HB1152 Summary

• Appropriates $13.2 million to the State Insurance Department - Operations for fiscal year 2015-2016, including $7.0 million for regular salaries, $140,000 for extra help, and $2.3 million for personal services matching.

• Authorizes a maximum of 189 regular employees and 28 employees under a Level One Cooperative Agreement - Federal, plus up to 19 temporary/part-time "Extra Help" employees.

• Establishes appropriations for multiple insurance programs and divisions, including fraud investigation ($397,760), prepaid funeral benefits ($399,394), public employee claims ($1.86 million), and state employee claims ($16.5 million).

• Prohibits the State Insurance Department from allocating funds for advertising or promotion of the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace or Health Care Independence Program, with limited exceptions for direct communications and responding to inquiries.

• Restricts the department from allocating funds for state-based health insurance exchange implementation pending the U.S. Supreme Court decision in King v. Burwell; amends code provisions regarding premium tax credits and fund transfers.