay, and 0 present. The bill is passed. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 428428 by Representative Rose concerning a
civil cause of action for victims of human
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
7:07:19
trafficking and to provide a statute of limitation period of 10 years for a victim of human trafficking. Representative Rose, you are recognized to explain your bill.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good evening, colleagues. Today I present this evening, I guess, Senate Bill 428. simple but important measure that gives survivors of human trafficking, the time they need to seek justice in civil court. It extends the civil statute of limitations for trafficking victims from 5 years to 10 years matching national standards, and it gives survivors a fair opportunity to hold traffickers accountable. In short, it is about fairness
It's about accountability. It's about protecting trafficking victims, simply ensure survivors are not denied justice just because
time ran out before they are ready. I respectfully ask for your support. Appreciate a good vote. Thank you.
Representative Rose has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? the bill Representative Rose is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 428.
Chair
Unverified
7:08:35
Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Has everyone voted? As everyone voted.
Speaker 98
7:08:38
Cast up the ballot. By a vote of 92, 0, nay, and 0
Chair
Unverified
7:08:43
present. The bill is passed. Madam clerk, please read Senate Bill 429. 429 by Representative Carr to
Speaker 118
7:08:48
expand the ceiling of criminal records for victims of human trafficking to provide their
victims of human trafficking have certain rights
Representative John P. Carr
Unverified
7:08:58
and to provide a mandatory no contact ordering human trafficking cases.
Representative Carr, you're recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues, Senate Bill 429 does three things to current statute. It expands the criminal record ceiling for victims of human trafficking. It ensures that human trafficking victims have specific rights that are listed. And finally, it
mandates a no contact order in human trafficking cases. And if there are any questions, I'd entertain that. If not, I'm close, Mr. Speaker. Representative Carr has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill?
Speaker 40
7:09:36
For the bill Representative Carr is closed for the
Speaker 98
7:09:52
bill, questioned before the House is the passage of Senate Bill 429. Prepare the machine, Madam clerk. So everyone voted. As
Chair
Unverified
7:09:59
everyone voted. Cast up the ballot. My vote of 93 0 nay, and 0 present. The bill is passed.
Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 4:30 Representative
Chair
Unverified
7:10:10
Rose and extra require mandatory restitution to be awarded
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
7:10:13
to a victim of human trafficking and to amend the Arkansas Crime Victims Reparation Act. Representative Rose, you are recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, welcome back, I guess, yes, uh, Senate Bill 4:30. This is a bill focused on strengthening justice for survivors of human trafficking. Uh, not just in the courtroom, but in the aftermath of the trauma. SB 430 ins ensures that
traffickers are required to pay full restitution to their victor, to their victims, and this will cover everything from medical care to relocation. Uh, the justice should not end just at the conviction continues in helping victims recover, rebuild, and reclaim their lives. And I believe that this bill provides this path. It's victim-focused and it's fair. It holds wrongdoers responsible, not just criminally, but crack practically
as well, and I respectfully ask for your support and would appreciate a good vote.
Thank you. Representative Rose has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? the bill Representative Rose
is closed for the bill, questioned before the House is the passage of Senate Bill 4:30.
Speaker 98
7:11:32
Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Everyone voted Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Chair
Unverified
7:11:43
vote of 91, 1 nay, and 0 present. The bill is passed. Madam clerk, please
read Senate Bill 431. 431 has been sent back to committee. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 442 442 by Representative McAlinden to
amend the law concerning human trafficking to provide for forest of assets used
to conduct human trafficking and to create the offense
of harboring and endangered runaway child. Representative Minon, you recognize to explain your bill.
I am proud to say I think this is the last bill of the evening. So this is another in the package of the trafficking bills that you've been hearing tonight that we've worked with the Attorney General's office on this is Senate Bill 442. It's a comprehensive measure designed to combat human trafficking. It strengthens enforcement, um, and it does 3 things. It establishes the human trafficking operations unit as well as the human trafficking Council support fund that I mentioned earlier, um, it also creates a penalty for knowingly harboring endangered runaway miners and then also
demands the forfeiture, the asset forfeiture laws. Um, and so with that, I asked for a good vote. Representative McAlinden has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? For the bill Representative McAlinden is closed for the bill, question before the House is the passage of Senate Bill 442. Repair the machine, madam clerk.
