Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1080 3
4
By: Representative Evans 5
By: Senator Hester 6
7
For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT FOR A FISCAL IMPACT 9
STATEMENT FOR ANY PROPOSED LEGISLATION IMPOSING A NEW 10
OR INCREASED COST OBLIGATION FOR HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS 11
ON AN ENTITY OF THE STATE; TO REPEAL THE BILL FILING 12
DEADLINE FOR BILLS AFFECTING THE STATE AND PUBLIC 13
SCHOOL LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM AND OTHER 14
HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS OF ENTITIES OF THE STATE; AND 15
FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 16
17
18
Subtitle 19
TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT FOR A FISCAL 20
IMPACT STATEMENT FOR BILLS RELATED TO 21
HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS; AND TO REPEAL THE 22
BILL FILING DEADLINE FOR BILLS AFFECTING 23
HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS OF ENTITIES OF THE 24
STATE. 25
26
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 27
28
SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 10 -2-133 is repealed. 29
10-2-133. Increased cost obligations for health benefit plans — Fiscal 30
impact statement required — Definitions. 31
(a) As used in this section: 32
(1) “Entity of the state” means any agency, board, bureau, 33
commission, committee, council, department, division, institution of higher 34
education, office, public school, quasi-public organization, or other 35
political subdivision of the state; 36 HB1080
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(2) “Fiscal impact statement” means a realistic written 1
statement of the purpose of a proposed law and the estimated financial cost 2
to an entity of the state for implementing or complying with the proposed 3
law; and 4
(3) “Health benefit plan” means a policy, contract, certificate, 5
or agreement offered or issued by an entity to provide, deliver, arrange for, 6
pay for, or reimburse any of the costs of healthcare services, including 7
pharmacy benefits, to an entity of the state. 8
(b)(1) A bill filed in the House of Representatives or the Senate that 9
will impose a new or increased cost obligation for health benefit plans, 10
including pharmacy benefits, on an entity of the state shall: 11
(A) Have a fiscal impact statement attached to the bill 12
prepared and filed with the chair of the committee to which the bill is 13
referred; and 14
(B) Not be taken up by the committee to which the bill is 15
referred until a fiscal impact statement is provided to the chair of the 16
committee. 17
(2) The services of actuaries may be obtained in evaluating the 18
respective bills and preparing the fiscal impact statement. 19
(c)(1)(A) If a House bill or Senate bill is called up for final 20
passage in the House of Representatives or the Senate and a fiscal impact 21
statement has not been provided by the author of the bill or by the committee 22
to which the bill was referred, a member of the House of Representatives or 23
the Senate may object to the bill's being called up for final passage until a 24
fiscal impact statement is prepared and made available on the desk of each 25
member of the House of Representatives or the Senate at least one (1) day 26
before the bill's being called up for final passage. 27
(B) An affirmative vote of two -thirds (⅔) of a quorum 28
present and voting shall override the objection. 29
(2) If an objection is made without override, the presiding 30
officer of the House of Representatives or the Senate shall cause the bill to 31
be referred to an actuary for the preparation of a fiscal impact statement, 32
which shall be filed with the presiding officer not later than five (5) days 33
from the date of the request. 34
(d) A fiscal impact statement required by this section shall be 35
developed by an actuary within the guidelines adopted by the House Committee 36 HB1080
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on Insurance and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Insurance and Commerce, 1
as applicable. 2
3
SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 21 -5-421 is repealed. 4
21-5-421. Introduction of bills affecting State and Public School Life 5
and Health Insurance Program — Definitions. 6
(a) As used in this section: 7
(1) “Entity of the state” means any agency, board, bureau, 8
commission, committee, council, department, division, institution of higher 9
education, office, public school, quasi -public organization, or other 10
political subdivision of the state; and 11
(2) “Health benefit plan” means a policy, contract, certificate, 12
or agreement offered or issued by an entity to provide, deliver, arrange for, 13
pay for, or reimburse any of the costs of healthcare services, including 14
pharmacy benefits, to an entity of the state. 15
(b) A bill affecting the State and Public School Life and Health 16
Insurance Program or that imposes a new or increased cost obligation for 17
health benefit plans, including pharmacy benefits, on an entity of the state 18
to be considered by the General Assembly at a regular session shall be 19
introduced in the General Assembly during the first fifteen (15) calendar 20
days of a regular session. 21
(c)(1) A bill as described in subsection (b) of this section shall not 22
be introduced after the fifteenth day of a regular session unless the 23
introduction of the bill is first approved by a three -fourths (¾) vote of the 24
full membership of each house of the General Assembly. 25
(2) If the General Assembly recesses for longer than three (3) 26
consecutive days during the first fifteen (15) days of a regular session, the 27
fifteen-day introduction deadline shall be extended for a time period equal 28
to the recess. 29
(d) A bill affecting the State and Public School Life and Health 30
Insurance Program or that imposes a new or increased cost obligation for 31
health benefit plans, including pharmacy benefits, on an entity of the state 32
shall not be introduced or considered at a fiscal session or an extraordinary 33
session of the General Assembly unless the introduction and consideration of 34
the bill is first approved by a two -thirds (⅔) vote of the full membership of 35
each house of the General Assembly. 36