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Senate Judiciary committee advances bill to keep Boy Scout bankruptcy awards in Arkansas
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 13, an amendment intended to preserve funds from the Boy Scout bankruptcy trust for more than 500 Arkansas claimants if a current legal challenge overturns prior state legislation.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 13 on a voice vote, approving an amendment intended to preserve awards from the Boy Scout bankruptcy trust for Arkansans who filed claims.
Senator Central Wallace, who presented SB 13 to the committee, described the measure as "an amendment to a good bill" from previous years and said it is "designed to protect money that is already set aside at a national level for the state of Arkansas for over 500 victims of abuse." Wallace told the committee an ongoing lawsuit challenges the earlier law and, if the challenger wins, "this money that has been set aside for our victims in Arkansas would be diverted to Texas, Michigan, other states." He added, "This bill will keep that money in the state of Arkansas."
Senator Stobelfield thanked Wallace for filing the bill and asked whether a ruling had been issued in the pending case. Wallace said there had been no ruling and described SB 13 as a "safeguard in place in case he does win." The committee chair asked who was backing the measure; Wallace replied the bill was brought by "the victims of the state of Arkansas that were former war scouts."
No members of the public signed up to testify for or against SB 13. A committee motion recorded on the transcript states, "Do pass from Centra Stouffville, second from Centra Gilmore." The transcript records committee members saying "aye" and the chair declaring the motion carried; no roll-call tally was provided on the record.
Earlier in the same meeting the committee readopted its rules by voice vote after a short procedural motion; the chair stated, "Rules are readopted." The committee recessed briefly for a photograph and returned to take up additional bills before adjourning.
The bill and amendment as discussed in committee are intended to preserve funds already awarded through the Boy Scout bankruptcy trust for Arkansas claimants if a separate constitutional challenge to prior state law succeeds. The pending lawsuit and the precise scope of any reallocation of funds were described in committee as matters currently before the courts.
