Senate Bill 188 (now Act 272) requires sponsors of statewide initiative and referendum petitions in Arkansas to publicly post specific details on the Secretary of State’s website within five business days of gathering signatures. Sponsors must provide the full proposed measure text, official ballot description, and popular name, all certified by the Attorney General. The Secretary of State must keep this information online unless the petition fails to qualify, the sponsor requests removal, or a court removes the measure from the ballot. This law directly affects petition sponsors and aims to increase transparency about proposed ballot measures.
Arkansas Senate Bill 295 (now Act 281) amends election funding law to allow local election authorities to pay certified election monitors as an approved election expense. The bill specifically adds "compensation for certified election monitors of the State Board of Election Commissioners" to the list of allowable costs under Arkansas Code § 7-4-123(a). This change directly affects election administrators and certified monitors by providing a new funding mechanism for their compensation. The bill was enacted on March 12, 2025, after passing both chambers and being delivered to the Governor. It represents a procedural adjustment to election expense rules without altering voting procedures or eligibility.
HB 1499 amends Arkansas law governing the sale of public property by clarifying which state agencies must follow the updated procedures. It removes specific entities - including the State Highway Commission, Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission, State Parks Commission, and institutions of higher education - from the list of exemptions, requiring them to adhere to the new sale process. This change directly affects state boards and commissions managing public assets when disposing of property. The bill became law as Act 288 on March 12, 2025, streamlining public property sales for covered agencies.
HB 1568 amends state law to require a postmortem examination for any death appearing to be caused by drug, alcohol, or poison toxicity. This directly affects medical examiners, law enforcement, and coroners handling death investigations in these specific cases. The bill expands existing requirements by explicitly including "apparent" toxicity from these substances as a trigger for mandatory examinations. It modifies current procedures to ensure standardized investigations when substance involvement is suspected, without creating new requirements beyond this scope. The law became effective as Act 289 on March 12, 2025.
SB 308 removes outdated references to write-in candidates from state law. It does not change how write-in voting works or affect voters who choose write-in candidates. The bill is a technical correction to modernize statutory language, not a substantive policy change. This bill passed on March 11, 2025, and became law as Act 284.
SB 210 requires anyone signing an initiative or referendum petition in Arkansas to read the petition's summary (ballot title) aloud in the presence of a canvasser, or have it read to them by the canvasser. This applies directly to petition signers and canvassers who collect signatures. The bill adds a new requirement to the canvasser's affidavit verifying that signers read the summary in their presence, and creates a misdemeanor offense for canvassers who accept signatures without this verification. The bill declares an emergency to ensure it takes effect before the 2026 election, citing the need to strengthen integrity in the citizen-initiative process.
SB 265 reduces the size of two licensing committees: one for wastewater and one for solid waste. It modifies committee membership rules and updates requirements for apprenticeship licenses in solid waste licensing. This bill directly affects the committees that oversee these licenses and individuals seeking to work in solid waste management through apprenticeship programs. The changes became law as Act 294 on March 12, 2025.
SB 119 establishes Arkansas' participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, an agreement between states to streamline medical licensing. It directly affects licensed physicians and surgeons who provide care across state lines, such as through telemedicine or in border communities. The bill creates a system where Arkansas would recognize licenses from other participating states and vice versa, reducing the need for separate state-specific applications. This eliminates administrative barriers for healthcare providers seeking to practice in multiple states. The bill became law as Act 269 on March 12, 2025.
SB 292 amends Arkansas law to adjust the date of annual school elections when they fall on a state holiday. It requires school districts to move elections scheduled on a state holiday to the third Tuesday of the month, rather than the second Tuesday as previously specified. This change directly affects all Arkansas public school districts holding annual elections in even-numbered years (aligned with state primaries/general elections) or odd-numbered years (November or May). The bill declares an emergency, stating that avoiding holidays ensures broader voter participation and fairer election results.
HB 1599 would have amended Arkansas law to exempt motor vehicles leased for at least 12 months by institutions of public charity (such as hospitals or shelters) from property taxation. This change would have expanded existing tax exemptions for these institutions' buildings, land, and other assets to include qualifying leased vehicles. The bill, filed in February 2025, was scheduled to take effect for property tax assessments starting January 1, 2026. However, the bill was withdrawn by its author on March 11, 2025, and did not become law.
HB 1082 would create Arkansas' first law specifically protecting children and teens' online privacy. It directly affects websites, apps, and online services that target minors or knowingly collect their personal information. The bill prohibits these operators from sharing children's data with third parties for targeted advertising to minors and requires them to disclose how they collect, use, and share personal data. Key provisions include banning the use of children's personal information for targeted ads and mandating clear privacy disclosures about data practices to parents or guardians.
HB 1083, the Arkansas Kids Online Safety Act, defines "covered internet services" to protect minors online by excluding certain platforms from its scope. The bill exempts services that solely route internet traffic and interactive gaming platforms complying with federal children's privacy laws (COPPA) as of January 1, 2025. It directly affects internet service providers and digital platforms operating in Arkansas, requiring them to adhere to the defined safety framework for minors. Key provisions clarify which services fall under the law, focusing on protecting children while excluding specific exempted technologies. The bill was withdrawn by its author on March 11, 2025, before final passage.
