Summary — HB 1989 (Introduced Jan. 22, 2025) — Died in Committee
Status: Died in House committee at sine die adjournment (May 5, 2025)
Primary sponsor: Rep. Cavenaugh
Important note on source material
- The documents provided contain mismatched and truncated material from multiple jurisdictions and bills (an Arkansas bill amending used motor vehicle dealer statutes, and an unrelated Illinois appropriation bill). The bill title shown (“Lauderdale County; extend repeal date on county tourism commission and remove cap on salary of executive director of commission”) does not match the Arkansas text included. This summary focuses on the substantive text that was provided (Arkansas used-motor-vehicle provisions), and flags inconsistencies.
Purpose and intent
- The available bill text primarily proposes amendments to Arkansas’s used motor vehicle dealer licensing and buyers-protection statutes (Ark. Code § 23-112-601 et seq.). The intent is to revise definitions, clarify regulatory authority and designee procedures, and increase or clarify penalties for violations by used motor vehicle dealers and related actors.
Key provisions (based on provided text)
- Revises legislative findings stating the public interest in regulating used motor vehicle sales and the need to license dealers.
- Amends and expands definitions in Ark. Code § 23-112-602, including:
- “Auto auction” clarified to include persons/places that operate wholesale exchanges or sell using auction/consignment formats.
- “Designee” defined as a person or entity that performs dealer inspections on behalf of the department — wording changes reference the Division of Arkansas State Police as the supervising division.
- New or revised definitions: “drafter,” “licensed location,” “person,” “used motor vehicle dealer” (broadened to include brokers/auctioneers and persons selling for profit), “used motor vehicle salesperson,” “wholesaler,” and added definitions for “convicted” (explicitly includes pleas of guilty/nolo contendere and convictions that have been sealed/expunged) and “retail used motor vehicle dealer” (sells to the public).
- Penalties (Ark. Code § 23-112-603):
- A third or subsequent violation is designated a Class D felony.
- For each third/subsequent violation the dealer’s license would be suspended for three years.
- Text indicates additional enforcement or penalty authority for the Director of the Division of Arkansas State Police, but the provision is truncated in the provided material so the full scope is unclear.
Who would be affected
- Retail and wholesale used motor vehicle dealers in Arkansas, auto auctions, salespersons, drafters (those using another dealer’s credit/account), and any entities performing inspections as designees for the state.
- Potentially affects eligibility or licensing decisions because “convicted” is defined to include sealed/expunged convictions.
Procedural / timeline
- Filed: Jan. 22, 2025 (file dates vary in the provided log; primary introduction Jan. 22)
- Read/Assigned: multiple readings and referrals recorded in the materials
- Final status: Died in House committee at sine die adjournment (May 5, 2025)
Limitations / next steps
- The text provided is truncated in places and intermixed with unrelated material (including an Illinois appropriation bill). For authoritative detail, consult the official bill text and legislative history on the Arkansas General Assembly website (or the originating legislature), or contact the sponsor’s office to resolve discrepancies.
