The bill seeks to reorganize the standing committees and subject matter interim committees of the Arkansas House of Representatives by establishing ten new standing committees, including those focused on Education, Public Safety, Public Health and Human Services, and others. It modifies existing committee names and responsibilities to better align with current legislative needs, such as replacing the House Committee on Judiciary with the House Committee on Public Safety, Corrections, and Inspector General. The bill also stipulates that the Speaker-elect of the House will assign committee members and leadership roles, aiming to streamline the process following biennial elections.

Additionally, the bill amends various sections of the Arkansas Code to update reporting requirements for state agencies and boards, shifting the focus from specific committee chairs to the Speaker of the House for report assignments. It deletes references to certain committees, such as the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development, while inserting the Speaker of the House as a recipient of annual reports. These changes are intended to enhance legislative oversight and accountability, particularly in areas related to public health and welfare, by ensuring that reports are directed to the most relevant committees as determined by the Speaker. Overall, the bill aims to modernize the legislative framework and improve the efficiency of governance in Arkansas.

Statutes affected:
HB 1573: 10-3-101, 10-3-203(3), 2-16-203(b), 2-16-605(b), 2-18-105(b), 6-10-122(c), 6-11-208(a), 6-18-2103(d), 6-60-106(c), 6-60-111(d), 6-60-212(d), 6-61-112(g), 8-4-311(b), 8-5-207, 8-6-221, 8-6-610(b), 8-6-902(c), 8-9-105(c), 8-9-805(b), 9-4-110, 9-5-113, 9-6-110, 9-15-407, 9-25-105(b), 9-28-205(f), 9-28-216(b), 9-28-217(a), 9-28-301(e), 9-28-302(e), 9-28-405(m), 9-28-603(b), 9-30-105(c), 10-2-133(d), 10-3-220(b), 10-3-316, 10-3-1401(a), 10-3-3202(b), 10-3-3204(a), 12-8-504(c), 12-8-509(a), 12-9-104(1), 12-12-407(g), 12-12-913(c), 12-18-713, 12-18-801(a), 12-18-908(f), 12-27-113(e), 12-27-129(a), 12-75-132(f), 13-11-102, 14-236-107(b), 14-262-101(b), 15-4-1405(a), 15-4-3805(b), 15-5-1408(2), 15-5-1415(2), 15-10-207, 25-14-103, 20-80-312, 15-10-205(a), 15-22-301(12), 15-23-904(b), 16-17-1002(b), 16-87-216(c), 16-90-802(b), 16-90-802(d), 16-93-202(e), 16-93-210(a), 16-99-105(c), 17-4-110(4), 17-11-404(c), 17-38-102(g), 17-51-103(b), 17-87-203(1), 17-87-209(e), 17-87-314(e), 17-100-202(b), 17-100-208(c), 17-102-201(a), 19-5-1151(g), 19-5-1160(h), 19-11-261(b), 19-11-1404(c), 19-12-117(g), 20-2-103, 20-2-106, 20-2-103(a), 20-6-409(a), 20-7-101(b), 20-7-109(a), 20-7-135(f), 20-7-306, 6-18-702(d), 6-60-504(b), 20-8-110(h), 20-8-807(a), 20-9-1205(a), 20-9-1402(c), 20-10-113(b), 20-10-501(1), 20-13-208, 20-13-210(a), 20-13-820, 20-15-1503(h), 20-15-2307(a), 20-15-2407(a), 20-16-203(c), 20-16-607(d), 20-18-202, 20-27-1707(a), 20-32-106(c), 20-46-105(a), 20-46-106(a), 20-47-505(b), 20-47-510(d), 20-47-510(e), 20-47-708, 20-48-702(a), 20-57-104, 20-60-217, 20-76-106(c), 20-76-113(c), 20-76-404(a), 20-76-404(i), 20-76-410(d), 20-76-437, 20-76-444(d), 20-76-804, 20-77-111(b), 20-77-406(e), 20-77-2513(c), 20-78-206(e), 20-78-501(d), 20-81-104(a), 20-82-211(a), 20-85-101(c), 21-5-403, 21-5-414(a), 21-9-203(b), 23-61-1011(b), 23-65-403, 23-67-304(k), 23-67-313(b), 23-79-1503(c), 23-79-1902, 23-92-509(c), 23-99-422(f), 23-102-110(b), 25-1-119(c), 25-1-120(d), 25-10-102(c), 25-10-136, 25-10-137(b), 25-10-138(b), 25-10-139(b), 25-15-503, 25-15-201, 10-3-309, 25-15-602, 25-38-203(a), 25-38-210(2), 26-18-902(c), 26-18-1106(b), 26-26-310(d), 26-58-122(c), 26-60-104, 27-16-509(e)