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Committee approves Higher Ed cleanup bill to remove outdated references
Summary
House Bill 1408, presented as a Department of Higher Education cleanup measure to remove obsolete references and reduce duplicative reporting, was approved by the committee after sponsors explained it does not change current reporting requirements.
Senator (identified in testimony as) James Sturge introduced House Bill 1408 as a technical cleanup bill from the Department of Higher Education. He told the committee the measure removes outdated references—such as to a Southwest Arkansas Higher Ed consortium—and eliminates duplicative reporting requirements tied to older funding formulas.
Maria Markham, identified as director of the Department of Higher Education, sat with the committee and the sponsor emphasized the bill does not reduce or eliminate current reporting obligations; it consolidates and modernizes references to reflect an existing high‑speed fiber optic network and current uniform reporting standards. The bill also removes a requirement that institutions bring parking and traffic regulations to the AOC and instead directs institutions to manage those policies internally.
Committee members asked questions and the bill was approved by voice vote.
