Senate approves school firearm safety instruction, re‑refers behavior‑analyst registration; advances dental‑hygienist compact and Medicaid clarification

The Arkansas Senate on March 3, 2025, approved a bill requiring up to 30 minutes of age‑appropriate firearm safety instruction in public schools, re‑referred a bill to create a state registration for behavior analysts back to committee for amendment and moved several licensure and Medicaid clarifications toward final action.

The chamber passed House Bill 11 17, authorizing schools, in cooperation with the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, to provide up to 30 minutes of “age appropriate” firearm‑safety instruction. Senator Bryant, who sponsored the Senate handling of the measure, described the program as a classroom safety exercise similar to other drills and said the intent is to teach students to avoid handling unsecured firearms and to report them to an adult. The Senate recorded the roll call as 28 yeas, 5 nays and 1 present; the bill will return to the House.

The bill drew questions on parental choice. Senator Tucker asked whether parents could opt their children out; Bryant said that, as drafted and as discussed on the floor, the instruction would be implemented similarly to routine safety training and that an explicit opt‑out had not been included in the version before the Senate. The transcript shows debate on that point but no late amendment addressing opt‑out before the final vote.

On professional regulation, the Senate took up House Bill 12 45, which would create a state registration option for board‑certified behavior…