[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6097866,"mediaKeyId","2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f","parentId",2826354,"title","Committee clears bill to tighten disclosure rules for driver and vehicle records, allow digital license photos for law enforcement","audioSeconds",1197,"startMs",1094000,"endMs",2291000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f&start=1094&end=2291","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f/thumbnail_1094000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6097866/Arkansas/Committee-clears-bill-to-tighten-disclosure-rules-for-driver-and-vehicle-records-allow-digital-license-photos-for-law-enforcement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097866-87682dec675b8d2305ace8f9d324c60e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144690&Signature=gMwNItdbS5m7w1XXnXlC705S5yUzRrd7hhmCFr73w1orClgco0GamL5XMq8BB2RJDBQ2GFybeffRCK82R0d6bsA9CVECSso9Swsq1JK0kXqsduOOmOcNtlsKe9L4TvRK~gmgdkTqpbTdLDGvE3BSKxKYG2n1Psjv8z6YPG82q4NwTq74Hq311ddjOC28TKmJy8ULUnfjFdOV8jyegj0T4y7-DM67gYxeAN8db5mZMaDxQpSJGL2~md5taYnNtRBI~TzWPQuCQod-RgUKNW0HJ~PeyzUdsfTHHUPmjr0~VE8~iJvPY7hlP2DhcRBZpvUertxo7P3lpsqk8SUziOgADw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arkansas Legislature","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs committee approved SB498, which would reconcile state and federal rules about disclosure of motor vehicle and driving records and allow courts and law enforcement access to digital driver's-license photos in certain circumstances.

Sponsor Senator Jim Petty (District 29) told the committee the bill resolves conflicts between federal protections and Arkansas’ prior approach of treating motor-vehicle documents as public records. \"SB498 resolves this conflict and provides a bit additional protections to our driving records here in Arkansas law,\" Petty said. He said the bill also creates a single standard for releasing motor-vehicle records across different code sections.

Alicia Austin Smith of the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) described the bill as a cleanup to clarify who may obtain motor-vehicle records and driver-service records. She told the committee that access would be limited to the individual, an authorized person, courts with subpoena, attorneys in the course of a proceeding, government and law-enforcement agencies, insurance companies when permitted, and employers for driving-capacity positions under current law. Smith said the only substantive addition is allowing law enforcement and courts access to digital driver’s-license photographs outside the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) when real-time access is needed.

Committee members raised questions about the prevalence and acceptance of digital driver's licenses across other states. DFA staff said the digital license is relatively new and not every state necessarily accepts it; they recommended citizens continue to carry a physical copy when traveling out of state.

There were no public witnesses recorded. Senator Scott moved the committee motion to pass and Senator Johnson seconded; the chair called the ayes and declared the bill passed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","TRANSPORTATION, TECHNOLOGY & LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS - SENATE 3/31/2025 10:30 AM","oneSentenceSummary","SB498 would align state law with federal protections for motor vehicle and driver records, limit access to certain users and permit courts and law enforcement to receive digital driver's-license photos, agency officials told the committee.","taxTitle","TRANSPORTATION, TECHNOLOGY & LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS - SENATE, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Arkansas","taxId",28941,"location","Arkansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097871,"Committee approves bill to centralize state cybersecurity oversight and require regular assessments",849,1004000,1853000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f&start=1004&end=1853","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f/thumbnail_1004000.jpg","/articles/6097871/Arkansas/Committee-approves-bill-to-centralize-state-cybersecurity-oversight-and-require-regular-assessments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097871-4b460298166c025e97061adb6a193612/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144690&Signature=c9oDcwaI0dQCa4HA-uefMwHoowEE6-vsm5J9E0Rt-cJOTQfCn6f-0pvCTlitDa2gGErTZae1RIX9pv74Gi-tWCW-LXivaKWaA4lb1wMfijMU~W47ey~77nMOcDN91KpMtTFfNv7WtFxNvezikrJV3imQRPKq4XwgqIfW3wO6ZoCNay936MOpWsHgNCt1hEdrOot14RTQZZ7In~m6~vt0g1POcaONFLqu6wAK0bh1O~hYVGAO-6KM-7tT1bvBYCsTs38pe5WYWzJ4eicRn0lw2PO1x~MD3KEEPAhgcN0o1Bg66dhUNkVEO8mjOIwiUdVOSkGl9FbYiSg3evsXvTWffQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs committee approved HB1549, an agency bill aimed at strengthening the state's cybersecurity posture by centralizing oversight and requiring recurring assessments and a rapid-response capability.

Representative Scott Richardson (House District 13) told the committee the bill is meant to improve the state's overall security posture and to \"establish a cyber response team, a team that is specifically focused on moving quickly to mitigate any gaps or risk or incidences that occur.\" Richardson said the measure also would require the agency to report its security posture to the technology committee on a regular basis.