Speaker 223
7:13:21
So everyone voted, everyone voted. Cast up the ballot.
Chair
Unverified
7:13:32
The vote of 94 yeah, 0, nay, 0 present. Bill is passed. Madam Clerk. Please read the committee reports. Mr. Speaker, we're a committee on Insurance and commerce and who was referred House Bill 1295. High 1333. House Bill 1424. High school 1531. High school 1602, 1700, 1771. House
1820, vaguely reporting the same consideration here for terms the same recommendation that it do passes amendment number one. Respectfully submitted Representative Maddox. Chair, Mr. Speaker, we're Committee on Insurances and Commerce. He
Speaker 197
7:14:06
was referred House Bill 1295 vaguely reporting the same consideration here
Chair (Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.)
Unverified
7:14:10
for time to second American Nation and do pass
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
7:14:13
as Amendment number 2.s respectfully submitted. Representative Maddox, chair, for what purpose? You're recognized mental calendar.
Speaker 556
7:14:23
There is no supplemental calorie tonight. Representative Meeks, for what purpose? Motion. I'll hear your
Chair
Unverified
7:14:30
motion. Pursuant to House Rule 33M. I move we adjourn until 1:30 tomorrow afternoon. That's a proper motion. It's non-debatable.
Speaker 559
7:14:40
All those in favor say aye. Osene. You guys have
Speaker 83
7:14:45
it. Have any announcements from committees, Representative Lynch for what
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
7:14:49
purpose? Uh, announcement. You're recognized tomorrow at 11 a.m. Big Mac.
Chair
Unverified
7:14:56
Representative Kavanaugh, for what purpose? You're recognized at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning, room 151. Representative Underwood, for what purpose? You're recognized. House Judiciary will meet tomorrow at 9:30. Representative Holcomb, for what purpose? Announcement, you're
Representative Kendon Underwood
Unverified
7:15:10
recognized. Public transportation, we'll meet tomorrow morning, 10 a.m. MacB. Any other committee announcements. Representative Brooks, for what purpose? Announcement you're recognized. I'll get you eat tomorrow morning at 9:30 in room 138.
Chair
Unverified
7:15:29
Any other committee announcements. Any other committee announcements. Representative Woldridge, what purpose? Announcement you're recognized public health to meet tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. Seeing no other committee announcements, the desk will remain open as needed for the reading of the bills and upon completion of the items named in the adjourned resolution. The House will be adjourned until
Agenda
Call to order
Prayer
Pledge
Roll Call
Morning Hour
RESOLUTIONS
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HR1097 Duke TO RECOGNIZE THE GRAVETTE HIGH SCHOOL LIONS WRESTLING TEAM AS THE 2025 CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONS.
HR1099 R. Scott Richardson TO RECOGNIZE THE ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY ROBOTICS CLUB FOR WINNING THE TOURNAMENT CHAMPION AND INNOVATE AWARDS AT THE 2025 TEXAS STATE VEX U TOURNAMENT.
HR1104 Beaty Jr. TO HONOR LARRY WALTHER FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO THE STATE OF ARKANSAS AND TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
HR1105 Pearce TO PROCLAIM APRIL 9, 2025, AS ARKANSAS
LINEWORKER APPRECIATION DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL AND TO COMMEND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE ARKANSAS AS UTILITY LINEWORKERS.
HR1106 Pearce TO RECOGNIZE ARKANSAS STATE GAME AND FISH COMMISSION GAME WARDEN BRADY SMITH AS THE NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION'S WILDLIFE OFFICER OF THE YEAR.
HCR1005 T. Shephard TO HONOR THE ARKANSAS MINORITY HEALTH COMMISSION DURING AMERICAN HEART MONTH IN FEBRUARY FOR ITS EFFORTS TO ADDRESS HEART DISEASE AMONG THE MINORITY POPULATIONS OF ARKANSAS.
