Senate committee clears a package of public-health bills; several measures passed by voice vote

The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee completed a full agenda of health and welfare legislation, passing a group of largely noncontroversial measures by voice vote and tabling or allowing two measures to fail for lack of a second.

Passed bills and key points:

- HB 1518 (passed): Requires four hours of initial dementia training and two hours of continuing education for direct-care staff in assisted-living facilities and directs the state to update relevant assisted-living rules. Sponsor Representative Julie Mayberry and David Cook of the Alzheimer's Association said most providers already train staff and that free training options will be available.

- HB 1546 (passed): Protects 14(c) supported-employment programs in Arkansas while the federal allowance remains in place. Testimony from individuals with disabilities and providers emphasized choice and the role these programs play in community-based work.

- HB 10,008 (passed as amended): Reclassifies continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) as a pharmacy benefit, making them rebate-eligible while maintaining prescription requirements; sponsor said the change produced estimated savings.

- HB 11 02 (passed): Creates a Universal Newborn Screening Act to mirror federal newborn-screening recommendations so the state does not need to update statute each time the federal list changes.

- HB 10 35 (passed): Requires screening for postpartum depression within six weeks of birth; sponsors said most insurers already perform this screening and that the bill imposes no fiscal impact.

- HB 10 07 (passed): Allows pharmacists to dispense HIV pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) within defined parameters; sponsors and the Arkansas Medical Society supported the measure, which preserves physician oversight for diagnosis.

- HB 15 20 (passed as amended): Raises petroleum tank trust fund corrective action payments from $1.5 million to $2 million to reflect inflation since the amount was set in the 1980s.

- HCR 10 11 (passed): A house concurrent resolution encouraging federal agencies to support unit-dose medication packaging to help patients manage daily dosing.

- SB 410 (passed): Adjusts boiler inspection timing and modest associated inspection fees to provide operational flexibility for industry representatives.

Failed or deferred items:

- HB 11 89 (failed): A proposal to license behavior analysts in state law failed for lack of a second after extended debate (covered separately).

- HB 15 09 (failed): An effort to expand Arkansas's "no patient left alone" protections to clarify outpatient facilities, clergy access and overnight stays by a designated support person did not receive a second and therefore did not advance.

Committee procedure: Most votes were taken by voice vote; where the transcript records a voice tally the clerk announced the result. For bills that passed, sponsors indicated next steps would be rulemaking or follow-up with state agencies on implementation details (for example, DHS will provide indexing/historical details for SNAP asset-limit changes and agencies will draft rules for dementia-training implementation).