SB414

Senate Bill 414 amends the Regional Airport Act to revise the governance, legal immunity, and jurisdictional boundaries of regional airport authorities in Arkansas. The bill establishes that airport authorities, their directors, and employees are immune from tort liability and suits for damages, except to the extent that coverage is provided by liability insurance. It clarifies requirements for the appointment and conduct of airport authority board members, including conflict-of-interest prohibitions. Furthermore, the bill creates a new legal framework for the annexation and detachment of airport authority property relative to municipalities. It requires coordination with the Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Office for such boundary changes and mandates that detachment procedures protect any outstanding municipal bond obligations. The bill also prohibits the involuntary annexation of authority-owned property by municipalities without a two-thirds vote of the authority's board of directors.