The Arkansas Legislature did not let icy roads keep them from working this week, and they kept moving on quite a few pieces of legislation. First, the good news! On Thursday Governor Sanders signed the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act, which includes fast-tracking Medicaid coverage for pregnant women to help them get prenatal care more quickly (presumptive eligibility). Arkansas Advocates supported bills calling for presumptive eligibility in 2021 and 2023, so we are especially happy to see this policy change included. The governor also signed a bill on our legislative agenda that will provide free school breakfast to any public school student who requests one. We’re thankful for our partners at Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, whose No Kid Hungry campaign has been working for years to advance better policies to reduce child hunger. Read our blog post about it here.
On the other hand, we are disappointed by the advancement of several bills that will make it harder for everyday Arkansans to participate in direct democracy. We started the week attending a press conference held by our partners at the Arkansas Public Policy Panel. Defenders of the ballot initiative process gathered in the old state Supreme Court room to hear from a variety of speakers. You can watch the recording from the event on our Facebook page. And read related commentary on the Arkansas Advocate website. Several of the bills progressed through committees this week, as you’ll see in this issue of our newsletter.
Below you will find an overview of bills on AACF’s legislative agenda and that AACF generally either supports or opposes. We are monitoring more bills, listed and frequently updated on our website.
Bills on AACF’s Legislative Agenda
Through conversations with partners, advocates and young Arkansans, and through our own policy research, AACF has identified a series of policies that will improve the well-being of Arkansans. The following bills are in support of our 2025 legislative agenda.
Democracy and Voting Rights
New and Scheduled: SB247 | Sen. Clarke Tucker | Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee
This bill would make several changes to the absentee voting process, including creating a process for voters to fix issues with their absentee ballot packets (called cure), such as in the case of a missing document or a question around signature matching, so their ballot might still be counted. It is on the agenda for Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee at 10am on Tuesday, February 25, but might not be heard at that time.
Food Security
Now Law: SB59 is now Act 123 | Sen. Jonathan Dismang and Rep. Zack Gramlich | Senate Education Committee
This new law requires public schools to provide a free breakfast to any student who requests it, even if the student does not qualify for free meals under any federal, state, or local program. Find news coverage on this new law: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Advocate, Arkansas Times.
Health
Now Law: HB1427 is now Act 124 | Rep. Aaron Pilkington and Sen. Missy Irvin | House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee
This Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies law changes multiple policies relating to pregnancy and postpartum care. It fast-tracks Medicaid coverage for pregnant women (presumptive eligibility), unbundles Medicaid coverage for pregnant women, and authorizes Medicaid reimbursement for prenatal and postpartum home visitation care by doulas and community health workers. It also provides coverage for blood pressure monitors and remote ultrasounds. It passed the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on Monday and the full Senate on Tuesday. Governor Sanders signed the bill into law on Thursday. Find news coverage on this new law: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Advocate.
Bills AACF Also Supports
The following bills are not formally on AACF’s legislative agenda, but AACF recognizes they could have a positive impact on Arkansas’s children and families.
Child Welfare
Passed: HB1292 | Rep. Mary Bentley and Sen. Kim Hammer | House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs
This bill would clarify residency requirements for adoptions in Arkansas. It would also create a new exception to the adoption residency requirements that would allow the Director of the Division of Children and Family Services to waive the residency requirement for a minor in foster care who is 16 or older under certain conditions. The bill passed the full House on Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday and the full Senate on Thursday. It will next go to the Governor for her signature.
Scheduled: HB1434 | Rep. Ashley Hudson and Sen. Missy Irvin | House Judiciary Committee
This bill proposes amendments to child custody law, specifically addressing cases involving domestic abuse or coercive control. The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption against awarding custody or unsupervised visitation to a parent or guardian found to have committed abuse or coercive control, requiring them to prove that their involvement will not endanger the child. It is scheduled to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee at 10am on Tuesday, February 25.
Passed: HB1437 | Rep. Matt Duffield and Sen. Alan Clark | House Judiciary Committee
This bill would prohibit Level 3 and Level 4 registered sex offenders to be within 100 feet of a water park or public park. It passed the full House on Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday and the full Senate on Thursday. It will next go to the Governor for her signature.
Education, K-12
Now Law: SB89 is now Act 120 | Sen. Jane English | Senate Education Committee
This new law requires school districts to publicly post on their website the names and email addresses of members of the school board, agendas of regular and special board meetings at least 24 hours before the meeting, and minutes of regular and special board meetings within 24 hours of the meeting. The bill passed the full House on Monday and was signed into law on Tuesday.
