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The House has now wrapped up the 7th week of the 2021 Regular Session. The House passed the following bills on Thursday afternoon: HB1224-This bill establishes the State Crime Laboratory Student Loan Forgiveness Program. If law, this would allow pathologists to enter a probationary period with the State Crime Lab. After that probationary period, the […]

Today is the 45th day of the 2021 Regular Session. More than 560 bills have been filed in the House, and more than 390 have been filed in the Senate.Several of those bills passed the House on Wednesday, including the following: SB24-This bill, commonly known as the Stand Your Ground bill, removes the duty to […]

Since the filing period began, there have been more than 540 bills filed in the House. In the Senate, 380 have been filed.More than 120 bills so far have been signed into law.This afternoon, the House advanced several more, including the following: HB1353-This bill states that a medical marijuana cultivation facility or dispensary shall not […]

After an extended recess due to the winter weather, House members are back at the Capitol. On Monday, the House passed SB236, which exempts unemployment benefits paid in 2020 and 2021 from state income tax. Last year, due to the pandemic, more than 280,000 Arkansans received unemployment benefits. Currently, state income taxes are not withheld. […]

This week was yet another example of how Arkansans overcome in difficult times. From the workers clearing our roads to the power company employees doing their best to keep houses warm, we want to extend our deepest appreciation to our essential workers.The General Assembly took an extended recess due to the winter weather across our […]

There are 25 proposed constitutional amendments filed in the House and 18 in the Senate. The deadline to file proposed amendments was February 10. Proposals range from creating a citizens commission on minimum wage to tort reform.The House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee will hear testimony and vote on proposals later this session. We […]

Today is the deadline for members to file proposed Constitutional Amendments. More than 20 proposed amendments have been filed. You can find a complete list of the proposals which are labeled House Joint Resolutions and Senate Joint Resolutions at www.arkleg.state.ar.us.This afternoon, the House passed several bills including the following:HB1118-This bill allows the cottage food industry […]

Tomorrow is the last day members can file proposed Constitutional Amendments. The General Assembly can refer a maximum of three amendments for the November 2022 General Election ballot. Proposed amendments are filed as either a House Joint Resolution (HJR) or a Senate Joint Resolution (SJR). The House State Agencies committee will review and vote on […]

More than 70 bills have now been signed into law as we begin the 5th week of the 2021 Regular Session. Another bill now making its way to the Governor’s desk is SB99. This bill, which regulates “step therapy” protocols, passed the House by a vote of 96-0.Health benefit plans are increasingly making use of […]

The 93rd General Assembly now prepares to enter the 5th week of the 2021 Regular Session. The House passed a resolution to extend this session, if necessary, to May 3. The resolution provides for a recess on April 9. The deadline for members to file proposed Constitutional Amendments is February 10. The General Assembly can […]

The House has adjourned from the 4th week of the Regular Session.The following bills were passed by the House Thursday afternoon:HB1315. This bill creates a state meat inspection program. The bill states that a lack of a state meat inspection program causes a significant loss of revenue generated from meat processing for this state and […]

On Wednesday, the House passed several pieces of legislation, including the following: ·      HB1212-This bill gives the Director of the Division of Workforce Services the discretion to modify employer contributions for certain unemployment insurance claims during an emergency. ·      HB1068-This bill would allow for the use of telemedicine for group therapy […]