Gary Vance, who identified himself as the state cybersecurity officer in the Office of State Technology, told the committee the state already has cybersecurity personnel in each executive department but lacks coordinated governance across the executive branch. \"We will begin to work together as a virtual team... and we will bring forth these cyber frameworks and cyber strategies that give us a more mature outward facing model than what we have today,\" Vance said.

Committee members asked about scope: the bill focuses on the executive branch, agency staff said, though the office provides assistance to counties, K-12 and higher education. Lawmakers asked about closed briefings and assessments; Vance and Representative Richardson said some sensitive assessments would be provided to legislators in closed session to avoid disclosing defensive methodologies.

Representative Richardson moved the bill forward; the committee approved it by voice vote. The transcript records discussion of governance, incident response, and plans to pursue a state cyber task force that would include state, local and national guard participants, but it does not include implementation timelines or detailed resourcing.","Representative Scott Richardson's HB1549 would align cybersecurity functions across executive-branch agencies, require periodic reporting and establish a cyber response team; agency officials described coordination with local and federal partners.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097877,"Committee advances bill centralizing IT project management under Office of State Technology",426,570000,996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f&start=570&end=996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f/thumbnail_570000.jpg","/articles/6097877/Arkansas/Committee-advances-bill-centralizing-IT-project-management-under-Office-of-State-Technology","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097877-32b1fd812ae1607412d6bf62d764750c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144690&Signature=Zm6m4aiPrdTEDXjgCsOw0gBQuormKunEflDfE9oMOtAcvmOLgY4MznkPDwPG5~2BK5knf2MBcc0RvlkWBF~VT1C1CP9TWzfoydWO1E2VX-hFol8RyI6ue-NX97ENN36WFXMNYSFIzi4Vv~f9MVuF7AASptNR~IRnTs-6bhYALAvuf6omWdTP1kiW1qAkSKz6NklAllsjGYPy~MjT47~2bRTgx6i4L9Uosos3azowdOlrsG4jacTLr3F7AtdTUqx03KfGYs6K~8sXDWhPILt-9NDszspCIv0UtXrWsCUUUyHY1O3FFgNSOM5OerjAdnNf2MR8ldsEBupDiyvenrpEsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs committee advanced legislation to realign certain information-technology project-management responsibilities under the Office of State Technology, sponsor Representative Scott Richardson said.

\"This aligns project technology project management underneath the office of state technology to ensure that all of our technology resources are focused,\" Richardson said, describing the bill as part of a broader state efficiency initiative he identified as \"Arkansas Forward.\" He said the proposal aims to prioritize projects, improve reporting and ensure the state gets the best product for its funding.

Committee members asked agency staff how the bill would change day-to-day procurement and equipment decisions. A witness identified as Joe (agency representative) explained the bill would establish IT governance across the 15 executive-branch departments, set standards and require departments to justify purchases that exceed standard configurations. \"A standard laptop should be about $1,200, but sometimes we see people purchasing laptops that are $2,400, $2,500,\" the witness said, arguing governance should require justification for higher-cost purchases.

Asked about data sharing across agencies, Richardson said a separate bill, House Bill 1547, would require departments to name data stewards and set data-sharing agreements; that bill had already been sent to the governor's office. Committee members asked whether state contracts or cooperative contracts (NASPO) would still be used; agency staff said most purchases are on state or NASPO contracts and larger projects would still go out for RFP.

With no public testimony recorded, the committee moved to send the bill forward. Senator Scott moved the motion and Senator Johnson seconded; the chair called the ayes and the bill passed in committee.

The transcript records committee discussion about governance, procurement standards and reporting but does not include specific fiscal impacts or an implementation timeline.","Representative Scott Richardson’s agency bill to realign state IT project management under the Office of State Technology passed the committee after lawmakers and agency staff discussed standards, procurement and reporting.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097882,"Committee approves Make-A-Wish specialty plate, retires Mid South Community College plate",343,214000,557000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f&start=214&end=557","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f/thumbnail_214000.jpg","/articles/6097882/Arkansas/Committee-approves-Make-A-Wish-specialty-plate-retires-Mid-South-Community-College-plate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097882-0157b94798c8e9ada99f108507d12bfa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144690&Signature=Zw8xJ-lW3dYnA3AYQpDLFAVcNhRxQc5U6Hj4s9ZhijG6JJnmkx8vYO0UjfkZLqobPU5eR78eNjEa48Gh7w0fFf6t~UFfNfDC3mdDsUg-kah2gn6OBnfRxT9oLJX23BSrVLRvXSojA5WakPNWlGjkLLaGwZjqc9MeEZz6LNPfsIAXxXdPd89cWRsjHYiBssUwgSVaYmF84dF5a3CPxvY8vgNcvdEjGhgYX-MrS3brMs8Mqhftd6NnimSf1yG10g7tKxBUPVrFj5a1IgwAl52~rQia2Gj-ubX-KkaWZdw0ZYRi9D4zteq02ICjvvjWWWQkQogL03RTAv2roIn-hBSCnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs committee approved HB1666 to create a Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid South specialty license plate and retire the Mid South Community College education specialty plate.

