The House Judiciary Committee advanced SB197. This bill clarifies that a law enforcement officer may carry open or concealed handgun both while on and off duty.
The committee also advanced HB1625 which makes encouraging suicide a Class D felony.
The House Education Committee advanced SB407. This bill gives the Department of Higher Education more flexibility when awarding the Arkansas Future Grant. It also adds more high demand fields of study to qualify for the grant.
The Arkansas Future Grant was created in 2017.  It covers tuition and fees for qualifying certificate and Associate degree programs at Arkansas’s public institutions for eligible students.
The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee advanced HB1527. This bill establishes periodic review of occupational licenses, certifications, and registrations.
The House Public Transportation Committee advanced HB1631. This bill states the maximum speed limit for a motor vehicle operated on a controlled-access highway is 75 mph if the highway is located outside an urban area and as at least 4 lanes that are divided by a median strip.
The full House passed HR1034. This is a resolution to request that the U.S. Government allow states the ability to “spring forward” and maintain that time permanently. The resolution states that if the states that border Arkansas express similar interests, the House of Representatives calls upon the United States Government to amend the law and allow Arkansas to choose the time that best suits Arkansas’s interest.