The 2025 Arkansas legislative session has concluded, marking the 10th year and fifth consecutive session that Conduit for Action has published weekly legislative reports. These reports focus on bills impacting the economic and individual freedoms of Arkansans, using Conduit’s proprietary Economic Freedom Filter to evaluate legislation based on whether it grows or shrinks government, increases or decreases dependency, or spends money the state does not have. This session, Conduit also prioritized bills promoting transparent, open, and accountable government.
This session delivered significant reforms, from protecting private property and reducing regulatory burdens to increasing health and medical freedom. Conduit for Action’s weekly reports and Economic Freedom Filter played a crucial role in highlighting these bills, providing legislators and the public with clear analyses.
These new laws reflect a commitment to fostering economic freedom, accountability, and fairness for Arkansans. While there is still much work to be done, we commend our Conservative legislators for their dedicated efforts to make Arkansas a better place to work and live.
Below is a summary of the key bills that passed and have been signed into law by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
House Bills
✅ HB1048 by Rep. C. Cooper: Increased Freedom for Sale of Goat/Sheep Milk
Allows the sale of raw goat, sheep, and whole milk at locations beyond the farm where it is produced, expanding market access for producers and consumer options.
Signed into Law – Act 125 of 2025
Senate Votes
House Votes
✅ HB1049 by Rep. Tosh: Criminalizing Unlawful Squatting
This bill would further protect private property rights against unlawful squatters by making such squatting a criminal offense – a class B misdemeanor. Specifically, if a person enters onto the premises of another person, resides there for any period, and does so unlawfully, and cannot produce evidence of having a deed to the property, a lease agreement, or evidence of payment of rent, they can be charged with a crime.
Signed into Law – Act 238 of 2025
Senate Votes
House Votes
✅ HB1217 by Rep. Nazarenko: Interstate Massage Therapy Impact
This bill would pass “the massage therapy licensure compact” with other states to allow increased reciprocity with licensed massage therapists from other states to be licensed in Arkansas. This would increase the supply of providers to the public and could lower or maintain prices for consumers.
Signed into Law – Act 257 of 2025
Senate Votes
House Votes
✅ HB1243 by Rep. Underwood: Increased Transparency in Financial Disclosure of Local Elections
This bill would increase transparency in local elections by requiring candidates for school district, city council, mayor, etc., to file with the county clerk financial disclosure reports similar to those required for state legislative candidates. This will increase the information to the public as to who is funding candidates’ campaigns for office and provide it in a more timely manner, including a pre-election 10-day report.
Signed into Law- Act 994 of 2025
✅ HB1253 by Rep. L. Johnson: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Licensure Compact
This bill would add Arkansas to the interstate emergency medical services (EMS) personnel compact, making it easier for EMS licensees in other states to obtain licensure and regulatory approval in Arkansas. This will make it easier for out-of-EMS licensees to conduct business and provide healthcare services to consumers in Arkansas, thus increasing the supply and creating more competition for services, providing lower prices and/or higher quality services.
Signed into Law – Act 384 of 2025
✅ HB1558 by Rep. McGrew: Reduced Licensure for Property Managers
This good bill would reduce the licensure requirements to be a property manager. Instead of needing a full broker’s real estate license, a scaled-back license for property managers is created, which is less onerous to obtain and would allow more people to engage in the property management business. The market is likely the best judge of who are good property managers. This obviously increases economic freedom.
Signed into Law – Act 392 of 2025
✅ HB1510 by Rep. Gonzales: Protection of Private Property Owners Against Governments With No Jurisdiction Over Their Property
This bill would protect the rights of private property owners who live in unincorporated areas against regulations of nearby incorporated areas and governments, such as zoning/planning boards, annexation, land development, and other ordinances and regulations related to municipal planning.
Signed into Law – Act 314 of 2025
Senate Votes
House Vote 2
House Vote 1
✅ HB1682 by Rep. Puryear: Limited Liability for Food Donations
Called “The Good Neighbor Act,” this good bill would provide for limited liability, for those donating in good faith, food to the needy.
