House of Representatives
February 4, 2025
Speaker Brian Evans I invite the members, staff, press and guests in the galleries to stand and be led in prayer by pastor Chuck Buchan, Maddox Road Baptist Church in Jacksonville. He is a guest today of Representative Mark Perry to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Representative Lane Jean.
Speaker Brian Evans Members, please indicate your presence by pushing your yellow present button. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Has everyone indicated their presence? Cast up the ballot, madam clerk. With 99 members present, Chair sees a quorum. Are there any requests for leave? [Breaux] Representative Matthew Shepherd moves that we dispense of the reading of the previous day's journal. With no objection so ordered. Are there any reports from select committees? Madam Clerk, you're recognized.
Clerk [Joint Budget, House Bill 1128, 1153, 1225, 1226, 1227, 1228, 1229, 1213, 1231, 1233, 1234, 1247, 1248, 1249, 1260, 1261, 1265, 1266, do pass]
Speaker Brian Evans Thank you, Madam Clerk. Are there any reports from standing committees? You're recognized.
[Judiciary, House Bill 1317, Senate Bill 13, Senate Bill 15, do pass].
[Public Transportation, Senate Bill 16, Senate Bill 45, do pass].
[Education, House Bill 1139, House Bill 1236, Senate Bill 46, House Bill 1180, House Bill 1215, do pass].
[Public Health, Welfare and Labor, House Bill 1310, House Bill 1181, House Bill 1245, do pass]
Speaker Brian Evans Thank you, Madam Clerk. Is there any unfinished business? Are there any executive communications? Please read the letter from the governor.
Clerk To the Speaker of the House. Dear Mr. Speaker, this is to inform you that on February 3rd, 2025, I reviewed and approved the following measures from the regular session of the 95th General Assembly: House Bill 1005, Act 14. House Bill 1006, Act 15. Sincerely, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
[Introductions]
Speaker Brian Evans Representative Warren, for what purpose?
Representative Les Warren Point of personal privilege.
Speaker Brian Evans You're recognized.
Representative Les Warren I'd like to ask fellow representatives, Bruce Cozart and Richard McGrew, to please join me. We had a surprise visitor today, but I'd like to have a gentleman in the East Gallery please stand. We have a new president of National Park College, Dr. Wade Durden. He took over in the last year and has, he actually did many jobs at National Park College and did so well that when we went to look for a new president, he was the unanimous choice. So if you would, please join me in welcoming President Wade Durden.
Speaker Brian Evans The morning hour has ended. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1067.
Clerk House Bill 1067 by Representative Gramlich concerning firearm hold agreements and to provide civil immunity to a federal firearms licensee who agrees to hold a firearm for an individual.
Speaker Brian Evans Representative Gramlich, you're recognized to present your bill.
Representative Zack Gramlich Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1067 does one thing. And broadly it is to grant immunity to civil liability to FFLs who choose to hold a firearm. And let's just give context to why this is necessary. So right now, there are individuals across this state, our veterans, especially, who are dealing with some significant mental health crisis, and they may have a weapon in their home. They want to get the weapon out of their home so that they can protect themselves from suicidal ideation.
And what follows from that? Right now, FFL holders don't have the ability to take their guns because their insurance companies and lawyers are saying, we don't want any liability. If you were to know this individual had an issue and if they were to take that weapon and go home and do something to themselves or someone else, they don't want to be held liable.
So what this bill will do is it will grant basically them a Good Samaritan. And all they were trying to do was help these individuals get the weapons out of their home so they can get the help that they need. This is totally voluntary. The government is in no way involved. It's a private contract between an FFL holder and an individual. And I'll answer any questions.
Speaker Brian Evans Representative Ladyman, for what purpose?
Representative Jack Ladyman Yes. Representative, could you give us an example of what a federal firearms licensee is? I mean, what type of entity would that be?
Representative Zack Gramlich Sure. So there's a variety of different kind of people who could be an FFL. You can either be a gun store. That would be one of the most well known. Private individuals can also be FFL holders. Or in the case of a business in northwest Arkansas, it is a pharmacy gun store. So all right. With that I appreciate a good vote.
Speaker Brian Evans Representative Gramlich has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Representative Gramlich Is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1067. Prepare the machine Madam Clerk. Has everyone voted? Cast up the ballot, madam clerk. By a vote of 96 yeas, 2 nays and 0 present, the bill has passed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1007.
Clerk House Bill 1007 by Representative Puryear to regulate liability for shooting sports events and to provide immunity to certain individuals with respect to shooting sports events.
Speaker Brian Evans Representative Puryear, you are recognized to explain the bill.
Representative Chad Puryear All right. Thank you, Speaker. Our youth shooting sports programs continue to grow across Arkansas. These programs impact thousands of our youth in events such as air raffles, trapshooting, and archery. As these programs grow, so does the challenge to find venues to host these events.
HB 1007 will grant liability protections to individuals who choose to open up their property to these programs. The bill is limited to events sponsored by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and the Arkansas 4H. The overall goal of this bill is to encourage more landowners to open up their property by providing the peace of mind granted with liability protections. With that, I'd take any questions. Maybe. I'd appreciate a good vote.
Speaker Brian Evans Representative Puryear has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Representative Puryear is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1007. Prepare the machine, Madam Clerk. Has everyone voted? Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot, madam clerk. With a vote of 85 yeas, 9 nays and 1 present, the bill has passed. [Meeting announcements and adjourn resolution] The House will be adjourned until 1:30 tomorrow.