Sponsor Senator Dave Wallace (District 19) said the new plate came from popular request. \"It comes at a popular request from a lot of people out there,\" Wallace said. He said the Mid South Community College plate will be retired but that existing plates could still be renewed while inventory remains.

Alicia Austin Smith with the Department of Finance and Administration told the committee that the state currently has about 90 of the Mid South Community College plates in inventory annually and that existing plate holders would be able to renew their plates until inventory is exhausted. \"An individual who does not currently have one of those plates would not be able to apply for one,\" Smith said; she confirmed those currently issued would be considered grandfathered for renewal while stock lasts.

Senators asked procedural questions about how many specialty plates the sponsor has introduced this session; Wallace said this was his second created plate and that he was a co-sponsor on another. No public witnesses signed up for or against the bill.

The committee moved to pass HB1666 on a motion, with Senator Johnson as mover and Senator Scott as seconder. The chair called for the ayes and declared the bill passed.

The committee record shows the bill passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.","The committee passed HB1666 to create a Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid South specialty license plate and retire the Mid South Community College plate; DFA said inventory of the retired plate will allow renewals by current holders.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097887,"Senate committee approves bill to withhold railroad employee names from press",17,168000,185000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f&start=168&end=185","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826354-6a38a9c0cd9d585bb7795426ffc3b36f/thumbnail_168000.jpg","/articles/6097887/Arkansas/Senate-committee-approves-bill-to-withhold-railroad-employee-names-from-press","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097887-7614b8f8c8c4fc23500733d26597d2c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144690&Signature=IfDZsNtSO6x7x5ChuFuiWPxAUwytogxSmOf5cCFdpOKdVpY4uFLQTdkRGiZKIHXcwVSh25npALqlrzD6UzwD4LOexlbLYLAYuPloY3HicLe~j-10MqGUOeHaWz68Z--uN5LIJzauwxcL3GQkKe1pXkypst5HNJ5WUk5fky2wPK~6GKRYX9engCKgtwlh~mcVsGHcXGEo-Ne-vR67LZPiOcYsZ3QWWwGYcVqUuh3cERjVUiqr7oFGtWcp~JBQ77JpXmqrFx15WbmzglotbcAu2mh6Q1LhaOraNtcdq0hBN081gwMBv7dHnjivRGtBCZlbqn6-cT4fFy9s5dadUI2Xxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs committee approved SB397, a bill intended to keep the names of railroad workers out of news reports after most train accidents, sponsor Senator Dave Wallace said. \"This bill will redact their names from any newspapers or anything to keep their names out of the press,\" Wallace said, adding that records would still be accessible through a public records request.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Dave Wallace (District 19), told the committee that about \"90% of all railroad accidents are not the fault of the members and the employees that work on the train,\" and said the measure is meant to protect those workers’ privacy. Wallace also said the bill does not block public-records requests: \"However, if somebody wants to FOIA the bill, then it's foible,\" he said.

Committee members asked whether similar privacy protections exist for other professions. Senator Johnson asked whether the protection would be consistent with protections afforded to other workers, noting equity concerns. Wallace replied he was not aware of parallel examples.

There were no public witnesses signed in either for or against the bill. A motion to pass the bill was moved by Senator Victor Love and seconded by Senator Scott. The committee voice-voted the measure and the chair said the bill passed.

Because the committee conducted only a voice vote, no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript. The bill record indicates the committee moved SB397 forward.

Bills dealing with personnel privacy and incident reporting frequently raise questions about balancing privacy with public access; the sponsor and committee limited the discussion in this hearing to the bill’s intent and the mechanics for public-records access.","The Senate Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs committee passed SB397, a bill that would redact railroad employees' names from press reports about most train accidents while preserving access through public records requests, sponsors said.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee clears bill to tighten disclosure rules for driver and vehicle records, allow digital license photos for law enforcement

Committee approves bill to centralize state cybersecurity oversight and require regular assessments

Committee advances bill centralizing IT project management under Office of State Technology

Committee approves Make-A-Wish specialty plate, retires Mid South Community College plate

Senate committee approves bill to withhold railroad employee names from press