TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DIVISION OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS; AND TO ABOLISH THE DATA AND TRANSPARENCY PANEL.

Arkansas shifts data oversight and sharing rules

The law ends Arkansas’s Data and Transparency Panel and puts the Division of Information Systems in charge of statewide data sharing. It also ends the Chief Data Officer’s panel oversight duty and removes panel-specific confidentiality rules and legal immunity for data providers. The Division receives and links cabinet-level department data, maintains systems to track outcomes and share data, and maintains a public data portal. It must seek department input and set standard sharing procedures, access rules, and privacy and data quality policies. Security policies must follow State Cybersecurity Office standards. Sharing between agencies through the standard process does not count as a disclosure or release under confidentiality laws. Public release must comply with state and federal confidentiality and disclosure laws as they existed on January 1, 2025. Each cabinet-level department must name a data steward to carry out policies, catalog data, approve uses, and coordinate sharing. The Division must report annually in writing to the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology. The law does not directly change household taxes, benefits, or costs.