SB 246, the Arkansas Access Act, prohibits Arkansas public schools from granting excused absences for political protests. It allows excused absences for student participation in social or public policy advocacy or efforts to influence legislation, but only with written consent from a parent, guardian, or legal custodian. Schools must annually report to the state education division the number of such absences requested, granted, and the stated purpose of each absence. The bill directly affects public school districts and charter schools in Arkansas, along with students and their families.
HB 1587 amends Arkansas' Patient Protection Act of 1995 and "any willing provider" laws to clarify which licensed healthcare providers qualify under these statutes. It expands the official list of covered providers to include specific professions like durable medical equipment providers and adds a mechanism for the State Insurance Department to later include additional healthcare practitioners through administrative rules. This bill directly affects licensed healthcare professionals and facilities in Arkansas who participate in state-regulated healthcare programs. The key change is creating a more detailed, inclusive definition of "healthcare provider" for legal and regulatory purposes, without altering existing program requirements or funding.
HB 1510 repeals Arkansas laws that allowed cities to control land development and zoning in unincorporated areas adjacent to their corporate boundaries. It eliminates provisions enabling municipalities to enforce planning, subdivision, and entry regulations beyond their city limits, including population-based jurisdictional zones. This directly affects cities that previously extended planning authority into county lands and the unincorporated areas subject to those regulations. After enactment, cities will no longer have legal authority to regulate land use in unincorporated county areas outside their corporate boundaries.
HB 1298 requires healthcare insurers to pay out-of-network claims directly to the healthcare provider who delivered hospital, nursing, medical, or surgical services, rather than to the patient. This applies to health benefit plans (including Medicaid and private insurance) but excludes dental-only, workers' compensation, or specific limited-benefit plans. The bill updates definitions to clarify that "healthcare insurer" includes entities like insurance companies and Arkansas Medicaid, while "health benefit plan" covers most medical coverage. It aims to streamline payments for providers treating patients outside their network. The law, now Act 307, took effect after passing both chambers and being signed by the Governor.
HB 1460 is a procedural bill that amended the sponsorship list for a bill concerning appointments to boards, commissions, and councils. It deleted Representative L. Johnson as the sole sponsor and added Representatives Rose and L. Johnson as cosponsors, along with Senator J. Dotson as a sponsor. The bill itself does not change any appointment rules or policy provisions - its sole purpose was updating who is listed as sponsoring the legislation. This procedural amendment was passed and became Act 324 on March 18, 2025.
HB 1612 allocates $8 million from the Development and Enhancement Fund to the Arkansas Department of Education's Educational Television Division (AETN) for a Next Gen TV broadcast standard upgrade. This funding specifically covers the technical transition to the Advanced Television Systems Committee's 3.0 standard, which modernizes AETN's broadcasting infrastructure. The bill directly affects AETN's operations and its ability to deliver educational programming via television. It is a procedural appropriation bill with no direct impact on residents or other state agencies beyond the specified capital improvement project.
HB 1596 increases penalties for moving traffic violations (like speeding or reckless driving) committed in highway work zones or new "mobile work zones" in Arkansas. Mobile work zones are temporary areas marked by flashing equipment (e.g., work vehicles with rotating lights) where construction or maintenance occurs for limited times. The law requires clear warning signs 1,500-5,000 feet ahead of these zones and doubles the standard fine for violations when construction personnel are present. All additional fines collected go to local county or city treasuries for general use, not specifically for roadwork.
HB 1605 makes the Construction Manager-General Contractor (CM-GC) procurement program permanent for the Arkansas State Highway Commission, replacing its previous temporary pilot status. The bill removes the program’s 2026 termination date and repeals the requirement for an independent consultant study comparing CM-GC to traditional procurement methods. Under this permanent program, the Highway Commission can use the CM-GC method for any transportation project with a construction cost estimate under $300 million, streamlining project contracting without phase limits or cost caps previously applied during the pilot. This directly affects how the state procures road and highway construction projects.
HB 1502 reduces the age requirement for registering historic or special interest vehicles in Arkansas from 45 to 30 years. It allows owners of vehicles 30+ years old to register them as historic/special interest vehicles and receive distinctive license plates instead of standard plates. The bill also clarifies that reproduction vehicles must be at least 30 years old to qualify for this registration. This change directly affects owners of older vehicles seeking special license plates under Arkansas law. The law maintains the $7 registration fee but lowers the eligibility threshold for historic vehicle status.
HB 1600 clarifies terminology in laws affecting municipal law enforcement officers by replacing "full-time certified" with "full-time" throughout existing provisions. It also adds a definition for "presumptive illness list" as chronic or fatal illnesses for municipal police departments. The bill does not change leave benefits or compensation but standardizes how these policies are described in law. It directly affects all full-time municipal law enforcement officers in the state. The bill passed as Act 317 on March 18, 2025.
HB 1607 creates a dedicated Office of Outdoor Recreation within Arkansas' Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. This office will manage the existing FUN Parks Grants Program, establish application rules and selection criteria for grant funding, and oversee accountability for how funds are used by recipients. The bill directly affects the state department and local entities receiving outdoor recreation grants, streamlining administration under a single office rather than existing structures. It does not create new funding but reorganizes how current grant programs are managed.
HB 1512, now Act 341, prohibits Arkansas public schools and charter schools from granting excused absences for "political protest." It allows excused absences for student "social or public policy advocacy" or "influencing legislation" only with parental consent. Schools must annually report the number of such absences and their purposes to the education division. The law directly affects public school students, parents, and school administrators by changing absence policies for non-academic activities.
