SB 520 Arkansas Senate · 2025 Regular Session

TO PROHIBIT DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION OFFICES, OFFICERS, POLICIES, OR PRACTICES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Senate Bill 520 (now Act 747) prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, officers, policies, or practices within local governments in Arkansas. Citizens who believe a violation has occurred can notify the local government, which then has 30 days to resolve the issue. If the local government fails to act, a citizen may file a civil lawsuit in circuit court to stop the prohibited conduct and recover court costs and attorney's fees. The bill includes an exception for compliance with existing civil rights laws or agreements related to state or federal funding.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

Apr 2025

Introduced Mar 19, 2025 Signed Apr 18, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Act 747 → SB 520 · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill maintains its core purpose of prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and practices in local Arkansas government. The changes are primarily technical formatting updates and minor rewording of definitions without substantive policy alterations. The bill's scope, enforcement mechanisms, and prohibitions remain effectively unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and spacing adjustments to header information and document layout

DEFINITION

Slight rewording of the definition of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative' to clarify that preferences based on protected characteristics are prohibited

New subsection (g) clarifies that the bill does not prevent compliance with state or federal civil rights laws or agreements related to state/federal funding

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 18, 2025

Signed into law

Notification that SB520 is now Act 747

upper

Apr 15, 2025

Upper · Passed

Returned from the House as passed.

upper

Apr 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Returned to the Senate as passed.

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

Returned by the Committee Do Pass

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read the third time and passed.

upper

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to CITY, COUNTY & LOCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE - SENATE

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass

upper

Mar 19, 2025

Introduced

Filed

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors