# Arkansas HB1365: TO REMOVE RACIAL AND GENDER QUOTAS AND QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP FOR CERTAIN BOARDS, COMMITTEES, COUNCILS, AND COMMISSIONS. Arkansas HB1365, TO REMOVE RACIAL AND GENDER QUOTAS AND QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP FOR CERTAIN BOARDS, COMMITTEES, COUNCILS, AND COMMISSIONS., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Karilyn Brown (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-21 (Notification that HB1365 is now Act 938) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1365-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1365 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO REMOVE RACIAL AND GENDER QUOTAS AND QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP FOR CERTAIN BOARDS, COMMITTEES, COUNCILS, AND COMMISSIONS. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-31 - Last action: 2025-04-21, Notification that HB1365 is now Act 938 - Sponsor: Karilyn Brown (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (218 yes, 74 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 12 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Athletic commission drops required minority seat: mixed, low. The seven-member Arkansas State Athletic Commission no longer must include a member of a minority race. It still must include one senior citizen and four members with combative-sports experience. The law changes appointment rules, not household service costs. - Bail bonds board drops demographic requirements: mixed, low. The Arkansas bail bonds licensing board no longer must include an African-American member or a female member. Every congressional district must still have at least one board member. The law changes board membership, not household bail costs or legal obligations. - Children's service councils drop racial seats: mixed, low. The Child and Adolescent Service System Program Coordinating Council loses its designated ethnic-minority seat. The Rita Rowell Hale Prenatal and Early Childhood Nurse Home Visitation Program Advisory Council drops its required African-American public seat. The home visitation council still must ha… - Disability boards drop race and gender requirements: mixed, low. The State Interagency Council no longer must include minority parents among its required parent members. At least 20% must still be qualifying parents of infants or toddlers with disabilities, or a child with a disability age 12 or younger. These parents must know or have experience with programs f… - Health boards drop demographic appointment rules: mixed, low. The Arkansas counseling board no longer must include a member of each sex or an ethnic minority member. Counseling board members must still be U.S. citizens and Arkansas residents. The occupational therapy committee drops its required minority-race seat but keeps five members serving five-year term… - Health outcomes panel drops diversity requirement: mixed, low. The health outcomes oversight advisory panel's three community members no longer must reflect Arkansas's broad racial and geographic diversity. They must still represent health, business, or education and show a commitment to improving Arkansans' health and welfare. The Governor, Senate President P… - Pharmacy board replaces minority pharmacist seat: mixed, low. The eight-member Arkansas pharmacy board now has six experienced pharmacist seats, up from five, replacing the separate minority pharmacist seat. Each pharmacist must have actively practiced during the five years immediately before appointment. The board retains a consumer representative and a sepa… - Capitol zoning commission drops required Black seat: mixed, low. The Governor's four resident-voter appointments to the Capitol Zoning District Commission no longer must include a Black member. All four must still be Arkansas resident voters and serve three-year terms. The law changes commission appointments, not household housing costs. - Achievement gap commission drops racial requirements: mixed, low. The 11-member Commission on Closing the Achievement Gap no longer must meet racial or ethnic membership requirements. The Governor appoints five members: four low-income parents, one per congressional district, and someone from business, health, human services, or teaching. The parents must be conc… - Education boards lose diversity appointment rules: mixed, low. The State Board of Education no longer must reflect diversity in general education. Education renewal zone advisory groups and their staff no longer must reflect Arkansas's population diversity. At community colleges that choose appointed boards, the Governor no longer must seek equitable racial an… - Financial education commission drops demographic requirements: mixed, low. The Treasurer's three appointees to the Arkansas Financial Education Commission no longer must include a woman and a racial minority. The three members must still have varied financial backgrounds. The law changes appointment rules, not household payments or benefits. - Local school task forces require stakeholder seats: mixed, low. Local achievement gap task forces drop requirements to reflect community racial, ethnic, gender, and income diversity. Previously recommended stakeholder seats are now required. Parent organizations select three parents, one each for elementary, junior high or middle, and high school levels. Task f… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Karilyn Brown (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-15 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 2:43:51 PM | pass | 24 | 6 | 1 | | 2025-04-03 | House | House Vote - Thursday, April 3, 2025 5:01:44 PM | pass | 60 | 24 | 7 | | 2025-03-19 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, March 19, 2025 2:22:52 PM | pass | 73 | 17 | | | 2025-03-05 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, March 5, 2025 2:31:27 PM | pass | 61 | 27 | 7 | ## Actions (25) - 2025-04-21: Notification that HB1365 is now Act 938 (House) - 2025-04-16: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House) - 2025-04-15: TO BE ENROLLED (House) - 2025-04-15: Returned from the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-04-15: Returned to the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-02: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-04-01: Re-referred to the Committee on STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-01: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-04-01: Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-04-01: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House) - 2025-03-19: The vote by which HB1365 Passed was expunged. (House) - 2025-03-13: Returned from the Senate as requested. (House) - 2025-03-13: Returned to the House as requested. (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-03-03: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-02-03: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE (House) - 2025-01-31: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1365 - Introduced, 2025-01-31: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1365.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=938.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related bills - HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO SET PENALTIES FOR A VIOLATION OF THE PROHIBITION OF SOLICITATION OF INJURED INDIV… (failed) - HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS. (failed) - SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE USE OF ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS; AND TO REGULATE ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS FACILITIES. (failed) - HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO ALLOW A MUNICIPALITY TO PETITION TO SET ASIDE THE SALE OF PROPERTY TO CERTAIN P… (failed) - HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY; TO REQUIRE THAT A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BE SELECTED A… (failed) ## Sources - [HB1365 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1365.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=938.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related - [HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1265-2025) - [HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1237-2025) - [HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1686-2025) - [SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE US…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB440-2025) - [HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1695-2025) - [HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HR1012-2025) - [Arkansas bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas/bills) - [Arkansas state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1365-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).