TO INCLUDE EMPLOYEES OF A METROPOLITAN PORT AUTHORITY IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE ARKANSAS EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

HB 1068 (now Act 311) expands Arkansas' Employees' Retirement System to include employees of metropolitan port authorities. This policy change directly affects port authority workers by granting them access to the state's existing retirement benefits program. The bill amends the retirement system's membership criteria to explicitly cover these employees, requiring port authorities to enroll them in the system without creating new retirement structures. The bill passed both chambers and became law on March 18, 2025.