Votes at a glance: committee advances a package of insurance and commerce bills

The Senate Insurance & Commerce Committee considered and advanced a slate of bills. The committee recorded motions and voice votes to advance the items listed below; where the transcript shows a voice vote the committee chair announced the bill as "passed" or "your bill is passed." Key outcomes from the hearing include:

- SB 23 24: Advanced as amended. Sponsor presentation and a young farmer’s testimony supported allowing nonprofit agricultural membership organizations to offer member health coverage; committee voted to pass as amended.

- HB 13 13: Advanced. Presented as a cleanup bill to clarify exemptions for life insurance proceeds against certain creditor actions; the committee voted to pass.

- HB 14 36: Advanced. Sponsor and Arkansas Securities Department staff described updates to application disclosures and the committee voted to pass.

- HB 14 38: Advanced as amended. Committee adopted an amendment to narrow change-of-control notification scope for money transmitters and voted the bill as amended.

- HB 14 39: Advanced. Sponsor described streamlined licensing status for trainees when a sponsoring broker leaves; committee voted to pass.

- HB 14 81: Advanced. Committee adopted a do-pass motion; the bill would require certain commercial-plan drug rebates to be passed through at point of sale to reduce coinsurance or deductible costs for patients.

Several bills were skipped for lack of presenters (including SB 388, SB 396 and HB 1261). The committee adjourned at the end of the session.

The transcript records voice votes and chair announcements that the bills were passed; individual roll-call tallies were not provided in the committee transcript.