On Wednesday, the House passed several pieces of legislation, including the following:
· HB1212-This bill gives the Director of the Division of Workforce Services the discretion to modify employer contributions for certain unemployment insurance claims during an emergency.
· HB1068-This bill would allow for the use of telemedicine for group therapy sessions.
· HB1101-This bill amends the number of signatures required to petition a school district board of directors to meet. HB1101 states a petition must include the signatures of either 50 qualified electors in the district or 1% of the qualified electors, whichever number is greater. Currently, the law requires only 50 signatures of qualified electors.
· HB1269-This bill allows counties to pass an ordinance to allow individuals to drive golf carts on county roads.
· HB1244-This bill authorizes DFA to issue a driver’s license or identification card without a photograph if the licensee has a religious objection to having his or her photo taken. This bill does not change requirements for voter identification.
· HB1322-This bill amends the timeline for embalming a dead body. Currently, the law states that a dead body not buried within 24 hours must be embalmed or refrigerated. HB1322 extends the timeline to 48 hours, aligning it with current rules regarding cremation.
· SB131-This bill amends the continuing eligibility for the Arkansas Concurrent Challenge Scholarship Program from a letter grade of C average to a 2.5 GPA. This makes the eligibility consistent with the requirements for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship.
· SB126-This bill allows recipients of the Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship to also be eligible for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship.
The House will convene at 1 pm on Thursday.
