FAQs: General Assembly

Bills introduced in the state legislature begin with either with the letters “HB” or “SB”.

Bills introduced in the United States House of Representatives are preceded by "H.R.". Bills introduced in the United States Senate are assigned sequential numbers preceded by "S.".

Under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states and the people.

Any immigration laws, federal tax adjustments, national security or foreign relations issues are addressed by the federal government in Washington DC.

Most education, criminal justice, foster care, and highway legislation is addressed at the state level.

While it is the federal government’s responsibility to fund Medicaid, many of the implementation decisions, including Arkansas Works, are made at the state level.

Role

The Speaker of the House presides over the body of the House of Representatives. He or she is elected by House membership every two years. The Speaker's duties include:

• the supervision of & directing the daily order of business,
• certifying all measures passed,
• assigning committee leadership, and
• naming members to select committees.

Learn about the current Speaker

See the Speaker's Page

The Arkansas House of Representatives is made up of 100 Members. Each member represents approximately 30,000 Arkansans.

Legislators may serve on multiple committees during their tenures, both during legislative sessions and in the interim, between regular and fiscal sessions, which means there is always work being done in the House of Representatives.

Still, Arkansas’s legislature is considered a part-time citizen legislature. Most House Members have full-time careers in addition to their legislative obligations. Members come from a wide range of professional backgrounds. Having a diverse membership helps the House of Representatives more effectively serve the people of Arkansas.

Qualifications for House members are addressed in Article 5 of the Arkansas State Constitution. In order to run for a House seat, a person must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Arkansas and a resident of the county or district in which he or she is seeking election. House members must be at least 21 years old to serve.