Signed into Law – Act 942 of 2025
✅ HB1685 by Rep. Underwood: Elimination of Remaining State Sales Tax on Groceries
This good bill would eliminate the remaining 1/8% sales tax on groceries. This current tax goes to the Game and Fish Commission for parks and tourism. The bill would still allow local governments at the city and county levels to tax groceries. Conduit for Action has been advocating for the full repeal (including to local governments) of the grocery tax for over a decade. See: https://conduitnews.com/exempting-groceries-the-way-forward/
Signed into Law – Act 1008 of 2025
Senate Votes
House Votes
💰 Fiscal Impact: $10,920,065.00
✅ HB1691 by Rep. Torres: Sales Tax Exemption for Leased Vehicles by Nonprofits
This bill would allow nonprofits that lease vehicles to receive a sales tax exemption on the lease, similar to governments’ exemption on leased vehicles, and bring the tax structure in line with the exemption for personal property taxes.
Signed into Law – Act 497 of 2025
✅ HB1694 by Rep. Hawk: Better Transparency in Campaign Finance Filings – No More Paper Filings
This good transparency bill would repeal the option for candidates to file paper filings. Paper filings shield candidates for office from the easy filtering and review of donations by the public online. Electronic filing has been in place since 2017 in Arkansas (being one of the last states to update its system to online filing. In 2023, its system was improved by the SOS (for history on electronic filing in AR see https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/sep/20/arkansas-launches-new-more-friendly-campaign/ ).
This bill would ensure that all campaign finance reports are filed electronically, and thus easier to review by the public. An argument by a candidate or entity that they do not have access to online filing should now be a red flag to voters.
Signed into Law – Act 996 of 2025
✅ HB1706 by Rep. McCollum: Prohibition on Ranked Choice Voting
This bill would prohibit ranked choice voting for any government elected positions in Arkansas. Ranked choice voting is used for big government politicians to ensure that the establishment choice always wins by ensuring all second and third choices of the other establishment candidates count towards (and against) any non-establishment candidates. This form of voting has been used to stop conservative candidates in Alaska and Maine.
Signed into Law – Act 829 of 2025
✅ HB1716 by Rep. Cavenaugh: Prohibition on Assessing Taxes on Taxpayer When Already Decided They Do Not Owe The Tax
This bill would prevent the Department of Finance and Administration from assessing a sales tax on a taxpayer after the taxpayer has already established they do not owe the tax by a court order, the tax appeals commission, or the Office of Hearings and Appeals. A change in the law or a change in material use by the taxpayer are exceptions to this common-sense and fair application of the law. (It is a shame on our DFA that this must be codified to stop this type of action by the DFA.)
Signed into Law – Act 498 of 2025
✅ HB1732 by Rep. Vaught: Increase in Tax Deduction for Teachers’ Classroom Expenses
This bill would increase the existing tax deduction for teachers for any money they spend on classroom expenses from $500 to $1,000 or from $1,000 to $2,000 for those married filing jointly. This will ensure teachers are effectively reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses used for their classrooms. Although schools provide teachers with all the necessary items for their classrooms, some teachers wish to go above and beyond for their students. This law further incentivizes this and ensures those teachers are not fully out of pocket for those costs.
Signed into Law – Act 878 of 2025
Senate Votes
House Votes
💰 Fiscal Impact: $350,000.00
✅ HB1751 by Rep. Underwood: Requiring Job Search While Waiting on Welfare Benefits Application Processing
This bill would require the Department of Human Services to require welfare program applicants to engage in job search requirements while they are awaiting the processing and determination of their welfare benefits. This will ensure people do not stop looking for work as an alternative to getting welfare. This would apply to the Arkansas Work Pays Program and the cash welfare program, TANF.
Signed into Law – Act 640 of 2025
✅ HB1780 by Rep. Gazaway: Return of Private Property During Criminal Investigations When Not Necessary for the Government to Seize It
This bill would ensure that people’s private property is not seized and kept during the pendency of a felony investigation if released by a court order, by the prosecuting attorney who decides not to prosecute, or determines the item is not needed for prosecution. This will allow a person to keep their private property before they are ever convicted of a felony. This is a type of civil asset forfeiture reform that helps protect the economic freedom of Arkansans.
