Bills Signed: HCR1004, HJR1018, SCR5, SJR11, SJR15, SB611, SB612, SB90, SB640, HB1017, HB1719, HB1728, HB1766, HB1866, HB1312, HB1484, HB1903, HB1933, HB1945, HB1966, SB450, HB1642, HB1646, HB1812, SB619, SB625, SB290, HB1606, HB1525, HB1683, HB1701, HB1845, HB1876, HB1913, HB1951, HB1988, SB397, HB2001, SB400, SB533, SB546, SB565, HB1352, HB1365, HB1524, HB1562, HB1604, HB1656, SB596, HB1682, HB1797, SB437, HB1846, HB1952, HB1974, SB443, SB489, HB1523, HB1717, HB1842, HB1843, SB486, SB491, SB483, SB519, HB1131, HB1186, HB1801, HB1943, HB1963, SB632, HB1252, HB1471, HB1840, SB121, SB217, SB444, SB601

LITTLE ROCK, AR - On Monday, April 21st, 2025, the Governor signed into law: 

HCR1004 - To congratulate game warden Austin Powell on receiving the Monty Carmikle officer of the year award and the 2024 Robert M. Brantly law enforcement officer of the year award.

HJR1018 - The citizens-only voting amendment.

SCR5 - To continue to encourage the pursuit of national cancer institute designation by the Winthrop P. Rockefeller cancer institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

SJR11 - A constitutional amendment to amend Arkansas Constitution, article 2, § 5, to protect the right to keep and bear arms.

SJR15 - A constitutional amendment concerning economic development in the state of Arkansas; and authorizing the general assembly to provide for the creation of economic development districts to promote economic development.

SB611 - To amend the social media safety act.

SB612 - To create a private right of action against a social media platform that causes harm; and to impose a civil penalty on a social media platform that knowingly and willfully contributes to a minor’s suicide or suicide attempt.

SB90 - To require members of the public to be afforded the opportunity to present public comment at each meeting of a school district board of directors.

SB640 - To reconstitute the state library board.

HB1017 - To amend the law regarding paid maternity leave for public school employees; and to require the division of elementary and secondary education to pay for incurred costs for approved paid maternity leave.

HB1719 - To amend the days included in the total number of maternity leave days approved by a school that offers maternity leave.

HB1728 - To require reporting on the number of students receiving accommodations for a disability at institutions of higher education.

HB1766 - To create the Arkansas respond, innovate, succeed, and empower (rise) act.

HB1866 - To create Eli’s law; and to require each public school to install an audio recording device in each locker room and dressing room on the public school campus.

HB1312 - To amend public school funding amounts under the Public School Funding Act of 2003.HB1484 - To limit the number of credits a student may obtain in a course credit recovery program.HB1903 - To amend provisions of the Arkansas code to provide school districts with flexibility regarding alternative learning environments.HB1933 - To amend the law concerning a school district board of directors; and to create a recall election and petition for removal for a member of a school district board of directors.HB1945 - To amend the Arkansas opportunity public school choice act; to amend the public school choice act of 2015; and to allow a student to transfer to another public school within his or her resident district.HB1966 - To authorize an incorporated town or a city of the second class to petition the state board of education for the establishment of a local public
elementary school or satellite school under certain conditions.SB450 - To require the Department of Education to include a human fetal growth and development discussion in the relevant standards during the Arkansas academic standards revision cycle.HB1642 - To amend the measures considered when calculating a school rating; and to ensure a student is not counted as a dropout for purposes of calculating a school-level graduation rate if the student passes a GED test.HB1646 - To require certain materials to be stored in locked compartments within a designated area.HB1812 - To amend the Arkansas educational support and accountability act; to create an exception to attendance requirements for a student who takes a GED test; and to amend the score requirements for the GED test.SB619 - Concerning the formation of an isolated school district.SB625 - To amend provisions of the Arkansas code concerning the Arkansas children’s educational freedom account program; and to declare an emergency.

SB290 - To prohibit a moratorium on the issuance of permits in watersheds and other bodies of water.

HB1606 - To allow a local government to authorize the operation of a utility task vehicle on a designated public street or highway within the local government’s jurisdiction subject to certain requirements.

HB1525 - To amend the law concerning real property; and to address agricultural impact remediation agreements.

HB1683 - To prohibit the procurement by a governmental entity of an electric vehicle or a component of an electric vehicle that was manufactured in whole or in part using forced labor.

HB1701 - To amend the law concerning sewer collection and sewer treatment providers and related services.

HB1845 - To allow the electronic administration of documents related to the ownership of motor vehicles; to authorize electronic lien, titling, and registration systems; and to authorize the creation of a secure digital title system.

HB1876 - Regarding the ownership of model training and content generated by a generative artificial intelligence tool.

HB1913 - To amend the law concerning driver’s licenses; and to amend the law concerning the qualifications for an intermediate driver’s license.

HB1951 - To set forth authorized domain extensions for higher education and government websites.

HB1988 - To amend the law concerning the distribution of auto auction fees for salvage-titled or parts-only titled vehicles; and to amend the purpose for which auto auction fees may be used.

