Arkansas Bills

signed · Arkansas · Senate Apr 14, 2025

SB 25: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.

SB 25 is a procedural budget amendment adjusting funding for Arkansas' State Insurance Department for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It reduces the department's budget by approximately $242,412 across multiple line items, including lowering personnel positions (like Director of Security Operations and Human Resources Analysts) and specific funding amounts. This bill directly affects the State Insurance Department's staffing and operating budget. As an appropriation amendment, it makes technical budget adjustments without creating new policy. The bill was enacted as Act 607 on April 14, 2025.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

signed · Arkansas · Senate Apr 14, 2025

SB 479: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VOTER ASSISTANCE; AND TO REQUIRE A PERSON ASSISTING A VOTER WITH A DISABILITY TO PRESENT IDENTIFICATION.

SB 479, now Arkansas Act 593, requires any person assisting a voter with a disability at the polls to present valid identification. This directly affects voters with disabilities who need assistance and the individuals helping them. The law mandates poll workers to maintain a list of all assistants using the name from their ID, and the State Election Board must define acceptable identification documents. The bill updates existing voting assistance rules to add this identification requirement, effective immediately upon the governor's approval.

signed · Arkansas · House Apr 14, 2025

HB 1191: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.

HB 1191 is a budget appropriation bill that adjusts specific funding amounts for the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It modifies three numerical values in the budget document (changing line items from 89→90, 33→35, and 165→168 on page 25) without altering program structure or policy. This procedural bill directly affects DPS's budget allocation for the upcoming fiscal year. The bill became law as Act 619 on April 14, 2025, after passing with an emergency clause.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Arkansas · Senate Apr 14, 2025

SB 463: TO REQUIRE THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO APPROVE OR DENY SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS CONCERNING CLOSING OR ELIMINATING ELECTRIC GENERATION UNITS OR TRANSMISSION ASSETS.

SB 463 requires Arkansas public utilities to obtain approval from the Arkansas Public Service Commission before entering settlement agreements that would close or eliminate power plants or transmission assets. The bill directly affects utilities, the Commission, and consumers by mandating that settlements must legally resolve claims, not exceed regulatory costs, and avoid decisions driven by environmental goals rather than law. The Commission must evaluate whether proposed settlements are legally sound, cost-justified for consumers, and based on reasonable legal interpretations before approving or denying them. This creates a new review process to ensure settlements protect consumer interests and comply with state regulations. The bill does not change existing utility operations but adds oversight for specific settlement agreements.

Topics ✗ Energy ✗ Environment

Matt Brown (R) Matt McKee (R) · 30 co-sponsors

signed · Arkansas · Senate Apr 14, 2025

SB 160: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ADMINISTRATION OF THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

SB 160 (now Act 589) amends Arkansas' public retirement system law to include the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) as a participating public employer, meaning ADFA employees will now be covered under the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System. It also adds two new members to the retirement system's Board of Trustees: the Secretary of the Department of Shared Administrative Services and the Bank Commissioner. These changes directly affect ADFA employees by extending retirement benefits and adjust board composition to include representatives from state administrative and financial agencies. The bill was enacted into law on April 14, 2025, following passage by both legislative chambers.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Arkansas · House Apr 14, 2025

HB 1630: TO ADD A MISDEMEANOR CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE OFFENSE TO THE PREDICATE OFFENSES FOR CAPITAL MURDER, MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE, AND MANSLAUGHTER.

HB 1630 amends Arkansas law to classify certain drug-related deaths as capital murder, first-degree murder, or manslaughter. Specifically, it adds misdemeanor violations involving the actual delivery of controlled substances (like small-scale drug sales) to the list of offenses that can trigger these severe charges when death occurs during or immediately after the drug activity. For example, if someone causes a death while selling drugs in a misdemeanor-level transaction, it could now be prosecuted as first-degree murder instead of manslaughter. This change directly affects individuals involved in low-level drug transactions where a death occurs during the offense. The bill passed both chambers and became Act 599 on April 14, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

signed · Arkansas · House Apr 14, 2025

HB 1645: TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING ADVERTISING BY A MICROBREWERY-RESTAURANT PRIVATE CLUB.

