# Arkansas HB1353: TO REGULATE A VISION BENEFIT MANAGER; TO AMEND THE VISION CARE PLAN ACT OF 2015; TO AMEND THE HEALTHCARE CONTRACTING SIMPLIFICATION ACT. Arkansas HB1353, TO REGULATE A VISION BENEFIT MANAGER; TO AMEND THE VISION CARE PLAN ACT OF 2015; TO AMEND THE HEALTHCARE CONTRACTING SIMPLIFICATION ACT., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Dave Wallace (Republican), Jon S. Eubanks (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-02-25 (Notification that HB1353 is now Act 142); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1353-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1353 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO REGULATE A VISION BENEFIT MANAGER; TO AMEND THE VISION CARE PLAN ACT OF 2015; TO AMEND THE HEALTHCARE CONTRACTING SIMPLIFICATION ACT. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-31 - Last action: 2025-02-25, Notification that HB1353 is now Act 142 - Sponsors: Dave Wallace (Republican), Jon S. Eubanks (Republican) - Cosponsors: 32 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (124 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Lower cash prices for vision patients: benefit, low. Vision provider contracts cannot block cash payments that cost less than an enrollee's total out-of-pocket cost for the service or material. Providers cannot be audited solely because they offer a cash price. These protections include licensed opticians, but providers do not have to offer cash pric… - More freedom to choose vision providers: benefit, low. Vision insurers, managers, and plans cannot steer patients toward one participating provider over another for covered or uncovered care. This includes favoring affiliated retail, online, or virtual providers; plans also cannot limit provider choice for uncovered care. Participating provider listing… - Stronger protections for vision plan benefits: benefit, low. Contracts providing indemnity, health, dental, or vision benefits cannot cut payable benefits solely because an enrollee has other coverage. Reductions remain allowed when they follow coordination-of-benefits rules adopted by the Arkansas Insurance Commissioner. Vision insurers, managers, and plans… - Fairer contracts for vision care providers: benefit, low. Vision provider contract limits also apply to vision benefit managers. Agreements cannot set fees or require discounts for uncovered care, including by using minimal payments to evade that ban. They cannot tie insurer network access to joining or being approved by a particular vision plan, or restr… - Minimum payments for vision care providers: benefit, low. Vision insurers, managers, and plans must pay providers at least the current calendar-year Medicare rate for covered services and materials. Payments cannot be merely token amounts or differ because of a provider's listed business choices. Those choices include labs, suppliers, sources, equipment,… - Stronger payment protections for vision providers: benefit, low. Payers cannot withhold or take back contracted payments for covered care when providers verify eligibility on the service date. Providers must use the payer's customary verification methods. Audits of participating vision providers cannot project errors from a sample onto other claims. Extra paymen… - Vision and dental plans gain oversight: benefit, low. Arkansas brings vision and dental benefits, including standalone plans, under its Healthcare Contracting Simplification Act. It also includes nonfederal government plans, using the federal definition as of January 1, 2025. Vision benefit managers include insurers, third-party administrators, and su… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Dave Wallace (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Jon S. Eubanks (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Brandon Achor (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ronald Caldwell (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Carol Dalby (Republican), House - Cosponsor: James Eaton (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Les D. Eaves (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Brian S. Evans (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Fred Allen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Zack Gramlich (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Dolly Henley (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mike Holcomb (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Steve Hollowell (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Missy Irvin (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Justin Boyd (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jane English (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jay Richardson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jamie Scott (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Kenneth B. Ferguson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jack Ladyman (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mark Johnson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: John Maddox (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Stephen Magie (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Richard McGrew (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jon Milligan (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jason Nazarenko (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mark Perry (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Terry Rice (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Marcus E. Richmond (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Trey Steimel (Republican), House - Cosponsor: DeAnn Vaught (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Les Warren (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Carlton Wing (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jim Wooten (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-02-19 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, February 19, 2025 2:16:02 PM | pass | 28 | 1 | | | 2025-02-10 | House | House Vote - Monday, February 10, 2025 2:00:21 PM | pass | 96 | 0 | | ## Actions (13) - 2025-02-25: Notification that HB1353 is now Act 142 (House) - 2025-02-20: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House) - 2025-02-19: TO BE ENROLLED (House) - 2025-02-19: Returned from the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-02-19: Returned to the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to INSURANCE & COMMERCE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-02-05: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-02-03: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on INSURANCE & COMMERCE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-01-31: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1353 - Introduced, 2025-01-31: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1353.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=142.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related bills - HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS. (failed) - HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO SET PENALTIES FOR A VIOLATION OF THE PROHIBITION OF SOLICITATION OF INJURED INDIV… (failed) - SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE USE OF ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS; AND TO REGULATE ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS FACILITIES. (failed) - HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO ALLOW A MUNICIPALITY TO PETITION TO SET ASIDE THE SALE OF PROPERTY TO CERTAIN P… (failed) - HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY; TO REQUIRE THAT A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BE SELECTED A… (failed) ## Sources - [HB1353 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1353.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=142.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related - [HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1265-2025) - [HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1686-2025) - [HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1237-2025) - [SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE US…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB440-2025) - [HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1695-2025) - [HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HR1012-2025) - [Arkansas bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas/bills) - [Arkansas state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1353-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).