An act TO CREATE THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND 10 VETERANS AFFAIRS, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas             As Engrossed: S1/30/25
2 95th General Assembly
                                     A Bill

3 Regular Session, 2025                                         HOUSE BILL 1056

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5 By: Representative Evans

6 By: Senator Hester

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8                           For An Act To Be Entitled

9              AN ACT TO CREATE THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND

10             VETERANS AFFAIRS; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR

11             OTHER PURPOSES.

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14                                  Subtitle

15                       TO CREATE THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON

16                       MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS; AND TO

17                       DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

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19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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21  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 10, Chapter 3, is amended to add an

22 additional subchapter to read as follows:

23                                  Subchapter 33 �

24                    Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs

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26  10-3-3301. Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs � Creation

27 � Members.

28  (a) There is established a joint committee of the House of

29 Representatives and the Senate to be known as the "Joint Committee on

30 Military and Veterans Affairs".

31  (b)(1) The Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs shall be a

32 select committee of the House of Representatives and a joint committee of the

33 Senate whose members shall be selected as follows:

34                       (A)(i) Twelve (12) members of the House of Representatives

35 to be selected as prescribed by the Rules of the House of Representatives.

36                          (ii) One (1) alternate member for each of the House

    *JET007*                                                    01-30-2025 09:49:35 JET007
    As Engrossed: S1/30/25                                                  HB1056

1 members of the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs shall be

2 selected as prescribed by the Rules of the House of Representatives.

3                           (iii) A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner

4 as the original selection; and

5                     (B)(i) Eight (8) members of the Senate to consist of the

6 members of the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs.

7                           (ii) A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as

8 a vacancy is filled on the Senate Committee on State Agencies and

9 Governmental Affairs.

10            (2) Members appointed to the Joint Committee on Military and

11 Veterans Affairs shall serve on the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans

12 Affairs in addition to their service on the regular standing, joint, and

13 select committees of the General Assembly.

14            (3) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate

15 one (1) of the House members of the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans

16 Affairs as the House Cochair of the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans

17 Affairs and one (1) of the House members of the Joint Committee on Military

18 and Veterans Affairs as the House Co-Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on

19 Military and Veterans Affairs.

20            (4) The Chair of the Senate Committee on State Agencies and

21 Governmental Affairs shall serve as the Senate Cochair of the Joint Committee

22 on Military and Veterans Affairs and the Vice Chair of the Senate Committee

23 on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs shall serve as the Senate Co-Vice

24 Chair of the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs.

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26  10-3-3302. Powers and Duties of Joint Committee on Military and

27 Veterans Affairs.

28  (a) The Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs may meet

29 during:

30            (1) A regular session, fiscal session, or extraordinary session

31 of the General Assembly;

32            (2) An extended recess of the General Assembly; and

33            (3) The interim between legislative sessions of the General

34 Assembly.

35  (b) A bill or resolution introduced during a legislative session in

36 either house of the General Assembly pertaining to military or veterans

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    As Engrossed: S1/30/25                                                 HB1056

1 affairs may be referred to the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans

2 Affairs.

3   (c)(1) The Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs shall make

4 continuing studies concerning issues related to military and veterans

5 affairs, either initiated by the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans

6 Affairs or referred to it by either house of the General Assembly for study.

7           (2) Interim study proposals and resolutions filed with the

8 Legislative Council under � 10-3-214 for review and referral to the

9 appropriate interim committee of the General Assembly, relating to military

10 and veterans affairs, shall be referred to the Joint Committee on Military

11 and Veterans Affairs.

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13  10-3-3303. Interim committee meetings � Expenses � Staff.

14  (a)(1) Members are entitled to per diem and mileage for attendance at

15 meetings of the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs at the rate

16 provided by law to be paid from funds appropriated for payment of per diem

17 and mileage for attendance at meetings of interim committees of the House of

18 Representatives and the Senate.

19          (2) The per diem and mileage, including reimbursement for

20 expenses for attending out-of-state meetings as provided by law, shall be

21 paid from funds appropriated for per diem, mileage, and expenses of members

22 of the General Assembly for attending interim committee meetings or from

23 other funds provided by law for that purpose.

24  (b) The Bureau of Legislative Research shall furnish such staff

25 assistance as may be requested by the Joint Committee on Military and

26 Veterans Affairs.

27  (c) All other appropriate state agencies, including without limitation

28 the Department of the Military and the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall

29 be available to assist the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs

30 on matters before it, as may be requested by the Joint Committee on Military

31 and Veterans Affairs.

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33  SECTION 2. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the

34 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the State of Arkansas faces

35 increased and ongoing issues due to the growth of the military presence in

36 the state, that the state must face and address these issues to better

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    As Engrossed: S1/30/25                                                 HB1056

1 protect our veterans and their families, that protection of our veterans and

2 their families is paramount to the safety of our state and nation, and that

3 this act is immediately necessary as veterans' issues are crucial and vital

4 to the State of Arkansas. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and

5 this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public

6 peace, health, and safety shall become effective on:

7            (1) The date of its approval by the Governor;

8            (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor,

9 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the

10 bill; or

11           (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is

12 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.

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14                          /s/Evans

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