Now Law: SB142 is now Act 122| Sen. Tyler Dees and Rep. Jon S. Eubanks | Senate Education Committee
This new law requires every public school district and open-enrollment public charter school to adopt a policy prohibiting the use of cell phones by students during the school day, except during an emergency. The policy is required to allow exceptions for students with disabilities, if the use of a personal electronic device is included on their IEP or 504 Plan. It requires the districts to post their policies on their websites and submit them to the Arkansas Department of Education for approval. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee with a House amendment on Monday and the full Senate on Tuesday. Gov. Sanders signed the bill into law on Thursday. Find news coverage on this new law: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Advocate, Arkansas Times.
New: HB1542 |Rep. Jim Wooten |House Education Committee
This bill would require private schools that receive state funding to participate in the statewide student assessment system, which is administered by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education currently for public schools and open-enrollment public charter schools. The bill would also require private schools to admit any student who applies and intends to use state funding to pay to attend, as long as the school has capacity.
Progressed and Scheduled: SB206 | Sen. Steve Crowell and Rep. Rebecca Burkes | Senate Education Committee
This bill would triple the amount of literacy tutoring grants provided to public schools on behalf of eligible students. The current amount is $500 per student, and this bill would increase it to $1,500 per student. It passed the House Education Committee on Thursday. It is scheduled to be heard by the full House at 1:30pm on Monday, February 24.
Family Economic Security
New and Scheduled: SB241 | Sen. Jamie Scott and Rep. Aaron Pilkington | Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee
This bill would grant 80 hours of leave in a calendar year to a public employee in the event of the death of an immediate family member; it would grant 640 hours in a calendar year in the event of the death of a child. It is scheduled to be heard by the Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee at 10am on Tuesday, February 25.
Health
Now Law: SB77 is now Act 103 | Sen. Mark Johnson | Senate Insurance & Commerce Committee
The new law requires Medicaid to reimburse for physical therapy provided in clinic-based settings. It directs the Department of Human Services to seek federal approval to implement this change. It was signed into law on Tuesday.
Progressed: HB1258 | Rep. Lee Johnson | House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee
This bill would establish the definition of a community health worker for certification purposes and would authorize services to be covered under the Medicaid program. It passed the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on Tuesday and the full House on Wednesday. It is now assigned to the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee.
Bills AACF Opposes
The following are bills we believe would be harmful to our state, our state’s children and their families, and our state’s most vulnerable individuals.
Democracy and Voting Rights
The bills in this section would have a negative effect on direct democracy in Arkansas. Arkansas Advocates staff Christin Harper and Rebecca Zimmermann both testified against several of these bills; you can read their testimony on our website. The bills have received a lot of press this week: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Advocate here and here, Arkansas Times and Talk Business & Politics.
Progressed and Scheduled: SB207 | Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Kendon Underwood | Senate Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
This bill would require that canvassers collecting signatures for a ballot measure inform individuals before signing that petition fraud is a criminal offense. It passed the House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs on Wednesday. It is scheduled to be heard by the full House at 1:30pm on Monday, February 24.
Progressed and Scheduled: SB208 | Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Kendon Underwood | Senate Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
This bill would require that canvassers request and review a photo ID before allowing a voter to sign a ballot measure petition. It passed the House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs on Monday. It picked up an amendment and is scheduled to be considered by the House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs 15 minutes after the House adjourns in the afternoon on Monday, February 24.
Scheduled: SB209 | Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Kendon Underwood | Senate Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
This bill would disqualify all signatures collected by a canvasser, including legitimate signatures, if a canvasser is found to have violated Arkansas law or the Arkansas Constitution while collecting signatures for a petition. It is scheduled to be heard by the full Senate at 1:30pm on Monday, February 24.
Scheduled: SB210 | Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Kendon Underwood | Senate Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
This bill would require canvassers to read the ballot title of a measure out loud to a voter or observe a voter read the ballot title before allowing them to sign a ballot measure petition. It is scheduled to be heard by the full Senate at 1:30pm on Monday, February 24.
Progressed and Scheduled: SB211 | Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Kendon Underwood | Senate Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
This bill would require canvassers to file an affidavit with the Secretary of State’s office before the signatures they collected could be counted and would prevent them from collecting additional signatures after a campaign had submitted signatures to the Secretary of State’s office until the Secretary of State’s office determined the campaign met certain requirements. It passed the House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs on Monday. It picked up an amendment and is scheduled to be considered by the House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs 15 minutes after the House adjourns in the afternoon on Monday, February 24.
