HB 1157 extends survivor annuity benefits for dependent children of deceased Arkansas teachers from age 18 to age 22, provided the child remains a full-time student in an accredited school. It adds provisions allowing children to maintain benefits during approved educational deferments and reinstates payments after military service if they immediately enroll in school. The bill also clarifies eligibility for children with court-declared disabilities and specifies that benefits pause during active military duty but resume upon returning to school. This directly affects dependent children of Arkansas Teacher Retirement System members who die while active or after retirement. The changes take effect July 1, 2025, to align with the system's fiscal year.
HB 1121 repeals a law that allowed the transfer of tax-forfeited lands (properties where taxes were unpaid and seized by the government) to state institutions like universities or hospitals. It removes the legal mechanism for these land transfers, meaning state institutions can no longer receive such properties through this specific process. The bill directly affects state institutions that previously had access to tax-forfeited lands under the repealed law. This repeal became effective as Act 211 on February 27, 2025.
HB 1486 amends Arkansas law governing how the State Highway Commission handles surplus property acquired for highway projects. It specifically changes the process for reacquiring partial parcels (remnants) of land that become surplus, requiring the Commission to determine current market value using three certified appraisers instead of a fixed price. This directly affects landowners whose property was partially acquired by the state for highway use but now has surplus portions. The bill ensures reacquisition payments reflect current market conditions for these partial parcels, rather than the original acquisition price. The change applies to all future reacquisition actions under Arkansas Code § 27-67-322(c).
HB 1161 allows Arkansas teachers who retired on or after July 1, 1994, to change their retirement annuity options once within one year of retirement. To do this, they must file a new election form and repay the difference between their original annuity and the new amount, plus interest from July 1, 1994, or their retirement date. The change takes effect retroactively after meeting these requirements. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, to align with the state's fiscal year.
SB 206 increases the literacy tutoring grant under Arkansas' Right to Read Act from $500 to $1,500 per eligible student annually. The bill specifically amends Arkansas Code § 6-17-429(j)(2)(B) to establish this higher funding level, prioritizing students at risk of grade retention (e.g., third graders). Public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools providing literacy tutoring for eligible students receive this grant on a first-come, first-served basis. The change directly affects schools implementing the Right to Read Act's tutoring program, increasing per-student funding to support reading intervention.
SB 207 requires petition circulators (canvassers) to inform people that signing initiative or referendum petitions is subject to criminal penalties for fraud. It amends the law to specify that petition fraud is a "criminal offense" (replacing "Class A misdemeanor") when disclosed to petition signers. The bill was enacted as Act 218 after an emergency clause was adopted, but does not change the actual penalties for fraud. This directly affects individuals collecting signatures for citizen-led ballot measures by mandating this disclosure during the petition process.
HB 1487 (now Act 212) modifies the membership requirements for the Arkansas Forestry Commission's committee. It specifies that the committee must include at least three registered foresters not on the commission, in addition to existing members designated by the commission chair. This change affects the Arkansas Forestry Commission's internal structure and operations by clarifying committee composition rules for rulemaking, disciplinary matters, and ethical complaints. The bill is procedural and does not alter forest management policies or public programs.
HB 1417, now Act 215, designates the mallard duck as Arkansas' official state duck without creating new laws or requirements. The bill explicitly states state agencies are not obligated to update publications or displays to include this designation, though they may choose to do so in future materials. It also clarifies that the designation does not grant any legal protections or conservation status to mallard ducks. This is a purely symbolic measure with no direct impact on residents, businesses, or state operations.
SB 63 amends Arkansas law to update the name of a state department referenced in annual reporting requirements. Specifically, it replaces "Transportation" with "Transformation" in the text governing reports submitted by secretaries of cabinet-level departments. This is a technical correction to the bill language, not a substantive policy change. The bill directly affects department secretaries who prepare these annual reports but does not alter reporting content or requirements. The amendment passed and became Act 219 on February 26, 2025.
HB 1154 updates the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) through multiple technical amendments. It affects current and future ATRS members, including teachers, school administrators, and their beneficiaries, by clarifying membership status rules (e.g., requiring contributory status if switching roles), revising annuity distribution procedures for survivors, and eliminating temporary waivers for electronic contribution reporting. Key changes include specifying how Option B annuity payments are split among dependent children (Section 4), shortening the deadline for residue beneficiary elections (Section 5), and updating eligibility for participating in the PSHE plan (Section 9). The bill declares an emergency to ensure these changes take effect July 1, 2025, aligning with the state’s fiscal year.
SB 147 renames Arkansas' "Department of Transformation and Shared Services" to "Department of Transformation and Shared Administrative Services" throughout state law. It updates references to this department in multiple Arkansas Code sections governing state employee leave programs, geographic information systems, and land surveying responsibilities. The bill affects state agencies, higher education institutions, and the Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Board that interact with this department. It makes no policy changes but corrects the department's name in existing statutes and adds "to declare an emergency" to the title, though this does not alter the bill's administrative focus.
HB 1156 changes Arkansas teacher retirement rules to allow surviving spouses to qualify for annuity benefits if married to the teacher for at least one year before the teacher's death, instead of the previous two-year requirement. This directly affects teachers enrolled in the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System and their surviving spouses. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, to align with the state's fiscal year and streamline retirement system administration. It was enacted as Act 224 on February 27, 2025.
