Lawmakers in Arkansas are looking to address a variety of issues in the 2025 legislative session, which is set to begin on January 15, 2025. The filing period for proposed bills opened on November 20, 2024.
Here are some of the key proposals for the upcoming session:
House Bills:
–HB 1004 – Would extend Medicaid coverage to postpartum mothers for up to one year after childbirth.
–HB 1011 – Seeks to restore abortion access in Arkansas, following restrictions imposed in 2022.
–HB 1045 – Requires farmers to obtain approval from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture before burning crop residues such as wheat and rice stubble, and mandates compliance with state smoke management guidelines for row crop burning.
–HB 1055 – Proposes expanding coverage for state and public-school employees to include Alzheimers and other dementia-related diseases.
–HB 1057 – Would add new categories to the list of individuals banned from owning firearms, including felons convicted of antitrust violations, unfair trade practices, restraint of trade, or other business regulation offenses.
–HB 1049 – Seeks to make unlawful squatting a criminal offense.
–HB 1059 – Proposes offering truck drivers who live in Arkansas a free lifetime hunting and fishing license if their tips lead to the rescue of a human trafficking victim or the arrest of a trafficker.
–HB 1065 – Aims to remove the current 3% cap on annual adjustments to the states standard deduction, instead linking it to the Consumer Price Index for the West South-Central region (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas).
–HB 1066 – Seeks to increase the standard deduction for individual taxpayers from $2,340 to $4,400 by 2026.
Senate Bills:
–SB 2 – Proposes repealing the state law that mandates the use of fluoride in drinking water, giving the Department of Health authority to set fluoride limits.
–SB 4 – Would allow voters to decide whether or not to fluoridate their local public water systems.
These proposed measures represent a broad range of topics, from healthcare and public safety to environmental regulations and tax policies, and will likely spark significant debate during the upcoming session.
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