Fite Files First Bill For 93rd Session

LITTLE ROCK — State Rep. Charlene Fite, R-Van Buren, from state House District 80, filed the first House bill for legislative activity for the upcoming 93rd General Assembly of the Arkansas Legislature, according to a spokesman for the House.

She also filed the first complete House Resolution of the upcoming Legislative Session. Both were filed as she attended a Joint Budget hearing in Little Rock last week.

Ordinarily, House Bill No. 1001 is always reserved for the Speaker for procedural issues for the session. All House Bills begin with the number 1001.

In filing her bills with the House staff, Fite actually filed two bills for consideration during the upcoming Legislative session that begins in January.

Fite’s first bill, numbered House Bill 1002 is regarding property exemption for disabled veterans. (House Bill 1001 belongs to the Speaker of the House.)

House Bill 1002 for disabled veterans was brought to Fite by a constituent, she said, who is a realtor and was helping one of her clients.

“The real estate agent questioned why the veteran needed to renew the property exemption (provided by state law) each and every year,” Fite said. Fite said she told the constituent she agreed.

“Why indeed? Let’s fix that,” Fite said.

Fite’s House Bill 1003 seeks to clean up language used in state code regarding terms for the Deaf and also regards closed captioning in public venues. The proposed bill was brought to Fite for consideration by the Arkansas Association of the Deaf.

With the House chamber of 100 members, it is rare for a state Representative to have the very first legislation filed in the Chamber, an honor only afforded to the Speaker of the House each and every session.