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Committee passes package of bills on marketplaces, real estate, health screenings, financing and provider rates
Summary
The House Insurance & Commerce Committee advanced a package of bills by voice vote, including an update to the state’s online marketplace seller‑verification law, rules on dual real‑estate agency, utility notification to the PSC for plant closures, breast‑cancer screening cost‑share removal for high‑risk patients, and other technical and finance bills.
The House Insurance & Commerce Committee advanced a group of bills by voice vote, moving several measures to the next stage of the legislative process.
Votes at a glance
- Update to inform statute (sponsor: Representative John Maddox): Sponsor said Arkansas originally passed an INFORM‑style law in 2021 requiring online marketplaces to verify third‑party sellers and post contact information; passage of the federal INFORM Act in 2023 prompted a statute update to conform state law to the federal language. Representative Maddox said the change primarily extends the seller‑verification window from 24 hours to 10 calendar days to match the federal law. The committee passed the bill by voice vote; no roll‑call recorded.
- House Bill 1853 — Dual‑agency for real‑estate agents (sponsor: Representative Jeremiah Moore): Sponsor said the bill “enshrines dual agency for real estate agents in state law” and that dual agency is already allowed by rule. The committee passed the bill by voice vote.
- Senate Bill 463 — Utility notification to PSC on plant closures (presenter: Matt Brown): The bill would require a utility subject to the Public Service Commission (PSC) to notify the PSC and consult with it before entering a consent decree related to the closure of an electric power plant. Sponsor said the change responds to recent plant closures and clarifies the PSC’s ability to step in. The committee passed the bill by voice vote.
- Senate Bill 123 — Supplemental breast‑cancer screenings (sponsor: Representative Vaught): The bill removes cost‑sharing for medically necessary supplemental screenings for women at high risk of breast cancer. Sponsor said the fiscal note’s estimate of about $700,000 did not account for the fact the screenings are recommended for a small percentage of the population. Committee members heard no opposition; the bill was passed by voice vote.
- House Bill (assessor/realtor listing change) — Representative Robin Lundstrom: The bill would remove property‑tax information from real estate listings and direct potential buyers to contact the assessor for current tax information. Supporters said buyers are sometimes surprised at post‑sale tax bills when the capped tax on a previous owner is removed. The committee passed the bill by voice vote.
- Senate Bill 448 — Financing vehicle for large facility energy retrofits (presenter: senator’s proxy): Sponsor said the bill updates an older financing mechanism to make the state competitive with other states that have modernized similar programs and cited large project investment examples in other states. Committee passed the bill by voice vote.
- House Bill 1863 and House Bill 1850 (Representative Lee Johnson): Both bills correct and relocate ambulance and out‑of‑network rate provisions in statute. Sponsor said HB 1863 strikes an incorrect code placement; HB 1850 moves rates into the correct section. Both passed by voice vote.
- House Bill 1942 — Rate review and payment for direct service providers under the DD waiver (sponsor: Representative Lee Johnson): The bill requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to perform a rate review for waiver direct service providers and, if rates increase, obligates the managed care entity (the “pass”) to pay up to the new rate; if the increase exceeds a certain threshold, the bill allows a phased implementation. Sponsor and DHS agreed the rate review is overdue. The committee passed the bill by voice vote; fiscal impact will depend on the rate study results.
- Senate Bill 237 — Captive insurance modernization (presenter: Representative Stommel): The bill updates Arkansas’s captive insurance statute to align with other states and improve competitive domicile conditions for captive insurers. The committee passed the bill by voice vote.
What committee members said: Most of the bills listed above passed with little or no debate in committee; lawmakers called attention to specific implementation questions where applicable (for example, the schedule and potential fiscal impact of the DD‑waiver rate study) and asked sponsors to coordinate further with affected agencies.
Record of action: Each of the bills above was advanced by voice vote in committee; the hearing transcript shows sponsors closing for their bills and the chair calling the voice votes. No roll‑call tallies were recorded in the transcript; committee announcements reported passage by unanimous voice vote where recorded.
Ending: Sponsors and committee members asked agencies to follow up with technical details where needed (for example DHS for the rate review). The compact on transmission discussed earlier was withdrawn for further study and is not included in this passage list.
