LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Senate quickly approved legislation to protect the rights of more than 500 victims of child sex abuse who have already won civil cases and are waiting for their settlements to become official.
Senators unanimously approved Senate Bill 13 on the same day that attorneys for a former pediatrician, and convicted child sex offender, argued before the state Court of Appeals that existing Arkansas law was unconstitutional.
The sex offender’s lawsuit challenges a law enacted in 2021 known as the Justice for Vulnerable Victims of Sexual Abuse Act. It greatly extended the statute of limitations for child abuse victims, and also extended the time period in which they can file lawsuits against the offenders who abused them.
Legislators became aware that the 2021 act was being challenged in court, so the same Senate and House sponsors of the 2021 act joined forces again to file SB 13.
Passage of SB 13 by the legislature will protect monetary awards that victims in Arkansas have already won, no matter the outcome of the case currently at the Court of Appeals. If the convicted sex offender wins, and SB 13 is not passed, money that already has been allocated to victims in Arkansas would instead be distributed to victims from other states.
Two other Senate bills that were approved early in the legislative session are meant to make veterinary services more available in parts of Arkansas that are under-served.
Senate Bill 68 passed by a vote of 34-to-1. It would allow veterinary technicians, technologists and technician specialists to help animals during an emergency when the supervising veterinarian is not present.
By a vote of 33-to-2 the Senate passed SB 61, which would allow a veterinarian licensed in Arkansas to provide telemedicine services, using audio-visual technology or the telephone.
The bill would also allow a veterinarian to provide emergency services via telemedicine for someone even though they have not yet established a relationship. In those instances, the veterinarian must establish a relationship with the client within seven days if a small animal was treated, and within 21 days if a large animal was treated.
The two bills will next be considered by the House of Representatives.
Also during the second week of the session, the Senate passed SB 15 to repeal a law concerning the negligent shooting of a firearm while deer hunting.
It is the first in a package of bills the legislature will consider this session to clarify the many statutes on firearms. Throughout 2024 a legislative committee studied firearms laws, while getting input from the attorney general, law enforcement and concealed carry safety instructors.
SB 15 repeals language about negligent shooting that is covered in other criminal and civil statutes. The repealed language is discriminatory against deer hunters, the sponsor said, because it doesn’t apply to other hunters.
The Senate approved a handful of budget bills, including the appropriation that authorizes state turnback for cities and counties. HB 1102 appropriates $29.37 million for cities and $21.4 million to counties.
