Daily Summary for March 28, 2019

On Thursday, the House passed a measure to increase homestead property tax credit. SB447 increases the credit from $350 to $375. It also diverts $8.2 million from the property tax relief fund to the county voting systems grant fund. It also directs excess funds to the state’s long-term reserve fund.

The House passed HB1773. This bill ensures that firefighters who have completed 5 or more years of employment are granted at least 1,456 hours of paid leave for treatment of any cancer caused by his or her job. Paid leave for occupationally caused cancer under this bill would not reduce the accrued sick leave or annual vacation leave of the firefighter.

The House passed SB448. This bill prohibits any person from performing an abortion unless he or she is licensed to practice medicine in the state of Arkansas and is board-certified or board-eligible in obstetrics and gynecology. It also defines viability as:

The state of fetal development when, in the judgment of the physician based on the particular facts of the case before him or her and in light of the most advanced medical technology and information available to him or her, there is a reasonable likelihood of sustained survival of the unborn child outside the body of the mother, with or without artificial life support.

The House Revenue and Taxation committee advanced SB582. This bill provides a sales tax refund for machinery and equipment used to modify, replace, or repair molds and dies used in manufacturing.

The House Public Transportation Committee advanced SB534. This bill amends distracted driving laws to put Arkansas in compliance with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards. It establishes minimum fines for violating the law of $25 dollars for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses. Maximum fines are set at $250 for the first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses.

The House Judiciary Committee advanced HB1802. This bill instructs a committee appointed by the Supreme Court Chief Justice to revise the family support chart used in determining child support awards. It instructs the committee to base the chart on payor income and recipient income and no longer on the payor income based support chart. The new chart would be revised by March 1, 2020.
The Judiciary Committee also advanced HB1733 which makes threatening to commit an act of mass violence on school property a Class C felony.

The House will reconvene on Friday at 11am.