LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, the Governor signed into law:

SB9, an Act for the Arkansas Public Defender Commission appropriation for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
 
SB426, to extend maternity leave for state employees; to amend the law concerning the catastrophic leave program; and to declare an emergency.
 
SB504,  to prohibit pedestrians on a controlled access highway.
 
SB556, to create the Religious Viewpoint Antidiscrimination Act. 
 
SB237,  concerning vehicles, boats, or farming equipment with a removed, damaged, mutilated, or defaced serial number or vehicle identification number.
 
SB444,  to amend the law concerning the termination of parole for a person who was a minor when he or she committed an offense.
 
SB510, to amend the criteria considered in a school district’s reduction-in-force policy.
 
SB562, to amend the law concerning incarceration of a parent who was ordered to pay child support.
 
SB312, to amend the period of limitations for when an action for paternity may be brought. 
 
SB448, to amend the definition of “serious harm” under the Human Trafficking Act of 2013. 
 
SB512,  concerning school district personnel policies; and concerning a school district committee on personnel policies.
 
SB570, to amend provisions of the Arkansas Code concerning the Arkansas Opportunity Public School Choice Act and the Public School Choice Act of 2015.
 
SB355, to provide for certain requirements related to storm shelters for educational facilities under the Arkansas fire prevention code.
 
SB450, to amend the law concerning possession of a handgun on a journey. 
 
SB514, to amend various provisions of the law that relate to topics covered by, the composition of, and the meeting requirements for a school district’s committee on personnel policies for classified employees.
 
SB571, to amend the Arkansas Code to clarify which individuals are required to demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and practices of scientific reading instruction. 
 
SB359, concerning access to medical records for a legal proceeding; and concerning fees charged for duplication of electronically stored medical records.
 
SB455, to amend the membership of the Arkansas State Council for the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision.
 
SB519, to create the Vulnerable Person Protection Act; and to expand protection of certain types of vulnerable persons in this state by establishing additional criminal penalties.
 
SB572, to amend provisions of the Arkansas Code concerning school employee misconduct and background checks for registered volunteers.
 
SB377, to amend the law concerning initiative petitions; to create a misdemeanor offense concerning initiative petition signatures; and to establish the definition of and regulate paid petition blockers.
 
SB469, to reduce violent crime in Arkansas; to establish the Violent Crime Clearance Grant Fund; to provide law enforcement agencies with resources to combat violent crime; and to declare an emergency.
 
SB524, to clarify noncriminal background check requests submitted to the division of Arkansas State Police.
 
SB573, to amend various provisions of the Arkansas Code concerning public education.
 
SB393, to amend Arkansas law concerning attendance at regional or national conferences by members of the General Assembly.
 
SB473, concerning public school employee professional or labor organizations.
 
SB526, concerning the taking of a DNA sample for a person arrested for a felony; and to clarify the retention of a DNA sample for a person arrested for a felony.
 
SCR8 – Resolution to recognize the Magnolia High School Boys and Girls Swim and Dive teams for their many successes throughout the years and to recognize the Magnolia community for its support of the Swim and Dive teams.
 
SB400, to amend the Public School Choice Act of 2015; and to amend the Arkansas Opportunity Public School Choice Act.
 
SB480, to clarify the purpose of the statutes authorizing a license to carry a concealed handgun; and to clarify that a license to carry a concealed handgun is not required to carry a concealed handgun in this state.
 
SB551, to amend the Arkansas Code as it pertains to references to the Director of the Division of Higher Education; and to declare an emergency. 
 
SB414, to amend the Regional Airport Act; and to create a procedure for annexation and detachment.
 
SB491, to amend Arkansas law concerning employees of institutions of higher education; and to declare an emergency.
 
SB554, to amend the Fire Prevention Act; and to amend the law relating to fire drills and exterior doors at educational institutions.
 
HB1339, to amend the law concerning the rule against perpetuities.
 
HB1604, to require that a petition of a student to transfer from one school district to another school district be placed on the agenda of a school district board of directors for review and approval.
 
HB1687, concerning paper ballots; to amend the law concerning paper ballots and the marking and counting of paper ballots; to amend the law concerning the declaration of election results; and to declare an emergency. 
 
HB1763, to establish maximum fees for a youth lifetime hunting and fishing license for residents ten (10) years of age or younger; and to authorize a transaction fee for certain transactions for hunting and fishing licenses.
 
HB1489, to amend the law concerning programs and activities approved for academic credit for community service.
 
HB1609, to amend provisions of the Arkansas Code as they relate to teacher licensure.
 
