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Sep 18, 2023

Arkansas State Capitol news in brief: Catalytic converter bill heads to governor

Catalytic converter bill passes Senate The Arkansas Senate on Wednesday approved

Catalytic converter

bill passes Senate

The Arkansas Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that aims to make the "unauthorized possession of a catalytic converter" a felony and increase penalties for the theft of a catalytic converter.

The Senate voted 32-0 to send House Bill 1365 by Rep. Mike Holcomb, R-Pine Bluff, to the governor.

Sen. Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett, the bill's Senate sponsor, said there has been an increase in the theft of catalytic converters from vehicles and the bill is designed to reduce the frequency of the thefts.

Under HB1365, a person could be charged with a crime if the person knowingly "possesses a catalytic converter that has been removed from a motor vehicle and that is not permanently marked." The measure would not apply if the person is the owner of the vehicle from which the converter was removed or possesses the converter in the "ordinary course" of their business.

A converter would have to be marked with the date it was removed from the vehicle and the identification number of the vehicle. The bill lists several businesses, including scrap metal recyclers, towing companies and used automotive parts recyclers that may normally possess catalytic converters.

The theft of a catalytic converter would be a Class C felony under the bill.

"Unauthorized possession of a catalytic converter" would be a Class C felony if the person has been convicted of the offense before or if the person also "commits or attempts, conspires, or solicits another person to commit an offense related to a catalytic converter." Otherwise, the offense would be a Class D felony, under the bill.

The bill also would require scrap metal recyclers to register with county sheriffs and maintain records of used catalytic converter purchases like other buyers of used catalytic converters.

-- Michael R. Wickline and Will Langhorne

Spaceport study goes back to House

A bill that would require the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to conduct a study or hire a third party to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of developing a spaceport in Arkansas cleared the Arkansas Senate on Wednesday.

House Bill 1499 by Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, would define a spaceport as an installation and related facilities used for the takeoff, landing, retrieval, servicing and monitoring of vehicles capable of entering space.

The feasibility study would be required to include an assessment of the spaceport recommendations in the final report from the Arkansas Council on Future Mobility in December 2022, the potential market for a spaceport, organizational and technology requirements, and financial and economic analysis under the bill.

If funding is available, the feasibility study would be required to be completed no later than Jan. 1, 2024, under the bill. After the completion of the feasibility study, the commission would be required to submit a feasibility report and the commission's recommendations relating to the development of a spaceport in Arkansas to the governor, the Arkansas Department of Transportation and the Legislative Council.

The Senate voted 34-0 to send the bill to the House for consideration of the Senate's amendment to the bill.

-- Michael R. Wickline

Early voting hours bill clears Senate

A bill that would standardize the hours for early voting cleared the Arkansas Senate on Wednesday.

The Senate voted 34-0 to send House Bill 1325 by Rep. Andrew Collins, D-Little Rock, to the governor.

House Bill 1325 requires counties with multiple early voting sites to all have the same hours. The bill requires counties with multiple early voting sites to open "the same hours as the county clerk's designated early voting location."

-- Michael R. Wickline

Utility agents OKed to operate ATVs

The Arkansas Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would allow an agent of a utility, telecommunications or cable company to operate an all-terrain vehicle on a public street or highway under certain circumstances.

The agent could do so while he or she is performing a function directly related to the operation of the utility, telecommunications or cable company, or working during a time of emergency or severe weather under HB1437 by Rep. Maddox, R-Mena.

The Senate voted 34-0 to to send the bill to the governor.

-- Michael R. Wickline

Licensure program clears State Senate

A bill that would require the state Department of Health to establish a voluntary licensure program for emergency medical responders zipped through the Arkansas Senate on Wednesday.

Under House Bill 1128 by Rep. Lee Johnson, R-Greenwood, an emergency medical responder may be reimbursed by the Arkansas Medicaid program and an insurance company for providing emergency medical services in the scope of his or her employment as an emergency medical responder.

The Senate voted 34-0 to send the bill to the House to consider a Senate approved amendment.

-- Michael R. Wickline

Bureau seeks firm to design tunnel

The Legislative Council's Executive Subcommittee on Tuesday authorized the Bureau of Legislative Research to issue a request for qualifications from select firms to provide architectural and engineering design services for a proposed tunnel connecting the state Capitol building to the Multi-Agency Complex immediately west of the state Capitol.

The bureau seeks a qualified firm to produce studies, plans and specifications and contract administration for the construction of a proposed tunnel from the state Capitol to the building that is commonly known as Big MAC, including all vertical and horizontal access from one building to the other, according to a bureau document about the request for qualifications. "This will include all mechanical, electrical, security and any additional services required by [Bureau of Legislative Research.]"

According to the proposed schedule of events, the Division of Building Authority would issue the request for qualifications to select design professionals March 13, the deadline for submitting qualifications would be March 28, and the Legislative Council would consider final approval of the contract during the week of June 16.

Legislative Council Co-Chairs Sen. Terry Rice, R-Waldron, and Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, said legislative leaders are seeking cost estimates for the proposed tunnel and haven't made a decision on whether to proceed with the tunnel project. Among other things, security concerns have prompted legislative leaders to consider the project.

-- Michael R. Wickline

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