HR1023 Steimel TO RECOGNIZE THE SALEM FOOTBALL TEAM AS THE CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONS.
HR1079 Brooks TO HONOR D.J. DANIEL FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST BRAIN CANCER AND SUPPORT NAMING HIM AN HONORARY STATE CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER, AND TO PROCLAIM MARCH 17, 2025, AS D.J. DANIEL DAY IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.
HR1072 McGruder TO RECOGNIZE KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INC., FOR ITS POSITIVE IMPACT UPON ITS COMMUNITIES, THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, THE NATION, AND THE WORLD.
HR1107 Torres TO PROCLAIM APRIL 24, 2025, AS TEACH CHILDREN TO SAVE DAY IN ARKANSAS.
HMR1009 J. Moore TO REMEMBER FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BENNY PETRUS FOR HIS SERVICE TO HIS COMMUNITY AND TO THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.
HMR1010 Gazaway TO REMEMBER ATTORNEY ROGER COLBERT FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF PARAGOULD AND GREENE COUNTY, THE GREENE-CLAY BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE ARKANSAS BAR ASSOCIATION, AND THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.
HR1022 Brooks TO WELCOME DR. BRENDAN KELLY AS PRESIDENT OF THE ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.
End of Morning Hour
CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1745 #1 Hawk TO REQUIRE CERTAIN COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSE HOLDERS TO POSSESS A UNITED STATES WORK AUTHORIZATION; TO REQUIRE THE OPERATOR OF A COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE TO
HAVE ENGLISH PROFICIENCY; AND TO CREATE RELATED OFFENSES.
HB1468 #1 Cozart TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING CLAIMS AGAINST HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTORS, RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CONTRACTORS, AND SUPPLIERS.
REGULAR BILLS
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1914 Long TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS MOTOR CARRIER ACT, 1955; AND TO REQUIRE AN OPERATOR OF A COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE TO HAVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY.
HB1897 Painter TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS TOWING AND RECOVERY REFORM AND EFFICIENCY ACT OF 2025; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS TOWING AND RECOVERY BOARD; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
HB1832 M. Shepherd TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT AND COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS; AND TO AMEND A RULE OF THE SUPREME COURT AND COURT OF APPEALS UNDER THE AUTHORITY GRANTED BY THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION.
HB1917 M. Shepherd TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS STUDENT-ATHLETE PUBLICITY RIGHTS ACT; AND TO AMEND THE LAW RELATED TO ATHLETIC PROGRAM FUNDING.
HB1632 Wardlaw TO REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS STATE GAME AND FISH COMMISSION FOR FREE OR DISCOUNTED HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES.
HB1935 Eaves TO CREATE A MODERNIZATION AND AUTOMATION TAX CREDIT TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT BY EXISTING BUSINESSES WITHIN THE STATE.
HB1894 Beaty Jr. TO ESTABLISH A METHOD OF VALUATION FOR REAL PROPERTY USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING; AND TO ESTABLISH A METHOD OF VALUATION FOR CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY UNDER ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 16, § 5.
HB1930 Wardlaw TO MANDATE MINIMUM REIMBURSEMENT LEVELS FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
HB1960 Wardlaw TO PROVIDE THAT THE LESSEE OF A LEASED MOTOR VEHICLE IS THE OWNER FOR PURPOSES OF THE ASSESSMENT AND PAYMENT OF PROPERTY TAXES; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL SALES AND USE TAXES ON CERTAIN TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY.
HB1982 Wooldridge TO AMEND THE USED TIRE RECYCLING AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; TO CREATE THE TIRE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING ACT; TO REPEAL THE USED TIRE RECYCLING FUND; AND TO CREATE THE WASTE TIRE ABATEMENT FUND.
HB1915 Eubanks TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO REQUEST A BROAD-BASED CATEGORICAL ELIGIBILITY WAIVER FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; AND TO AMEND THE ASSET LIMITS UNDER THE PROGRAM.