Signed into Law – Act 684 of 2025
✅ HB1782 by Rep. Hudson: Banning Consumer Choice In Over-the-Counter Weight Loss Supplements
Arkansas and the Federal government have passed many laws meant to protect consumers by placing age requirements on the purchaser of certain products, such as tobacco, alcohol, and even transgender surgeries. In 2005, the Feds placed certain over-the-counter decongestants behind the counter in an attempt to protect public health. The support or opposition to this bill will likely be best determined by what one believes about “over-the-counter diet pills”. No doubt, this bill would limit consumer choices by banning the sale of OTC diet pills to anyone under 18 years old. It would require ID verification to sell OTC supplements. The Department of Health is given the authority to write rules to determine which OTC supplements they want to ban. Violations are a deceptive trade practice violation with additional penalties of $2,000 for a violation. Though it is hoped the DOH will be limiting in its use of this law, Conduit supports this bill strictly based on what it believes about the safety of these specific products and therefore is against the OTC sale of diet pills to those under 18 years of age.
Signed into Law – Act 642 of 2025
✅ HB1809 by Rep. Warren: Allowing Homesteads to All Persons
This bill would clarify language regarding the homestead property tax credit so that the principal place of residence of a disabled veteran, which is titled in the name of his or her revocable or irrevocable trust or his or her LLC, is eligible for the tax credit.
Signed into Law – Act 880 of 2025
✅ HB1845 by Rep. Holcomb: Allowing for Digital Vehicle Titles and Liens
This good bill will allow the utilization of technology to provide electronic vehicle titles, liens, and odometer disclosures. This could help save money, time, and increase transparency.
Signed into Law – Act 926 of 2025
✅ HB1933 by Rep. McCollum: Allowing for Recall of Elected School Board Members
This good bill would allow a mechanism to recall elected school board members.
Signed into Law – Act 912 of 2025
Senate Bills:
✅ SB61 by Sen. Hill: To Allow Veterinary Telemedicine
This bill would authorize and allow veterinary telemedicine. Telemedicine for humans has been allowed for years, but past efforts to allow veterinary telemedicine have been defeated by special interests who make more money with limited access and supply of vets. This will increase the supply and options that farmers, ranchers, or others could have in getting care for their animals and livestock, as well as create new opportunities for the veterinary profession to provide services to their customers.
Signed into Law – Act 18 of 2025
✅ SB68 by Sen. Hill: Allowing Vet Techs to Respond to Emergency Calls Without Vets at that Location
This bill would allow vet techs to respond to emergency calls and practice with indirect supervision from their associate vets in an emergency call situation to care for an animal. This reduces regulation and would allow for common-sense responses to help secure and preserve the animals and property of Arkansans.
Signed into Law – Act 19 of 2025
✅ SB89 by Sen. English: Increased Transparency for School Boards
This bill would require school boards to provide agendas of regular and special meetings no later than 24 hours before the holding of each regular or special meeting and to also provide the names and email addresses of the school board members. This should provide better and timely transparency regarding school board matters and activities, allowing the public to be better informed, as well as the school board members.
Signed into Law – Act 120 of 2025
✅ SB90 by Sen. English: Increased Public Input at School Board Meetings
This bill would require school boards to provide opportunities for the public to comment for at least three minutes per meeting. This will increase public input and transparency in local school boards, assisting both sides in improved communications.
Signed into Law – Act 902 of 2025
✅ SB91 by Sen. Penzo: Protecting Private Property Owners from Local Government Rent Control Regulations
This bill would expand the prohibition against “rent” control programs by local governments in as it is expanded to rental application fees and rental deposits for private residential or commercial property. This would further protect the economic freedom of Arkansans against further control by local governments.
Signed into Law – Act 459 of 2025
✅ SB101 by Sen. Penzo: Physician Assistant Licensure Compact
This bill would pass the physician assistant licensure compact with other states to allow increased reciprocity with licensed physician assistants from other states to get licensure in Arkansas. This would increase the supply of providers to the public and could lower or maintain prices for consumers.
Signed into Law – Act 300 of 2025
✅ SB119 by Sen. Penzo: Establishes Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
This bill would add Arkansas to the interstate medical licensure compact, making it easier for medical licensees in other states to obtain licensure and regulatory approval in Arkansas. This will make it easier for out-of-state medical service providers to conduct business and provide healthcare services to consumers in Arkansas, thus increasing the supply and creating more competition for services, providing lower prices, and/or higher quality services.
Signed into Law – Act 269
✅ SB121 by Sen. Penzo: Adds Physician Assistants to Automatic Out of State Licensure Act — SUPPORT
This bill would add physician assistants to the automatic out-of-state licensure act. This will make it easier for out-of-state physicians to conduct business and provide healthcare services to consumers in Arkansas, thus increasing the supply and creating more competition for services, providing lower prices, and/or higher quality services.
