HB 1316 (now Act 390) requires all health insurance plans sold in the state to cover lung cancer screenings without cost-sharing for eligible individuals. This law applies to both group and individual health insurance plans, mandating coverage for screenings meeting established medical guidelines. It directly affects insured residents who qualify for lung cancer screening based on medical criteria, such as age and smoking history. The bill passed both chambers and became law on March 25, 2025.
HB 1479 (now Act 418) amends Arkansas law to allow licensed engineers, surveyors, or notary publics to execute and record a scrivener's affidavit when they prepared the original survey, plat, or other property instrument affecting real property title. This change directly affects property owners, real estate professionals, and these licensed professionals by expanding who can legally handle this specific document. The key provision removes the previous restriction requiring only lawyers to execute these affidavits in cases involving property boundary or title documentation. The law simplifies the process for property transactions by enabling qualified engineers and surveyors to complete this step without involving an attorney. This is a procedural update to streamline property documentation, not a new policy change.
HB 1704 (now Act 388) amends child custody law to require courts to specifically consider circumstances that maximize contact time between a child and a parent who is a first responder (e.g., police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel), while still prioritizing the child's best interests. The law mandates that courts weigh the unique scheduling demands of first responder parents when making custody decisions, ensuring their ability to maintain consistent involvement with their child. This change directly affects custody cases involving parents employed in emergency response roles. The bill became effective March 25, 2025, after passing both legislative chambers and receiving gubernatorial approval.
HB 1414 updates the schedule of equipment rates used by fire departments when submitting claims for reimbursement. It directly affects fire departments and state agencies processing these claims by adjusting the standardized rates for equipment costs. The bill modifies administrative procedures for claim submissions but does not change eligibility for services or coverage. As a procedural update to existing billing rates, it became law as Act 417 on March 25, 2025.
HB 1505 requires public employers in Arkansas to provide coverage for licensed counseling services to public safety employees (such as police, firefighters, and emergency responders) who experience a traumatic event while on duty. This bill directly affects public safety workers by mandating employer-provided mental health support following traumatic incidents. It renews a requirement that expired under previous law (Acts 2023, No. 537) and declares an emergency to ensure immediate implementation upon the governor’s approval. The law aims to support public safety employees’ mental health, which the legislature states is essential for maintaining public safety and emergency response effectiveness.
HB 1275 prohibits health insurance companies from requiring prior approval for mental health crisis care. It directly affects patients experiencing mental health emergencies and healthcare providers treating them in crisis settings. The law removes the need for insurance pre-approvals when services are provided at crisis stabilization units or in emergency department settings. This means patients can access immediate care without delays caused by insurance authorization processes. The bill became law as Act 389 on March 25, 2025.
HB 1497 adds the Arkansas Department of the Military to the list of state agencies authorized to withhold tax refunds from taxpayers who owe them money. It also updates the legal definition of "debt" to include specific fines related to certain state laws. This change directly affects taxpayers with outstanding debts to the Department of the Military, allowing the agency to offset those debts against state tax refunds. The bill modifies existing provisions without creating new taxes or programs.
HB 1313 expands health benefit coverage in Arkansas to include certain retired firefighters who meet specific service requirements (e.g., 28 years of service or age 55+ with 20 years) and are not enrolled in Medicare. It requires municipalities and counties to offer health plans to eligible firefighter retirees during a 60-day enrollment window after retirement, without additional fees or surcharges. Dependents of retired firefighters would retain coverage after the retiree’s death, mirroring existing provisions for police officer retirees. The bill directly affects qualifying retired firefighters and their families in municipal and county fire departments across Arkansas.
HB 1246 appropriates funds for the University of Arkansas Community College at Rich Mountain to cover personnel salaries and operating expenses for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It specifically allocates budget authority for 120 designated staff positions across administrative, IT, academic, and support roles, including salaries up to $208,138 for the chancellor. The bill directly affects the college’s operational budget and staff compensation, with no new policy provisions - only funding for existing operations as enacted into law (Act 409).
HB 1322 expands death benefits for police and firefighters who die from specific occupational cancers while on duty. It amends Arkansas retirement law to include leukemia, lymphoma, mesothelioma, and other cancers linked to firefighting or police work - particularly those diagnosed during active service and tied to workplace carcinogen exposure. Surviving spouses now qualify for adjusted annuities based on 25 years of service (or their standard benefit), whichever is greater, for deaths occurring after November 2019. The bill declares an emergency to ensure timely implementation by July 1, 2025, without requiring retroactive payments for past cases.
HB 1552 establishes new criminal classifications for attempts, solicitations, or conspiracies involving fentanyl-related offenses. It directly affects individuals who plan, attempt, or conspire to commit fentanyl-related crimes by creating specific sentencing tiers for these actions. The bill modifies existing law to define these inchoate offenses (like planning or attempting) as distinct criminal categories, separating them from completed fentanyl crimes. This law, now Act 420, became effective March 25, 2025, and applies to all such offenses under Arkansas law.
HB 1647 amends Arkansas state code to rename the "Division of Information Systems" to the "Division of Information Systems Office of State Technology" in multiple statutes. The bill updates references to this division across 16 different Arkansas Code sections, including those governing public schools, emergency management, voter systems, and state technology oversight. It does not change the division's functions or create new policies - only its official name and how it's referenced in state law. The bill was enacted as Act 412 on March 25, 2025, after passing both chambers.
