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HB 1668

An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, in Water Assistance Program, providing for retrofitting residential high-rise buildings with automatic fire sprinkler systems.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Anthony Bellmon and 8 co-sponsors

Creates a private civil cause of action against those who knowingly enable a minor’s social transition or prohibited medical procedures, with heavy damages and limited defenses.

Referred to Finance
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1668

Summary — HB 1668 (as provided)

Note on sources and scope
- The materials you supplied include multiple, conflicting drafts and provisions from different jurisdictions (an Arkansas “Vulnerable Youth Protection Act”, unrelated Indiana taxation language, and a short Illinois technical change), and the document header/title (an appropriation for United Way / 211 Mississippi helpline) does not match the primary bill text included.
- Below is a focused summary of the primary substantive text contained in the packet — the Arkansas House Bill 1668 (Engrossed H3/19/25) titled the “Vulnerable Youth Protection Act” — together with procedural status drawn from the ledger you provided. If you intended a different HB 1668 (different state or subject), please confirm and I will re-summarize.

Purpose and intent

Creates the “Vulnerable Youth Protection Act,” establishing a private civil cause of action against persons who “knowingly cause or contribute to” (a) the social transitioning of a minor or (b) castration, sterilization, or mutilation of a minor. The stated aim is to provide remedies to minors and parents for harms resulting from such conduct.

Key definitions

  • “Minor”: under 18 years of age.
  • “Social transitioning”: acts by which a minor adopts or espouses a gender identity different from the minor’s biological sex (examples in text: changes in clothing, pronouns, hairstyle, name).
  • “Castration, sterilization, or mutilation”: defined by reference to procedures prohibited in Arkansas law § 20‑9‑1501 et seq.; excludes certain conduct enumerated in § 20‑9‑1502(c).

Main provisions and remedies

  • Civil liability: Any person who knowingly causes or contributes to social transitioning or the prohibited medical procedures on a minor is strictly, jointly and severally liable to the minor and the parents for resulting personal injuries or harm.
  • Damages and recovery: A prevailing plaintiff may recover nominal and compensatory damages, court costs, attorney’s fees, statutory damages of at least $10,000 from each defendant, and punitive damages of at least $10,000,000 from each defendant if irreversible sterilization or sexual dysfunction results.
  • Statute of limitations: Actions must be filed not later than 20 years after the cause of action accrues.
  • Waivers and consent: Any waiver of the right to sue is void as contrary to public policy; the plaintiff’s consent or the minor’s consent is expressly not a defense.
  • Class actions: Civil actions under this chapter may not be litigated as class actions; courts are prohibited from certifying a class under AR Civil Procedure Rule 23 for these claims.
  • First Amendment carve-out: The bill states it does not impose liability for speech or conduct protected by the First Amendment (as applied to the states) or Article 2, §6 of the Arkansas Constitution.
  • Preemption / federal actors: The bill exempts persons acting at the behest of federal agencies where liability would be barred by preemption or intergovernmental immunity.
  • Many commonly used defenses are expressly voided (mistake of law, reliance on certain court or federal decisions, contributory/comparative negligence, assumption of risk, sovereign/official immunity in many contexts, failure to exhaust administrative remedies, etc.), though the bill still recognizes certain affirmative constitutional defenses.

Enforcement and procedural constraints

  • Enforcement is limited to private civil actions; the state or its subdivisions (including prosecutors) are prohibited from bringing enforcement actions under the chapter and from using conduct described in the chapter to trigger other enforcement or adverse consequences outside the private suit mechanism.
  • The bill contains provisions restricting courts’ powers to award declaratory or injunctive relief that would invalidate or restrain the statute’s enforcement (language intended to limit judicial review/remedies).

Who would be affected

  • Potential defendants: parents, medical providers, school personnel, counselors, third parties or organizations who “knowingly” cause or contribute to a minor’s social transition or prohibited procedures.
  • Potential plaintiffs: minors who allege harm and their parents.
  • Indirectly affected: health-care and mental-health providers, educational institutions, advocacy organizations; insurance carriers; and state legal/health administrative structures because of litigation risk and the bill’s limits on government enforcement.

Potential legal and practical implications

  • Large statutory and punitive damages create significant financial exposure for defendants and could chill medical care, counseling, or supportive services for transgender youths.
  • The bill narrows available defenses and disallows class treatment, which alters litigation posture.
  • Portions of the bill (e.g., limits on judicial review, abrogation of immunity) raise potential federal constitutional challenges, and the preemption carve-out for federal actors signals expected legal complexity.

Procedural status (from provided ledger)

  • Introduced: December 18, 2024 (multiple filings shown; sponsors listed as Representative Bentley and Senator A. Clark).
  • Amendment No. 1 was read and adopted (3/19/2025) and the bill was ordered engrossed.
  • The bill was later withdrawn by author (4/01/2025) and is listed as “Died In Committee” (2/26/2025) in the provided actions.
  • Given the mixed records in the packet, final disposition appears to be that the bill did not become law.

If you want, I can:
- Produce a side-by-side comparison of the original introduced text and Amendment No. 1; or
- Prepare a shorter fact sheet focused on impacts to specific stakeholders (medical providers, schools, parents); or
- Re-check whether you meant the appropriation/United Way/211 Mississippi helpline bill and summarize that instead.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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