The House is now entering its third week of the Regular Session.

On Monday, the House voted 94-0 to require newborn screenings for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). HB1074 also requires insurance policies to cover the screening. There is a new treatment available for SMA if it is detected early.

The House voted in favor of HB1125 which prohibits a health maintenance organization (HMO) from requiring a health care provider to accept a gift card, credit card, or other types of electronic payment as payment of a claim for healthcare services.

In a vote of 96-0, the House passed HB1152. This bill gives independent candidates more time to gather signatures. Currently, independent candidates are required to submit petitions by March 1. This extends that deadline to May 1. This bill does not impact filing deadlines.

The House passed legislation amending the amount of money cities can spend on purchases without a public bidding process. HB1041 raises that amount from $20,000 to $50,000 for first class cities.

This measure passed with a vote of 55-18.

With a vote of 74-18, the House approved a measure to reduce the costs of a concealed carry license. HB1036 reduces the application fee from $100 to $50 and then lowers the renewal fee from $35 to $25.

The House also passed several bills addressing how contracts and purchases are made the state. The bills passed today were the result of an extensive study on our state’s procurement laws.

The House “A” standing committees meet at 10 am on Tuesday. The full House convenes at 1:30 pm. Remember you can watch all the proceedings on our website www.arkansashouse.org.