Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislative Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Votes at a glance: key measures the Senate passed on the floor
Summary
A roundup of bills, resolutions and appropriation measures the Arkansas Senate approved during the session, with vote results and short notes on each item.
The Arkansas Senate approved a series of bills and appropriations on the floor during this session. Below are the measures recorded in floor proceedings, the outcome on the roll, and a brief note on each.
- Senate Bill 2 20 (Invest Arkansas Exemption Act): Passed 29–0. The bill amends the Arkansas Securities Act to expand an exemption for offerings to Arkansas-based startups, raising the offering limit to $10 million in 12 months and raising the per-investor cap to $100,000 (from $5,000), sponsor: Sen. Boyd.
- Senate Bill 2 24 (repeal relating to natural organic fertilizers): Passed 29–0. Sponsor said the 1988 law had never been used and that modern fertilizer statutes already cover natural ingredients.
- Senate Bill 2 29 (create Department of Financial Services name within Department of Commerce): Passed 29–0. Sponsor characterized the bill as creating a single public name to unify the State Bank Department and State Securities Department under the bank commissioner; no new authorities or appropriations.
- Senate Bill 2 30 (Arkansas Trust Institutions Act update): Passed 29–0. Sponsor described editorial and non‑substantive changes intended to modernize the 1997 statute; only one Arkansas business presently affected per sponsor.
- House Bill 11 96 (split of sheriff and tax collector in Montgomery County): Passed 29–0. Sponsor said the county’s quorum court voted unanimously in favor.
- House Bill 12 87 (health care contracting down‑coding notification): Vote recorded on floor; sponsor described it as requiring notification of providers when services are down‑coded; no opposition recorded on floor.
- House Bill 13 83 (Petroleum Storage Tank Trust Fund technical fix): Passed 28–1. Sponsor said the bill corrects a cross-reference error from last session to align statutory payment limits.
- House Bill 14 18 (preemption of local regulation of knives): Passed 28–1. Modeled on an existing firearms‑components preemption law, sponsor said the bill provides uniform statewide exemptions for people who carry tools and for knife makers traveling to shows; municipal league reported no opposition.
- Appropriations batch (House bills 10 87, 10 99, 11 00, 11 04, 11 14, 11 51, 12 35, and related budget bills): Passed 29–0; emergency clauses adopted. These are standard fiscal-year appropriations for various state agencies and boards.
A number of committee recommendations and engrossing motions were also handled on the floor and several amendments were adopted by voice or roll call during committee and floor action. Bills that passed on floor votes will be transmitted to the House for any remaining procedural steps or implementation actions identified by sponsors and agencies.
