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This page will house any notable news or updates for the Arkansas IDD community. If you have information you think we should share here, please email assiah.lewellen@dfa.arkansas.gov to submit suggestions.
Legislation and Policy Updates Have Moved!
Posted: 02/06/23
You will now find our legislative and policy updates on this page: Legislation & Public Policy
Your State Legislature Is In Session
Posted: 01/09/23
The Arkansas 94th General Assembly has convened for its 2023 regular session. Visit the legislature's website for meeting information, agendas, and even links to watch online - see your legislators at work!
When? January 9, 2023 12:00am
Where? Arkansas State Capitol, 500 Woodlane St, Little Rock, AR 72201
It is extremely helpful to have strong allies in the legislature. Get to know where legislators stand on issues and find those who are sympathetic to disability issues. Legislators interested in working on these issues often have a personal connection to someone with a disability. Building relationships with legislators opens the door to work more closely with them to get bills introduced, to help in drafting the language, in shaping the debate on the issues, and in getting legislation signed into law.
For more tips on effective legislative advocacy, check out our Effective State Legislative Advocacy document and also check out this 2023 Determined Constituent Gude
Arkansas State Legislature 2023 Regular Session Important Dates
94th General Assembly - Regular Session, 2023 Visit the website here.
IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES
Pre-filing Bills and Resolutions: November 15, 2022
Arkansas Code § 10-2-112(a) establishes November 15 of each year preceding a regular session of the General Assembly as the earliest date that legislation may be filed for introduction.
Pre-Session Budget Hearings: October 11, 2022 - November 10, 2022
The budget hearings of the Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) begin October 11, 2022 and are scheduled to conclude November 10, 2022. The Joint Budget Committee (JBC) sits with the ALC as voting participants in the hearings, creating the Arkansas Legislative Council/Joint Budget Committee (ALC/JBC).
Executive Balanced Budget: Prior to November 10, 2022
The Director of DFA is required to present the Official General Revenue Forecast and balanced budget no later than 60 days prior to the beginning of the regular session.
Feasibility Study for Certain Health Care Legislation introduced by a member of the General Assembly – December 9, 2022
House Rule 72.(a) and Senate Rule 7.05 provide that no action may be taken in the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor, on the floor of the House of Representatives, in the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor, or on the floor of the Senate on any bill that provides for licensure of any profession, occupation or class of health care providers not currently licensed or expands the scope of practice of any profession, occupation, or class of health care providers unless the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor or the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor has initiated a study of the feasibility of such legislation at least thirty (30) days prior to convening the next legislative session.
House Rule 72.(b) and Senate Rule 7.05 provide that a bill providing for the licensure of any profession, occupation, or class of health care providers not currently licensed or expanding the scope of any practice of any profession, occupation, or class of health care providers may be acted upon without the initiation of a feasibility study upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee membership or upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee membership .
Convening regular session: January 9, 2023
Arkansas Code § 10-2-101(a) sets 12:00 noon on the second Monday in January of each odd-numbered year for the convening of the General Assembly in regular session. This rule is derived from Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 5, which permits the General Assembly to establish the date.
Deadline to file retirement legislation, certain health care legislation, and employee health benefits plans legislation: January 23, 2023
Joint Rules and Arkansas Code § 10-2-115 require that legislation affecting any publicly supported retirement system or pension plan be introduced during the first fifteen days of the regular session. (*) After the fifteenth day of the regular session, retirement legislation must be approved for introduction by a three-fourths vote of the full membership of each house.
Joint Rules require that proposed legislation affecting the licensure of any profession, occupation, or class of health care providers not currently licensed or expanding the scope of practice of any profession, occupation, or class of health care providers to be considered by the General Assembly at a regular biennial session be introduced in the General Assembly during the first fifteen calendar days of a regular biennial session. After the fifteenth day of the regular session, any proposed legislation affecting the licensure of any profession, occupation, or class of health care providers not currently licensed or expanding the scope of practice of any profession, occupation, or class of health care providers must be approved for introduction by a three-fourths vote of the full membership of each house.
Act 112 of 2022 and Joint Rules require that proposed legislation affecting the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program or that imposes a new or increased cost obligation for health benefit plans, including pharmacy benefits, on an entity of the state to be considered by the General Assembly at a regular session shall be introduced in the General Assembly during the first fifteen (15) calendar days of a regular session (*); and shall not be introduced after the fifteenth day of a regular session unless the introduction of the bill is first approved by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the full membership of each house of the General Assembly.
Deadline to file constitutional amendments and lottery-funded scholarship legislation: February 8, 2023
Joint Rules state: “No resolution proposing a constitutional amendment shall be filed in either the House of Representatives or the Senate after the thirty-first (31st) day of each regular session of the General Assembly.” Arkansas Code § 6-85-501 requires that a bill creating a new scholarship to be funded with net proceeds from the state lottery or the Higher Education Grants Fund Account or an existing scholarship funded from those same sources “not be introduced after the thirty-first day of a regular session unless its introduction is first approved by a three-fourths vote of the full membership of each chamber of the General Assembly.” (*)
Deadline to file appropriation bills: February 27, 2023*
Joint Rules state: “No appropriation bill shall be filed for introduction in either the House of Representatives or the Senate later than the fiftieth (50th) day of each regular session (*) except upon consent of two-thirds of the members elected to each house; ...”
(*) This deadline may be extended.
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