HB1961 Achor TO ALLOW MEDICAL PROVIDERS TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS FROM FEDERAL INFORMATION- BLOCKING REGULATIONS TO SAFEGUARD PATIENTS DURING INFORMATION DISCLOSURE; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
HB1017 A. Collins TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID MATERNITY LEAVE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES; AND TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO PAY FOR INCURRED
COSTS FOR APPROVED PAID MATERNITY LEAVE.
HB1986 Nazarenko CONCERNING EXCUSED ABSENCES FOR CHILDREN OF FALLEN SERVICE MEMBERS AND CHILDREN OF FALLEN FIRST RESPONDERS.
HB1719 Vaught TO AMEND THE DAYS INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MATERNITY LEAVE DAYS APPROVED BY A SCHOOL THAT OFFERS MATERNITY LEAVE.
HB1874 B. McKenzie AN ACT TO AMEND THE USE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING THAT EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT AWARDED TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003.
HB1945 McCollum TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT; TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015; AND TO ALLOW A STUDENT TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL WITHIN HIS OR HER RESIDENT DISTRICT.
HB1966 Barnett TO AUTHORIZE AN INCORPORATED TOWN OR A CITY OF THE SECOND CLASS TO PETITION THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOCAL PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR SATELLITE SCHOOL UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
HB1916 Bentley TO AMEND THE PROTECTING MINORS FROM MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ACT OF 2023; AND TO INCLUDE GENDER-AFFIRMING INTERVENTIONS AS A RIGHT OF ACTION FOR MEDICAL MALPRACTICE.
HB1926 Unger TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE SUSPENSION, REVOCATION, OR NONRENEWAL OF A PERSON'S DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR FAILURE TO PAY A COURT-ORDERED FINE; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING A DEFENDANT'S INABILITY TO PAY A COURT-ORDERED FINE.
HB1984 Hudson TO CREATE A DESIGNATION FOR A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER ON A DRIVER'S LICENSE OR IDENTIFICATION CARD.
HB1979 Gazaway AN ACT TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW TO ALLOW WARRANTLESS SEARCHES BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF A PERSON PLACED ON SUSPENDED IMPOSITION OF SENTENCE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
HB1980 Gazaway TO CREATE THE TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE LOGISTICS ACT (TESLA); AND TO ADD ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS TO THE DEFINITION OF "CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE".
HB1987 Ennett TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE STATE BOARD OF EMBALMERS, FUNERAL DIRECTORS, CEMETERIES, AND BURIAL SERVICES; AND TO INCREASE THE CIVIL PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS BY A LICENSEE.
HB1178 R. Scott Richardson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE CONTRACTING OF A MUNICIPAL ATTORNEY; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SUMS COLLECTED BY DISTRICT COURTS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING COST SHARING FOR DISTRICT COURT EXPENSES.
HB1903 Walker TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH FLEXIBILITY REGARDING ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.
HB1242 J. Mayberry TO AMEND THE MECHANISM BY WHICH SCHOOL NURSES ARE COMPENSATED.
motion
REGULAR SENATE BILLS
Number Sponsor Subtitle
SB494 J. Bryant Eaton TO REDUCE THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF PERMITS ISSUED BY ARKANSAS TOBACCO CONTROL; AND TO CONSOLIDATE SEVERAL PERMITS INTO A SINGLE PERMIT UNDER THE ARKANSAS TOBACCO PRODUCTS TAX ACT OF 1977.
SB495 J. Bryant Eaton TO AMEND DEFINITIONS USED UNDER THE ARKANSAS TOBACCO PRODUCTS TAX ACT OF 1977; AND TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "INVOICE" AND THE DEFINITION OF "INVOICE PRICE" USED UNDER THE ARKANSAS TOBACCO PRODUCTS TAX ACT OF 1977.
SB408 B. Johnson Eaves TO PROVIDE AN INCOME TAX EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN PAYMENTS BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
SB594 M. McKee Milligan TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EXEMPTIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION TO SUPPLY A PUBLIC SERVICE OR TO EXTEND A PUBLIC SERVICE.
