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Votes at a glance: key outcomes from the April 1 Arkansas Senate session
Summary
The Senate recorded dozens of roll-call outcomes. This roundup lists bills the chamber disposed of during the morning and business hours, with vote results and brief notes on subject matter.
The Arkansas Senate took final action on multiple bills during its April 1 session. Below are key roll-call outcomes recorded on the floor, with short descriptions and the announced recorded vote where available.
- Senate Bill 392 (State employee pay plan): Passed the Senate; later the chamber adopted the emergency clause following a procedural motion to expunge an earlier vote. (Recorded roll-call counts on initial passage: 22 yea, 7 nay, 6 present; emergency clause later adopted by recorded vote announced as 29 yea, 1 nay, 5 not voting.)
- Senate Bill 117 (Naturopathic physician licensure): Passed the Senate on a recorded vote (announced 24 yea, 4 nay, 6 not voting, 1 present). Creates licensure, reorganizes the acupuncture board into a Natural Medicine Board; sponsor agreed to clarify background-check language in the House.
- Senate Bill 355 (amend obstructing governmental operations): Passed by voice/roll call (announced 35 yea, 0 nay). Adds a provision allowing charges when a person served in person with a subpoena knowingly fails to appear for a criminal matter.
- Senate Bill 397 (confidentiality of railroad crew names in most accident reports): Passed (announced 35 yea, 0 nay). Limits public release of crew names in incidents where crew members are not at fault; law enforcement and FOIA channels remain available in certain cases.
- Senate Bill 412 (per-mile income tax deduction alignment for state travel): Passed (announced 34 yea, 0 nay, 1 not voting). Authorizes DFA to set per-mile amounts consistent with federal guidance, with caps.
- Senate Bill 425 (transportation enhanced funding language / emergency clause adopted): Passed on recorded roll (announced 27 yea, 2 nay, 4 not voting, 2 present); the corresponding emergency clause was adopted.
- Senate Bill 440 (embalmers/funeral directors; alkaline hydrolysis regulation): Passed (announced 35 yea, 0 nay). Adds regulation of alkaline hydrolysis facilities under funeral services board authority.
- Senate Bill 448 (modernizes CPACE energy-efficiency financing): Passed (announced 25 yea, 1 nay, 7 not voting, 2 present). Updates commercial PACE program financing authority.
- Senate Bill 464 (raw milk sales expansion, labeling and retail sales): Passed with emergency clause adopted (announced 33 yea, 2 nay); bill broadens where raw milk and raw milk products may be sold and tightened labeling requirements.
- Senate Bill 467 (athlete concussion education; adds chiropractors to health-care providers list): Passed (announced 35 yea, 0 nay).
- Plus: Numerous additional bills and house measures were taken up and transmitted to the House, including appropriations and administrative updates on IT governance, cybersecurity, higher-education finance and other routine statutory changes. Many were passed on recorded roll calls presented on the floor; transcripts note vote-by-vote outcomes for each.
Ending: This roundup covers the principal measures the Senate disposed of during the morning and business hours on April 1. The House will receive the transmitted measures; bills that carried emergency clauses will move more quickly into implementation if the House concurs.
