Arkansas House of Representatives

About the Arkansas General Assembly

The Arkansas House of Representatives, along with the Arkansas Senate, compose the legislative branch of state government. Combined, the two bodies form the Arkansas General Assembly. 

Regular Session

The General Assembly convenes in Regular Session on the second Monday in January of every odd-numbered year. 

Fiscal Session

The General Assembly meets in a fiscal session at 12:00 noon on the second Monday in February in years in which the preferential primary election is held in May and on the second Wednesday in April in years in which the preferential primary election is held in March.  

Membership & Rules

The House of Representatives consists of 100 Members elected from 100 districts, which are apportioned on a one-person, one-vote basis. Each House district has an average population of 30,115 from the 2020 Census.  Parliamentary procedure is guided by the House Rules.

A House Member must be at least 21 years old to serve, a resident of Arkansas for two years, and a resident of his or her district for one year. Members of the House serve two-year terms.

The Speaker of the House presides over the body and is elected every two years by the membership. His or her duties include supervising and directing the daily order of business, recognizing Members to speak, preserving order in the House, deciding all questions of order, certifying all measures passed, assigning committee leadership, and naming members to select committees.  The Speaker is also in charge of overseeing all House management functions during sessions and during the interim between sessions.

The Speaker also appoints a leadership team, which includes a Speaker Pro Tempore, who presides in the absence of the Speaker. The Speaker also may appoint representatives from each of the House's four caucus districts to serve as Assistant Speakers Pro Tempore who assist in leadership duties.

Voting

The House utilizes an electronic voting system. To vote, a Member pushes buttons on his or her desk.  The green button signifies a yes vote,  the red button indicates a no vote, and yellow means present. The votes are displayed on two large electronic boards at the front of the House Chamber and are counted at the speaker's desk.

An official record of the tabulations is placed into journals, which become the permanent record of House proceedings. The Secretary of State maintains the journals on file at the State Capitol.