Close to 500 bills have been signed into law so far this session.

As we work to address the remainder of the bills this session, you may notice some changes to committee schedules.
You can find the updated schedules at www.arkleg.state.ar.us.

On Wednesday, the House passed several bills, including the following:

HB1765-This bill states that by July 1, 2021, the Director of the Division of Workforce Services shall adopt and implement internal administrative policies to pursue recovery of improper overpayments of unemployment benefits.
This bill would also direct a percentage of proceeds of the unemployment stabilization tax to the Division of Workforce Services Unemployment Administration Fund to be used solely for the purpose of modernizing the information technology systems and hardware utilized in the administration of the unemployment insurance program.

SB204-This bill establishes a legislative study to the best practices for reducing the number of children in foster care.

SB389-This bill would require public schools to provide parents prior written notification and an opportunity to inspect materials related to sex education, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

SB349-This bill would adjust funding for public schools that offer curriculum not aligned with the Science of Reading. This bill also directs the Secretary of the Department of Education to hire an Education Ombudsman to assist the division in enforcement.

The House will convene on Thursday at 1 pm.