Passed: HB1222 | Rep. David Ray and Sen. Kim Hammer | House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
This bill would allow the Arkansas Attorney General to reject a proposed ballot measure based on whether he or she determined the proposed measure would violate the United States Constitution or federal law. Historically, the AG has only provided opinions and guidance on the topic. It passed the full Senate on Tuesday and goes next to the Governor for her signature. Read about this bill on the Arkansas Times website.
Education, K-12
Scheduled: HB1180 | Rep. Mary Bentley and Sen. Clint Penzo | House Education Committee
This bill would require public schools and open-enrollment public charter schools to teach, beginning in 6th grade, human growth and development as it relates to pregnancy and fetal development inside the womb, to include a three-minute-minimum, high-definition ultrasound video and the “Meet Baby Olivia” animated video, developed by Live Action or similar video. After failing to get out of committee on the Senate side, it has picked up a couple of amendments and is scheduled to be heard again by the Senate Education Committee at 10am on Monday, February 24.
New and Scheduled: HB1192 | Rep. Aaron Pilkington | House Select Committee on Rules
This bill would expand the current prohibition to include possessing tobacco, tobacco products, and e-cigarettes on real and personal property owned or leased by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school. The law applies to anyone, not just students. The bill also adds a tier of fines for parents of students who are found guilty of violating the law, from $100 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense, and $1,000 for a third and subsequent offense. It is scheduled to be heard by the House Select Committee on Rules at 12pm on Tuesday, February 25.
Now Law: HB1215 is now Act 119 | Rep. Mary Bentley | House Education Committee
This new law changes the 2023 school bathroom bill that targeted transgender youth. It allows a coach to visit student athletes in a locker room, changing room, shower room, or restroom that is designated for a sex different from the coach’s, provided other parameters are met. Instead of adding more exceptions to this law, we maintain that the whole section, ACA 6-21-120, should be repealed. It was signed into law on Tuesday.
Equity
Now Law: SB3 is now Act 116 | Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Mary Bentley | Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee
This new law prohibits state agencies from providing programs targeted toward historically excluded groups, including on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. It specifically excludes veteran status in matters of state employment, public education, or state procurement. This will result in the elimination of scholarships to Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americans who commit to teaching in the Delta; as well as university retention programs for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American students, faculty, and staff. It will also prevent programs designed to recruit more diverse staff in state government. This new law also allows a person to bring a civil action if the person believes his or her rights have been impacted as it relates to discrimination or providing preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in matters of state employment, public education, or state procurement. It was signed into law on Tuesday.
Scheduled: HB1422 | Rep. Wayne Long and Sen. Mark Johnson | House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
This bill would require the Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration to prepare a monthly report with the names and identifying information of anyone who has a driver’s license in addition to a valid nonimmigrant visa or entry into the United States and deliver it to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State would then verify if any person were listed in the voter rolls of the state, and that person would be removed from the voter rolls and their license would also be suspended. This bill would also require DFA to modify the driver’s license of a person with nonimmigrant status to be printed vertically and to clearly state on its face “Non-Citizen.” It is scheduled to be heard by the House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs 15 minutes after the House adjourns on Monday, February 24.
Family Economic Security
New and Scheduled: HB1506 | Rep. Wade Andrews and Sen. Matt McKee | House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee
This bill would prohibit all public employers in the state from deducting labor organization dues, fees, or contributions from a public employee’s compensation. Public safety employees, including fire, police, and emergency medical care, would be excluded from the prohibition. It is scheduled to be heard by the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee at 10am on Tuesday, February 25.
Also Worth Noting
New: SB246 | Sen. Jonathan Dismang and Rep. Matthew J. Shepherd | Senate Education Committee
This omnibus bill addresses several issues related to higher education in Arkansas, as well as many K-12 issue areas. Changes in this bill would include, but are not limited to, changing the membership composition of different education-related councils and committees; establishing accelerated learning in lieu of the previous Advancement Placement Training and Incentive Program; establishing that public schools, charter schools, and state-supported institutions of higher education could not grant excused absences for student involvement in political protests, public policy advocacy, or policy-making; prohibiting state-supported higher education officers, agents, administrators, employees, teachers, or contractors from compelling another state-supported higher education colleague or student to affirm, adopt, or adhere to a political, philosophical, religious, or other ideological viewpoint or ideas or beliefs that would violate the 1964 Civil Rights Act; and removing certain provisions from the K-12 school rating system. We are currently analyzing this bill to learn more about how it might impact both K-12 and higher education before we take a position.
HB1512 | Rep. Matthew Shepherd and Sen. Jonathan Dismang | House Education Committee
This bill is the companion bill to SB246. The content in HB1512 and SB246 is identical.
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