Sponsor pulls bill to limit crash data

A bill aimed at denying medical solicitors from immediately obtaining information on people involved in traffic crashes was pulled from House Public Transportation Committee consideration by its sponsor Tuesday.

House Bill 1403 by Rep. Justin Boyd, R- Fort Smith, would limit who could inspect or copy a police accident report for 30 days. The bill would allow inspections and copying by people, insurers and other parties involved in the crash, as well as, among others, television and radio stations and newspapers.

The Arkansas Press Association opposes the bill because it singles out newspapers as a special class, said Tom Larimer, the association’s executive director.

— Noel Oman