HB 1645 amends state law to permit microbrewery-restaurants operating as private clubs to advertise their location, events, and menu. This change removes previous restrictions on these specific advertising details for such businesses. The bill directly affects microbrewery-restaurants functioning as private clubs by expanding their permitted marketing content. It does not alter advertising rules for other business types or establishments. The bill was enacted as Act 601 on April 14, 2025.

signed · Arkansas · Senate Apr 14, 2025

SB 322: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT; AND TO ALLOW THIRD PARTIES TO PERFORM PLAN REVIEWS AND SITE INSPECTIONS.

SB 322 (now Act 591) allows licensed engineers, architects, or other qualified professionals (not affiliated with a construction project) to conduct plan reviews and site inspections for development projects, instead of requiring local governments to handle all reviews internally. Local governments must notify applicants within 5 business days if they cannot complete reviews within 60 days, at which point applicants may request third-party reviews paid for by the local government. This directly affects construction applicants seeking permits, local governments managing development approvals, and licensed professionals offering these services. The bill aims to reduce permitting delays by providing an alternative review option when local staff are overwhelmed.

signed · Arkansas · Senate Apr 14, 2025

SB 357: TO AMEND THE UNIFORM ATTENDANCE AND LEAVE POLICY ACT; AND TO APPLY MILITARY SERVICE CREDIT TO A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE'S TOTAL SERVICE TIME FOR ANNUAL LEAVE ACCRUAL CALCULATION.

SB 357 amends Arkansas' leave policy to allow public employees with military service to count that time toward their annual leave accrual. It specifically applies to state employees who were honorably discharged, served in the Arkansas National Guard or military reserves before state employment, or currently serve in those units. To qualify, employees must provide documentation like military service records (e.g., NGB Form 23A or DA Form 5016), and military service credit is calculated based on documented points divided by 365 days. The bill excludes credit for active-duty service performed while concurrently employed by the state. This policy change directly affects eligible public employees by increasing their annual leave entitlement based on prior military service.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

signed · Arkansas · Senate Apr 14, 2025

SB 359: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAM GRANTS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.

SB 359 increases funding for Arkansas' existing after-school programs by raising the appropriation from $1.7 million to $3.9 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The bill directly affects the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, which administers grants for out-of-school time programs. These programs typically provide academic support, enrichment, and safe supervision for students outside regular school hours, primarily benefiting K-12 schools and community organizations operating such services. The key provision is the budget adjustment, expanding available resources for these established programs without creating new requirements or eligibility rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

signed · Arkansas · Senate Apr 14, 2025

SB 545: TO AMEND THE LAW RELATED TO THE PROPERTY AND FINANCES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION; TO AMEND THE LAW RELATED TO BONDS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING RENTS, TOLLS, FEES, AND OTHER CHARGES RELATED TO ATHLETIC CONTESTS.

SB 545 amends Arkansas law to give public universities greater authority over their property, finances, and revenue streams. It allows university boards to purchase existing buildings, reconstruct facilities, and acquire new infrastructure (Section 1), permits them to issue bonds using non-tax revenues from operations (Section 2), and expands their power to set fees for athletic events, facilities, and other campus services (Section 3). The bill directly affects all 6 Arkansas public universities (University of Arkansas, Arkansas State, UCA, Henderson State, Arkansas Tech, Southern Arkansas) and their governing boards. These changes streamline how institutions manage assets and fund operations without altering tuition or state funding.

Topics ✓ Education

signed · Arkansas · Senate Apr 14, 2025

SB 351: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ETHICS AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE; TO AMEND PORTIONS OF INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1990; AND TO AMEND PORTIONS OF INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1996.

SB 351 removes three specific sections (5, 12, and 14) from Arkansas' ethics and campaign finance laws, which were originally part of Initiated Act 1 of 1990 and Initiated Act 1 of 1996. The bill renumbers the remaining sections to maintain legal document structure. This is a procedural amendment that does not change existing ethics or campaign finance rules. The bill became law as Act 592 on April 14, 2025.

Bill results