SB397 - To protect confidential personal information of rail employees in reports involving railroad fatalities.

HB2001 - To create the Arkansas towing and recovery reform and efficiency act of 2025; to amend the law concerning the Arkansas towing and recovery board; and to declare an emergency.

SB400 - To amend the fair-funding program.

SB533 - To provide for the regulation of consumable hemp products by the Arkansas tobacco control board; and to amend the Arkansas law to allow regulation and purchase of consumable hemp products.

SB546 - To amend the law concerning the trust fund contribution fee for water permits related to nonmunicipal domestic sewage treatment works.

SB565 - To allow procurement certifications to be combined; to amend the law concerning the representation in state contracts regarding contingent fees; and to amend the cooperative purchasing reporting deadline.

HB1352 - To amend various laws concerning actions related to certain foreign entities.

HB1365 - To remove racial and gender quotas and qualifications of membership for certain boards, committees, councils, and commissions.

HB1524 - To amend the law concerning the bidding procedure for the construction of buildings and facilities.

HB1562 - Concerning the termination of an oral lease of farmlands; and to amend the law concerning notice of termination.

HB1604 - To amend the law concerning prohibited contracts by state agencies; and to prohibit the use of public funds by state agencies to purchase promotional items made in China.

HB1656 - To amend the law regarding oil and gas production and conservation.

SB596 - To amend the law regarding energy; to establish a state energy policy; to regulate retirement of dispatchable electric generation facilities; and to declare an emergency.

HB1682 - To create the good neighbor act; and to clarify food donation liability and immunity.

HB1797 - To amend the law concerning the Arkansas development finance authority; and to declare an emergency.

SB437 - To create the Arkansas wind energy development act.

HB1846 - To create the Arkansas 2036 commission.

HB1952 - To assist the administration of the state athletic commission; to provide funding to the state athletic commission to continue its mission to promote a robust, healthy, and safe combative sports industry.

HB1974 - To prohibit state entities from employing unauthorized aliens; to establish the e-verify requirement act; and to require state entities to use e-
verify to confirm employment eligibility.

SB443 - To amend the duties of the state board of appraisers, abstracters, and home inspectors; to amend the law regarding licensure of abstracters; to amend the law regarding licensure of home inspectors; and to declare an emergency.

SB489 - To amend Arkansas law concerning the placement of a monument on the state capitol grounds in recognition of the desegregation of the Charleston and Fayetteville school districts in 1954.

HB1523 - Concerning missing persons alerts; to codify the Arkansas amber alert system; to codify the Arkansas silver alert system; and to create the missing endangered adult advisory system.

HB1717 - To create the Arkansas children and teens’ online privacy protection act.

HB1842 - To amend the law regarding the office of criminal detention facilities review coordinator; and to place the office within the Arkansas commission on law enforcement standards and training within the department of public safety.

HB1843 - Concerning records and photographs kept by the state crime laboratory.

SB486 - Concerning safety and privacy in certain entities; and concerning the designation of multi-occupancy restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters in certain entities based on an individual’s sex.

SB491 - To require a vendor that contracts with the employee benefits division to submit data for verification by an independent audit; to impose a civil penalty on a vendor that provides inaccurate data; and to declare an emergency.

SB483 - To repeal certain reporting requirements for the state insurance department and the state securities department; and to revise certain reporting requirements for the state insurance department.

SB519 - To amend the standard nonforfeiture law for life insurance; and to regulate the payment of interest on deferred payment of any cash surrender value according to the terms of the policy.

HB1131 - To authorize an advanced practice registered nurse to delegate certain tasks to medical assistants and other unlicensed staff.

HB1186 - To create the pain relief parity act; and to require pain relief parity in the Arkansas Medicaid program.

HB1801 - To authorize an outsourcing facility of legend drugs and controlled substances that compounds a product to sell the compounded product to certain entities.

HB1943 - To amend the Medicaid provider-led organized care act; to improve the enrollment and selection process in risk-based provider organizations;
and to empower beneficiaries with information.

HB1963 - To clarify that an advanced practice registered nurse who prescribes a stimulant may substitute a therapeutically equivalent medication.

SB632 - To amend the food, drug, and cosmetic act; and to require warning labels for hair relaxers that contain certain chemicals.

HB1252 - To establish the certified community-based doula certification act; and to certify birth and postpartum doulas in this state to improve maternal and infant outcomes.

HB1471 - To amend the expiration date of all licenses of the board of examiners in speech-language pathology and audiology.

HB1840 - To amend the Medicaid provider-led organized care act to ensure that sedation dentistry is covered by risk-based provider organizations.

SB121 - To amend the automatic occupational licensure for out-of-state licensure act; to apply the automatic occupational licensure for out-of-state licensure act to physician assistants.

SB217 - To require the department of human services to request a waiver to exclude candy and soft drinks from eligible foods under the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

SB444 - To amend the medical ethics and diversity act.

SB601 - To create a pathway for a graduate of a foreign medical school to be licensed in this state if he or she is offered full-time employment as a physician from a healthcare provider.