HB1688, to amend various provisions of the Arkansas Code concerning public school funding amounts; and to declare an emergency.
 
HB1775, to amend the law concerning the uniform attendance and leave policy act; to amend the law concerning sick leave; and to create foster care leave. 
 
HB1495, to amend the law regarding deadlines for school districts to submit the rate of tax for a school election.
           
HB1615, to create the Conscience Protection Act; and to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
 
HB1691, to allow a school district board of directors to consolidate grievances into a group grievance if multiple school employees have filed individual grievances that are the same grievance for purposes of an appeal. 
 
HB1784, to amend the law concerning concealed handguns; and to protect the rights of medical marijuana patients and caregivers to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun.
 
HB1502, to create the offense of sexual solicitation of a minor; to amend the law concerning the human trafficking victim support fund; and to amend the law concerning the safe harbor fund for sexually exploited children. 
 
HB1623, to amend Arkansas law concerning the offense of fleeing by means of a vehicle or conveyance. 
 
HB1710, to establish the rural economic development initiative. 
 
HB1789, to prohibit contracts with the government of the People’s Republic of China; to amend the law concerning state contracts; and to amend the duties of the office of state procurement. 
 
HB1526, to require a health and safety course offered by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school to include information regarding breastfeeding. 
HB1632, to amend the law concerning implied consent for tests to determine a person’s blood alcohol concentration for a person who drives a commercial motor vehicle. 
 
HB1714, to amend the law regarding alcoholic beverages; to amend the law concerning certain permits; and to authorize the issuance of a permit to certain distillers, manufacturers, or small farm wineries in a dry area. 
 
HB1802, to amend membership of the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy; to amend law concerning the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy; and to declare an emergency. 
 
HB1539, to repeal the requirement that public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools offer certain courses to expelled students. 
 
HB1637, to specify the culpable mental state for certain offenses. 
 
HB1733, to create the Right to Play Act; and concerning the participation of students in interscholastic activities. 
 
HB1845, to amend the law concerning environmental, social justice, or governance scores; and to clarify the sources of information used in regulating environmental, social justice, or governance scores.
 
HB1544, to amend the appointment process for the osteopathic rural medical practice student loan and scholarship board. 
 
HB1643, to require automated external defibrillators at certain school-sponsored sporting events and on campuses of institutions of higher education. 
 
HB1737, an act to create the property owner’s right to allow Firearms Act. 
 
HJR1006, a constitutional amendment to provide that lottery proceeds may be used to fund or provide scholarships and grants to Arkansas citizens enrolled in vocational-technical schools and technical institutes.
 
HB1551, concerning community colleges. 
 
HB1647, to create the offense of offensive relations with a child; and to declare an emergency. 
 
HB1739, concerning a vacancy on a public school district board of directors. 
 
HCR1013, to commend the Van Buren High School marching band. 
 
HB1560, to clarify the law regarding reports of child maltreatment with alleged victims who are eighteen years of age or older; to prohibit anonymous reporting of child maltreatment; and to amend penalties for failure to report child maltreatment. 
 
HB1663, to create the offense of knowingly exposing another person to fentanyl. 
 
HB1743,  to create the sustainable building maintenance program for state-supported institutions of higher education. 
 
HCR1014 – to proclaim April as AARP™ month at the state capitol and to proclaim April 5, 2023, as AARP™ day at the State Capitol.
 
HB1582, to amend the law concerning job order contracting; and to increase the cap on job order contracting bid awards for institutions of higher education. 
 
HB1666, to authorize certain persons to carry a weapon on Department of Corrections property; to authorize certain department of corrections officials and employees to carry a concealed handgun; and to declare an emergency.
 
HB1750 HB1590, to allow a public school district that implements an alternate school calendar to use alternative methods of instruction for purposes of making up a missed school day. 
 
HB1672, to amend the law concerning the civil action to eliminate the availability of premises used continually in criminal offenses. 
 
HB1756, to amend the law concerning campaign finance and campaign finance reports; to amend the law concerning the Arkansas Ethics Commission; and to amend portions of Initiated Act 1 of 1990 and Initiated Act 1 of 1996.
 
HB1591, to clarify the applicability of the Arkansas Retail Pet Store Consumer Protection Act of 1991; and to preempt certain laws concerning retail pet stores.
 
HB1678, to authorize the Governor to deny an application for pardon, commutation of sentence, and remission of fines and forfeitures with prejudice. 
 
HB1757, to create the Student Data Vendor Security Act.