Signed into Law – Act 968 of 2025
✅ SB181 by Sen. Sullivan: Work Experience Allowed to Qualify for Government Job Instead of Mandatory Degree
Rather than another attempt to make government better, this bill is an example of the time to ask, “Why do we still have government libraries?” The free market is much more equipped to handle this job of providing libraries if effective, wanted, used, and needed. With that note aside, this bill would allow a person to use their work experience to qualify for a government job as a regional library director instead of a specific government-mandated degree program. This should allow more supply of applicants for the position, thus increasing the quality and competition for these jobs.
Signed into Law – Act 242 of 2025
✅ SB200 by Sen. K. Hammer: No Sales Tax on Rented Educational Materials
This bill would provide for a sales tax exemption on the rental of educational materials. Currently, the exemption only applies to purchased items. This should save taxpayers a minimum amount of money. However, in the spirit of school choice, which is now declared the law in Arkansas, it is time that this bill includes private schools.
Signed into Law – Act 329 of 2025
✅ SB217 by Sen. Penzo: No Food Stamps for Candy/Soda
This bill would prohibit the use of food stamps for candy and soft drinks. This will ensure proper use of taxpayer money towards nutritional food products, which is the intent of food stamps. Specifically, it would require DHS to seek a waiver to implement this change.
Signed into Law – Act 969 of 2025
✅ SB272 by Sen. Crowell: No Pre-Filled Content on Voter Registration Applications
This good bill would prohibit the use of pre-filled information on voter registration applications provided by the government. This will ensure better transparency and accuracy so that the information included is only that which is provided by the person registering to vote.
Signed into Law – Act 278 of 2025
✅ SB299 by Sen. K. Hammer: Preventing Fraud in Nursing Home Absentee Ballots and Assisting People Voting
This good bill would make it harder to commit fraud in absentee ballots completed for nursing home residents or those being assisted in voting. The bill would require any person who is assisting a person at a polling site with voting to provide ID to prove who they are, consistent with voter ID requirements. The bill would also require a witness by a nursing home staff member to the actual act of assistance of a person living in and voting from the nursing home. This would help prevent fraud by a nursing home administrator or others from manipulating residents on how to vote when completing their absentee ballot, as well as completion without the resident’s participation and approval.
Signed into Law – Act 403 of 2025
✅ SB402 by Sen. Penzo: Protection Against Teacher Union Coercion
This good bill would prohibit the coercion of employees to attend meetings, events, training, or otherwise interact with teachers’ unions or other similar groups. These groups usually use peer pressure to get donations, dues, or other involvement and actions to be taken by public school employees to appease their bosses and administrators, who are aligned with the unions and groups. The bill would specifically prohibit the use of school facilities, mailing lists, supplies, equipment, and other taxpayer-funded resources to engage in coercion or teacher union activities.
Signed into Law – Act 725 of 2025
✅ SB424 by Sen. G. Stubblefield: Public Comment and Increased Transparency in Municipal Improvement Districts
This good bill would increase transparency by allowing public comment at municipal improvement district board meetings and by providing the agendas before meetings for the public to know the topics that will be discussed at the meetings.
Signed into Law – Act 422
✅ SB479 by Sen. K. Hammer: Voter Integrity for Voter Assistance to Disabled Voters
This voter integrity bill would require that persons helping disabled people to vote be someone over 18 and have a valid voter ID. The name of the person assisting would also have to be disclosed.
Signed into Law – Act 593
✅ SB565 by Sen. Flippo: Increased Oversight over Procurement of Government Contracts
This good bill would provide additional oversight over the spending of taxpayer money through the solicitation and awarding of government
Contracts are made through the procurement process. Additional restrictions on eligible persons for government contracts include not hiring illegal immigrants, no contingency fee arrangements based on awarding of the contract, the contractor not employing a government worker who would benefit from the government contract, termination of contracts if the general assembly refuses to appropriate funds, disqualification for those who boycott Israel or energy, fossil fuel, firearms, and ammunition industries, disqualification for those owned in whole or with a majority interest by CCP (government of communist China). This would apply to solicitations for government contracts above $75,000. (This bill could be improved by excluding “any” ownership by the CCP rather than more than 50%, and including a provision that would combine contracts to avoid multiple contracts used to avoid the $75K threshold.)
Signed into Law – Act 936