SB552 K. Hammer Eaves TO CLARIFY THE DEFINITION OF "PRINCIPAL OFFICE" USED UNDER THE ARKANSAS BUSINESS CORPORATION ACT OF 1987 AND THE UNIFORM LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ACT.
SB390 J. English Lundstrum TO ESTABLISH THE STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY ACT.
SB553 K. Hammer Milligan TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS MUNICIPAL ACCOUNTING LAW; TO AMEND THE DUTIES OF A MUNICIPAL TREASURER; AND TO REQUIRE TRAINING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL CHARGED WITH DUTIES UNDER THE ARKANSAS MUNICIPAL ACCOUNTING LAW.
SB290 B. Johnson Vaught TO PROHIBIT A MORATORIUM ON THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS IN WATERSHEDS AND OTHER BODIES OF WATER.
SB550 Hill Painter TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE ARKANSAS LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY COMMISSION TO THE ARKANSAS BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH.
SB464 A. Clark C. Cooper TO AMEND THE LAWS CONCERNING SALES OF RAW MILK; TO ALLOW SALES OF RAW MILK AND RAW MILK PRODUCTS AT LOCATIONS OTHER THAN THE FARM WHERE THE RAW MILK OR RAW MILK PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
SB522 M. McKee M. Brown TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING THE ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR MATHEMATICS, SCIENCES, AND THE ARTS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW RELATED TO THE TUITION AND FEES PAID BY STUDENTS ENROLLEDIN THE ONLINE PROGRAMS.
SB530 B. Davis Beck TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS WOOD ENERGY PRODUCTS AND FOREST MAINTENANCE INCOME TAX CREDIT.
SB567 Crowell R. Burkes TO AMEND AND MODERNIZE THE LAW CONCERNING THE APPORTIONMENT OF INCOME DERIVED FROM MULTISTATE OPERATIONS; AND TO CHANGE THE METHOD FOR SOURCING OF RECEIPTS FOR SERVICES AND INTANGIBLES.
SB577 J. Petty Hall TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL SALES AND USE TAXES; AND TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TO NOTIFY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CONCERNING SALES AND USE TAXES THAT ARE SET TO EXPIRE.
SB492 J. Bryant Lundstrum TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE RELOCATION OF UTILITY FACILITIES; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ACQUISITION, CONDEMNATION, AND DISPOSITION OF REAL PROPERTY BY THE STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION.
SB496 Caldwell Hollowell TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PERMITS FOR SPECIAL CARGOES; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT FOR SPECIAL CARGO TRANSPORTED BY A FARM MACHINERY EQUIPMENT HAULER.
SB562 Hill Holcomb TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL AUDIT; AND TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT FOR AN ANNUAL PROJECT REVIEW AND EFFICIENCY STUDY OF THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
SB540 M. Johnson Ennett TO LIMIT THE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE OR IMPOSITION OF RESTRICTIONS ON A DRIVER'S LICENSE OF A PERSON WHO HAS SUFFERED A SEIZURE.
SB397 D. Wallace Rye TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIAL PERSONAL INFORMATION OF RAIL EMPLOYEES IN REPORTS INVOLVING RAILROAD FATALITIES.
SB467 C. Penzo Gramlich TO MODIFY THE DEFINITION OF "HEALTHCARE PROVIDER" REGARDING STUDENT ATHLETE CONCUSSION EDUCATION TO INCLUDE CHIROPRACTORS OR CHIROPRACTIC PHYSICIANS.
SB572 J. Dotson McAlindon TO CREATE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ACCESS AND TRANSPARENCY ACT; AND TO REQUIRE PUBLIC ACCESS TO LEARNING MATERIALS.
SB303 Dees Torres TO ALLOW A RESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PERMIT A PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITY AT THE RESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
SB470 J. Dotson Brooks TO REQUIRE AN ADULT APPROVED TO OVERSEE THE ADMINISTRATION OF A STATEWIDE STUDENT ASSESSMENT TO CERTAIN STUDENTS IN A VIRTUAL SETTING TO MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.
