Senate panel approves change narrowing attorney general reporting on prosecutor referrals

Senate Bill 18, requested by the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, passed in the Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs committee after a brief explanation and a voice vote.

Sponsor Sen. Dave Wallace, R‑District 19, told the committee the bill “will cut down the redundancy and the reporting requirements so that the AG only reports on matters that they're actually handling.” He said the change responds to a problem created when both a local prosecuting attorney and the attorney general file separate but identical reports to Legislative Audit after a referral.

The bill, Wallace said, preserves referrals to local prosecutors while limiting the attorney general’s reporting obligation to matters the AG’s office is actively handling. Alex Benton of the Attorney General’s Office was present for the request. Committee members offered no questions and the committee approved the motion to pass (motion by Senator Peyton, second by Senator Dodson); the committee recorded the ayes and the chair announced the bill passed.

The committee recorded no roll-call vote in the transcript; the passage was made by unanimous voice vote in committee. The bill will proceed from committee as passed.

The committee did not cite a specific statute number in its explanation; the discussion framed the change as a narrowing of existing reporting requirements between prosecuting attorneys, the Attorney General’s Office and Legislative Audit.

Sen. Wallace closed by standing ready for questions; none were taken before the motion to pass was offered and seconded.