Arkansas’s legislators managed to get through the remaining snow in Little Rock to kick off the 95th General Assembly regular session on Monday. On Tuesday, Governor Sarah Sanders delivered her State of the State address to Arkansas representatives and senators, outlining her legislative priorities for the year. Some of those priorities include improving food security for children and reforming the state’s higher education system.
This week, legislators largely focused on administrative tasks, like assigning bills to committees and getting oriented to their committees and new colleagues (one new in the Senate and 13 new in the House of Representatives). Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so the legislature won’t meet again until Tuesday. Things will pick up quickly starting next week when committees begin hearing bills, so stay tuned!
But before you delve into this week’s recap, please turn your attention to our upcoming Arkansas Kids Count Day at the Capitol event, taking place February 10. Registration is free but limited!
For news coverage on the first week of the session, check out:
- New House Speaker, new and reelected lawmakers ring in Arkansas’ 2025 legislative session (Arkansas Advocate)
- Education, cost of living, public safety among Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ priorities for 2025 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
- Arkansas governor lays out legislative priorities in State of the State (Arkansas Advocate)
- Governor asks state lawmakers for a ‘transformational legislative session’ (Talk Business & Politics)
- Arkansas governor says professors should be fired if they are ‘indoctrinating’ students (Associated Press)
- Gov. Sanders prioritizes education, safety and cost of living in annual address (Axios Northwest Arkansas)
- Gov. Sanders discusses prison expansion, work requirements for Arkansas’ Medicaid programs (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
- Sanders wants a new Medicaid work requirement — and this time, it could hit more Arkansans (Arkansas Times)
- SESSION SNAPSHOT: Arkansas lawmakers commence 2025 legislative session (Arkansas Advocate)
- Governor offers more details on grocery tax elimination, higher ed changes, Medicaid (Talk Business & Politics)
Below you will find an overview of bills on AACF’s legislative agenda and that AACF generally either supports or opposes. We are monitoring more bills, listed and frequently updated on our website.
Bills on AACF’s Legislative Agenda
Through conversations with partners, advocates and young Arkansans, and through our own policy research, AACF has identified a series of policies that will improve the well-being of Arkansans. The following bills are in support of our 2025 legislative agenda.
Democracy and Voting Rights
Scheduled: HB1064 | Rep. David Whitaker | House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
Currently in Arkansas, voters can only vote absentee if they have a qualifying excuse as to why they cannot vote in person. This bill would add being over the age of 65 to the list of qualifying excuses. It is scheduled to be heard by the House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs at 10am on Wednesday, January 22.
Education, K-12
HB1144 | Rep. Jim Wooten | House Education Committee
This bill would require a private school that accepts a LEARNS Act voucher to be responsible for the same reporting requirements as public schools and public charter schools in Arkansas. This would add an accountability measure to private schools receiving public funds. Read more about this bill here: GOP lawmaker proposes testing and reporting rules for private schools getting LEARNS vouchers (Arkansas Times)
Food Security
SB59 | Sen. Jonathan Dismang and Rep. Zack Gramlich | Senate Education Committee
This bill would require public schools to provide a free breakfast to any student who requests it, even if the student does not qualify for free meals under any federal, state, or local program. Read more about this bill here: Bipartisan Arkansas bill would use federal funding to pay for school breakfast (MSN)
Bills AACF Also Supports
The following bills are not formally on AACF’s legislative agenda, but AACF recognizes they could have a positive impact on Arkansas’s children and families.
Democracy and Voting Rights
Scheduled: SB12 | Sen. Bryan King | Senate Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
If this bill passes, the communications of the Board of Apportionment (the committee that draws legislative districts) will be included specifically as subject to Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act. It is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs at 10am on Tuesday, January 21.
Scheduled: SJR1 | Senator Bryan King | Senate Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
If this resolution passes, a constitutional amendment would be placed on the 2026 ballot for voters’ consideration. If voters approved the measure, then the vote threshold for the Arkansas legislature to change the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and other public record and public meeting laws would increase from a simple majority to a three-fourths majority. It is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs at 10am on Tuesday, January 21.
HJR1001 | Rep. Andrew Collins | House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
If this resolution passes, a constitutional amendment would be placed on the 2026 ballot for voters’ consideration. If voters approved the measure, it would create a nine-member, citizens’ redistricting commission that would redraw congressional and legislative districts following the census. After a public application process, commission members would be selected by a panel of three retired judges, appointed by the Supreme Court Chief Justice.