SB515 J. Petty Nazarenko TO REQUIRE THAT A UNIT DEDICATED TO ARKANSAS VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES BE INCLUDED WITHIN EXISTING ARKANSAS HISTORY COURSE CONTENT GUIDELINES.
SB446 Gilmore Gazaway TO AMEND THE AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM ACT; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE USE OF AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READERS BY PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, PRIVATE LEASEHOLDER, AND COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES.
SB497 D. Wallace Nazarenko TO REQUIRE THE CREATION OF A POSTER REGARDING VETERANS' BENEFITS AND SERVICES; AND TO REQUIRE CERTAIN EMPLOYERS TO DISPLAY THE POSTER.
SB9 B. Davis Pilkington TO CREATE THE MAKE ARKANSAS HEALTHY AGAIN ACT; AND TO PROHIBIT MANUFACTURING, SELLING, DELIVERING, DISTRIBUTING, HOLDING, OR OFFERING FOR SALE A FOOD PRODUCT THAT CONTAINS CERTAIN SUBSTANCES.
SB576 B. Davis Pilkington TO AMEND THE COVERAGE OF CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORS WITHIN THE ARKANSAS MEDICAID PROGRAM.
SB302 Gilmore Beaty, Jr. TO CREATE THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF GIFT CARD FRAUD; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
SB449 Dees Beaty, Jr. TO PROVIDE CIVIL IMMUNITY FOR CONFISCATION OF ALTERNATIVE NICOTINE PRODUCTS, VAPOR PRODUCTS, E-LIQUID PRODUCTS, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, AND CIGARETTE PAPERS FROM A MINOR AT A SCHOOL.
SB314 Irvin Duke TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SEXUAL SOLICITATION; AND TO AMEND THE PENALTIES FOR THE OFFENSE OF SEXUAL SOLICITATION.
SB426 Hester Cavenaugh TO CREATE THE DEFENSE AGAINST CRIMINAL ILLEGALS ACT; AND TO ESTABLISH ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO COMMIT SERIOUS FELONIES INVOLVING VIOLENCE.
SB485 C. Tucker Gazaway TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE SUSPENDED IMPOSITION OF A SENTENCE, PROBATION, PAROLE, AND POST- RELEASE SUPERVISION.
SB375 Stone J. Moore TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF CAPITAL RAPE; AND TO AMEND A PORTION OF ARKANSAS CODE WHICH RESULTED FROM INITIATED ACT 3 OF 1936.
SB427 J. Bryant McAlindon TO AMEND PROMOTING PROSTITUTION OFFENSES; TO ENHANCE THE PENALTIES FOR PROMOTING PROSTITUTION IN THE FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD DEGREE; AND TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF PROMOTING PROSTITUTION AT A BUSINESS.
SB428 J. Bryant Rose CONCERNING A CIVIL CAUSE OF ACTION FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; AND TO PROVIDE A STATUTE OF LIMITATION PERIOD OF TEN YEARS FOR A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
SB429 J. Bryant Joey Carr TO EXPAND THE SEALING OF CRIMINAL RECORDS FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; TO PROVIDE THAT VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS; AND TO PROVIDE A MANDATORY NO-CONTACT ORDER IN A HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASE.
SB430 J. Bryant Rose AN ACT TO REQUIRE MANDATORY RESTITUTION TO BE AWARDED TO A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; AND TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS CRIME VICTIMS REPARATIONS ACT.
SB431 J. Bryant R. Scott Richardson TO AMEND THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2013; TO ELIMINATE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES; TO CREATE SAFE HARBORS FOR VICTIMS; AND TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PRODUCTS THAT RESEMBLE A CHILD.
SB442 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO PROVIDE FOR FORFEITURE OF ASSESTS USED TO CONDUCT HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF HARBORING AN ENDANGERED RUNAWAY CHILD
motion to refer to committe -290
SB442 J. Bryant McAlindon TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HUMAN TRAFFICKING; TO PROVIDE FOR FORFEITURE OF ASSETS USED TO CONDUCT HUMAN TRAFFICKING; AND TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF HARBORING AN ENDANGERED RUNAWAY CHILD.
