These new Arkansas laws take effect on July 1: What to know

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A set of new laws is set to go into effect in Arkansas on July 1, ranging from state department name changes to an increase in the number of positions colleges can fill.

Here are some of the laws set to take effect on July 1:

Act 796 will merge the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf into the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind. The law will also create a superintendent position for the school.

Act 477 will increase the number of “new or additional” positions that some Arkansas colleges and universities are allowed to fill.

• Arkansas State University increases from 375 to 425 positions.
• NorthWest Arkansas Community College increases from 80 to 100 positions.
• University of Arkansas at Fayetteville increases from 750 to 1,000 positions.
• University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff increases from 150 to 200 positions.

The law also increases the number of vehicles that several schools are allowed to have.

Act 567 will amend the annual cap for laboratory services within Arkansas’ Medicaid program.

The law says that if the service is not radiology services, the annual cap is either $500 or $1,800 if the person is diagnosed with chronic pain or being treated for managing pain.

The state’s Department of Human Services has until Jan. 1, 2026, to finalize rules on the new law.

Act 672 will increase the fee for copies of either vehicle accident reports and traffic violation records for someone who wasn’t involved with the incident.

The law says the fee will jump from $10 to $25, and there will be a charge of $1.50 for each copy of a supplemental report. If the person asking for a copy of the report was involved in the accident, the cost will be $10.

A portion of the funds from those fees will go to the State Police Retirement System, according to the law.

Act 416 will add a list of cancers that allows for the payment of certain benefits when an active member enrolled in the Arkansas Local Police and Fire Retirement System dies before retirement from injury or disease while serving in the line of duty.

The list includes leukemia, lymphoma, mesothelioma, or multiple myeloma. Cancers of the brain, urinary tract, liver, skin, breast, cervix, thyroid, prostate, testicle, colon or digestive tract are also listed.

Act 499 will amend the Arkansas State Employee Student Loan Program and the requirements needed to be eligible for the program.

The law says a state employee would have to complete a six-month probationary period that begins on their first day, show proof that their degree is related to their employment, show that their student loan is unpaid and agree to stay employed with the state agency for a “reasonable” amount of time.

If approved, the payments made by the program would go directly to the creditor, and the payments total $10,000 and not exceed five installments, according to the law.

Other laws going into effect on July 1:

• Act 944 will transfer the Arkansas Development Finance Authority from the state’s Department of Commerce and allow it to operate independently from a Cabinet-level department.
• Act 462 will transfer the Arkansas Wine Producers Council from the state’s Department of Commerce to the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism.
• Act 412 will change the name of the Arkansas Division of Information Systems to the Office of State Technology.
• Act 205 will change the name of the Arkansas Department of Transportation and Shared Services to the Department of Shared Administration Services.

It’s worth noting that most laws will take effect 90 days after the conclusion of the legislative session, which would be Aug. 5.

However, the laws listed above were passed with an emergency clause, which goes into effect on July 1.