HJR1003 | Rep. Andrew Collins | House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs
If this resolution passes, a constitutional amendment would be placed on the 2026 ballot for voters’ consideration. If voters approved the measure, a constitutional amendment would be created that would require that any proposed changes to government transparency laws be approved by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. Then the proposal would be placed on the ballot during the next general election for voters’ consideration. An exception would be made for changes that were necessary for public safety. Under those circumstances, the changes could be passed by the General Assembly with a nine-tenths vote. The changes would go into effect immediately but would still require voters’ approval to remain in effect. The resolution would also prevent the state legislature from referring amendments that would amend this change.
Education, Higher Ed
Scheduled: HB1005 | Rep. David Ray and Sen. Ricky Hill | House Education Committee
This bill would provide members of the Arkansas National Guard with free tuition for postsecondary certificate programs, expanding the current program that allows free tuition for undergraduate degrees. This would expand their options to occupational and technical programs, such as welding technology, dental assisting, and hospitality management. It is scheduled to be heard by the House Education Committee at 10am on Tuesday, January 21.
Health
HB1016 | Rep. Andrew Collins | House Committee on Revenue & Taxation
This bill would create a sales and use tax exemption in Arkansas for menstrual products, diapers (for adults and children), and breastfeeding-related items like breast pumps and storage supplies.
HB1033 | Rep. Andrew Collins | House Judiciary Committee
This bill would allow courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Orders (“red flag”) to temporarily restrict access to firearms for individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others. It would establish procedures for petitioning courts, due process for individuals, and penalties for false reports.
HB1082 | Rep. Andrew Collins | House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs
This bill would regulate how websites and apps collect and use children’s and teens’ personal data. It would prohibit targeted advertising to minors based on their personal information and usage data.
Tax and Budget
Scheduled: SB7 | Sen. Clint Penzo | Senate Revenue & Tax Committee
Current law allows the chief executive officer of a county, city, or town to request that the Department of Finance and Administration provide a report listing all businesses remitting sales and use taxes for the governmental entity. This bill would also allow any member of the General Assembly to request such reports. It is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Revenue & Tax Committee at 10am on Wednesday, January 22.
Bills AACF Opposes
The following are bills we believe would be harmful to our state, our state’s children and their families, and our state’s most vulnerable individuals.
Equity
Scheduled: SB3 | Sen. Dan Sullivan | Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee
This bill would prohibit state agencies from providing programs targeted toward historically excluded groups, including on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin but specifically excludes veteran status in matters of state employment, public education, or state procurement. This could result in the elimination of scholarships to Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americans who commit to teaching in the Delta; as well as university retention programs for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American students, faculty, and staff. It would also prevent programs designed to recruit more diverse staff in state government. This bill also creates a civil action and a criminal penalty for an individual if they are found guilty of “knowingly” violating the restriction against discriminating or providing preferential treatment to an individual or a group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in matters of state employment, public education, or state procurement. They may be found guilty of a class A misdemeanor ($2,500 fine and up to one year in jail) and civilly may be required to pay reasonable court costs and attorney’s fees. It is on the agenda of the Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee for 10am on Tuesday, January 21.
Also Worth Noting
SB62 | Sen. Bryan King | Senate Insurance & Commerce Committee
With the word “terminate” in the title, this bill is sure to be in the news. This bill would move Arkansans with Medicaid expansion (ARHOME) coverage from publicly funded private insurance plans to Medicaid fee-for-service coverage. We will be keeping a close eye on this bill to determine what effects it could have on health insurance coverage.
Scheduled: HB1062 | Rep. R. Scott Richardson and Sen. Tyler Dees
This bill would require a student who is violent or abusive toward a teacher or another student to be removed from class and placed in an alternative learning environment (ALE) pending a school conference. If the student was allowed to leave ALE after the conference, the student would not be allowed to return to the same class with the teacher or student. If a teacher removes a student three times in a year for violent or abusive behavior, then the student must be placed in ALE for the remainder of the year or expelled. We are currently analyzing this bill to learn more about how it might disproportionately affect certain students before we take a position. The bill is scheduled to be heard by the House Education Committee at 10am on Tuesday, January 21.
How You Can Help
1. Sign up for Action Alerts, if you haven’t already. By subscribing to this list, you will be notified when we need you to take action, like emailing or calling your legislator on a specific issue or piece of legislation. You will also receive weekly legislative updates during the session. Find out what bills were filed or made progress during the week at the Arkansas Capitol.
2. Attend our events. These are great ways to stay current on our advocacy work and that of our statewide partners.
3. Donate. The work our staff does during the legislative session is often not paid for by grants, and we do not receive any state or federal funding. We rely on donors like you to help us be effective advocates at the Arkansas Capitol.