Senate approves judgeship, health and transparency measures; technical corrections batch passes

The Arkansas Senate completed roll-call votes on multiple bills during the session.

Major roll-call outcomes included an additional circuit judgeship for the Nineteenth Judicial District West (Senate Bill 234), which passed by a vote of 32–0, and a slate of bills passed by the Senate that addressed ambulance billing, adoption residency rules for certain infants and older youth, public-water-authority board transparency, redistribution of a state administration fund, restrictions on registered offenders at parks, and a large batch of technical corrections to the Arkansas Code.

Senate Bill 234 (additional circuit judgeship, Nineteenth Judicial District West) Sponsor: Senator Deese. "One additional circuit judgeship is needed in the Nineteenth District to ensure a smooth and efficient timely administration of justice," Deese said, citing caseload figures. On a roll call the Senate approved the measure 32–0; the corresponding emergency clause was adopted.

House Bill 12 86 (ambulance "treat in place" billing update) Sponsor: Senator Boyd. The bill updates 2023 legislation to clarify when an ambulance provider may bill for a call in which an enrollee declines transport and treatment involved a physician or behavioral-health specialist by telemedicine. Vote: 31–0–1 (31 yes, 0 no, 1 not voting).

House Bill 12 92 (residency requirement changes to expedite adoption in specified cases) Sponsor: Senator Hammer. The bill creates a pathway to waive a six-month residency requirement for infants who are voluntarily surrendered (safe-haven) and for certain older youths about to age out, provided judicial approval and existing protections remain. Vote: 31–0–1 (31 yes, 0 no, 1 not voting).

House Bill 13 87 (public-water-authority board transparency) Sponsor: Senator Peyton (bill authored by Representative Cooper). The bill requires public water authorities to publish board members' names and phone numbers on their websites and directs the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to provide a link. Vote: 28–2–1–1 (28 yes, 2 no, 1 not voting, 1 present).

House Bill 14 07 (State Administration of Justice Fund redistribution) Sponsor: Senator Clark. The bill redistributes funding used to close out the part-time district judge system; the measure passed 31–0–1.

House Bill 14 37 (restricted access for certain registered offenders at parks) Sponsor: Senator Clark (Representative Duffield carried the bill in the House). The bill expands prior language to cover all public parks and sets a 100-foot exclusion zone for water parks, swimming areas and children's playgrounds. Vote: 32–0.

Technical corrections and code-revision bills (batched) Senator Tucker moved to batch several technical-correction bills to Titles 5, 12, 16, 18, 20, 23, 24 and 27 of the Arkansas Code; the batch passed by roll call 31–0–1. The sponsor noted these bills are the last package coming from the Code Revision Commission.

Other actions Senate Resolution 26 (authorizing certain longer recesses) was adopted by voice vote earlier in the morning hour. Several bills were sent back to committee or to engrossing per standard procedure as noted on the floor.

What the votes mean: The judgeship was added to address high average caseloads in the Nineteenth Judicial District West; other measures were technical or administrative updates (ambulance billing, code corrections) or statutory clarifications (adoption process, water-authority transparency, park access restrictions for registered offenders). Fiscal-impact notes or committee reports were referenced on the floor for some measures (for example, SB 234 had a fiscal review noting salaries/central services impacts).