Bills and their Emergency Clauses to be considered which have been introduced by Joint Budget Committee
HB1084 AN ACT FOR ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE AUDIT OF THE LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING COMMITTEE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1086 AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1092 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF PROVIDER SERVICES AND QUALITY ASSURANCE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1096 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - MEDICAID TOBACCO SETTLEMENT PROGRAM APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1101 AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS GOVERNOR'S MANSION COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1106 AN ACT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF STATE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1107 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF COUNTY OPERATIONS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1112 AN ACT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF STATE - CITY-COUNTY TOURIST MEETING AND ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES ASSISTANCE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1174 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF CORRECTION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1200 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1206 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION - PUBLIC SCHOOL FUND APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
SB93 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
Bills and their Emergency Clauses to be considered which have been introduced by Representatives
HB1649 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - ARKANSAS NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
recess
Reconvene
Motion to Adjourn
Announcements
Adjourn
Documents
No documents posted.
Speakers
Chair
Unverified
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
Representative Tracy Steele Chair
Unverified
Speaker 27
Speaker 36
Speaker 98
Speaker 47
Representative Shad Pearce
Unverified
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
Speaker 68
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
Speaker 87
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
Speaker 102
Speaker 95
Representative Steiner
Unverified
Speaker 32
Representative Keith Brooks Chair
Unverified
Representative Denise Jones Ennett Chair
Unverified
Representative Randy Torres
Unverified
Speaker 137
Representative Kendra Moore
Unverified
Speaker 106
Representative David Ray Chair
Unverified
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
Speaker 156
Representative Bruce Cozart Chair
Unverified
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
Unverified
Representative Joy Springer
Unverified
Representative Ashley Hudson
Unverified
Speaker 199
Representative Nicole Clowney Chair
Unverified
Speaker 171
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
Speaker 226
Representative Jon S. Eubanks
Unverified
Speaker 230
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
Speaker 242
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
Speaker 260
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
Speaker 280
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
Speaker 259
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
Representative Robin Lundstrum
Unverified
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
Representative Sonia Eubanks Barker
Unverified
Speaker 337
Speaker 338
Speaker 15
Speaker 223
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
Speaker 269
Speaker 40
Representative Austin McCollum Chair
Unverified
Speaker 197
Representative Hope Duke Chair
Unverified
Speaker 370
Speaker 385
Speaker 401
Speaker 402
Speaker 31
Representative Tippi McCullough
Unverified
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
Representative Richard McGrew
Unverified
Representative Carlton Wing Chair
Unverified
Representative Jimmy Gazaway
Unverified
Speaker 457
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
Representative Julie Mayberry Chair
Unverified
Chair (Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.)
Unverified
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
Representative Glenn Barnes
Unverified
Speaker 493
Speaker 501
Speaker 502
Speaker 101
Speaker 83
Representative Lane Jean Chair
Unverified
Speaker 536
Speaker 245
Speaker 551
Representative Kendon Underwood
Unverified
Speaker 556
Representative James Eaton
Unverified
Representative Les Warren Chair
Unverified
Speaker 247
Speaker 157
Representative Cameron Cooper Chair
Unverified
Representative Brad Hall
Unverified
Representative Steve Hollowell
Unverified
Representative Mike Holcomb
Unverified
Representative Lee Johnson
Unverified
Representative Johnny Rye
Unverified
Representative Mindy McAlindon Chair
Unverified
Representative Matt Duffield
Unverified
Speaker 405
Speaker 720
Scott Richardson
Unverified
Speaker 727
Speaker 320
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
Speaker 734
Speaker 735
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
Representative Aaron Pilkington
Unverified
Speaker 22
Speaker 748
Speaker 277
Representative Justin Gonzales Chair
Unverified
Speaker 149
Speaker 118
Representative John P. Carr
Unverified
Speaker 559