Arkansas House passes scores of bills; lawmakers debate earned‑wage access, data‑center incentives and petition rules

The Arkansas House of Representatives on the floor approved dozens of bills covering health care, elections, data‑center incentives, courts and consumer protections, with several high‑profile debates and multiple unanimous votes.

Lawmakers moved quickly through a long list of measures, approving technical corrections and agency bills as well as new consumer protections and program authorizations. Major policy debates included a bill setting standards for earned‑wage access providers, legislation meant to attract large data‑center investment, and two bills changing petition and signature rules for statewide ballot measures.

Representative Ray, who sponsored the earned‑wage access measure, said the product "is not a loan" and emphasized it involves no interest, credit checks or late fees. The bill — which creates a legal framework for companies that let employees access wages they have already earned — passed 93–3–4. Ray told colleagues the measure provides consumer protections and remains optional for employers; committee testimony cited about 400 employers in the state and roughly 50,000 workers currently with access to such services.

On health measures, the House passed a bill intended to expand access to diagnostic mammograms in rural hospitals. Representative Shepherd said the bill allows diagnostic mammograms to be performed when a radiologist is not physically on site, with safeguards requiring radiologist oversight; the measure passed 100–0. Another health bill, to allow state Medicaid to seek a waiver for acquired brain injury coverage, passed 94–1–2; Representative Bentley said a fiscal impact could not be estimated until a federal waiver is approved.

The House also approved an expansion of the existing data‑center sales‑tax exemption to create a "large scale data center" designation tied to multi‑billion dollar investment thresholds. Representative Pilkington described the measure as intended to…