TO CREATE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM.
Senate Bill 554 creates the Behavioral Health Loan Forgiveness Program, administered by the Department of Human Services. This program offers student loan payments to mental health professionals and licensed alcoholism and drug abuse counselors. To participate, individuals must commit to serving a minimum of three years full-time in designated "behaviorally underserved communities" in Arkansas. Upon completion of each year of service, participants receive an annual disbursement towards their eligible loans, up to a maximum of three years. Failure to fulfill the service obligation requires repayment of funds received with interest.
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 20, 2025
Signed Apr 23, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Act 1022
→
SB 554
·
3 edits
MINOR
SB 554 reformatted the bill from Act 1022 with minor text adjustments and formatting changes. The substantive policy content remains largely unchanged, with only slight rewording of eligibility criteria for behavioral health loan participants.
Scope change
No significant change in scope or applicability; the bill continues to address behavioral health service needs in Arkansas.
TECHNICAL
Minor formatting adjustments including removal of 'Act 1022' header and reformatting of bill text structure.
Adjustments to indentation and spacing in the criteria for determining unmet behavioral health needs.
ELIGIBILITY
Slight rewording of eligibility criteria for behavioral health loan participants, changing 'licensed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor' to 'licensed alcoholism and substance use counselor' in one instance.
Floor votes
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
15
Key actions
7
Committee
2
Apr 23, 2025
Signed into law
Notification that SB554 is now Act 1022
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Returned from the House as passed.
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Returned to the Senate as passed.
lower
Apr 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
lower
Apr 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
Returned by the Committee Do Pass
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read the third time and passed.
upper
Apr 2, 2025
Upper · Passed
Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
upper
Mar 20, 2025
Introduced
Filed
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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