All Roll Calls
Yes: 110 • No: 15
ArkansasHB15612025 Regular SessionHouse
TO ESTABLISH THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2025.
Sponsored By: Ricky Hill (Republican), Stetson Painter (Republican)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
11 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 5 costs, 4 mixed.
Some research applicants face extra screening
Arkansas colleges and affiliates with at least $10 million in federal research spending must screen certain research applicants. Screening covers foreign-adversary citizens who are not U.S. permanent residents, including student researchers and visiting researchers. Before offers, invitations, or research access, applicants must provide education, job, publication, funding, outside-activity, experience, and patent records. A research compliance office must take reasonable steps to verify their backgrounds. Missing required substantial activities blocks research employment unless a department head or designee documents the omission and reasons for overlooking it. Applicants continuously employed or enrolled at a U.S. college for at least 20 years may report only their last 20 years of employment.
Colleges must disclose past foreign funding
Arkansas public colleges and covered nonprofit colleges must disclose past gifts and contracts from foreign adversaries worth at least $250,000. This covers gifts received and contracts signed after December 31, 2019, including known funding through middlemen or affiliates. Reports to college boards are due within 60 days after this part of the law takes effect. Colleges must post details online, including amounts, purposes, sources, conditions, and end dates, subject to confidentiality laws. Boards must inspect or audit these arrangements when the Governor, Senate President, or House Speaker requests it. Foreign adversaries include China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, designated terrorist groups, federally designated entities, and entities controlled or strongly influenced by foreign governments or groups.
Colleges must report foreign ties yearly
Colleges must send required information to their boards and the Arkansas Department of Inspector General by July 1, 2026, and every July 1 afterward. Boards and the Department must jointly report to the Governor and legislative leaders by December 1, 2026, and each December 1 afterward. Reports cover the previous fiscal year's programs, agreements, partnerships, contracts, and college locations involving foreign adversaries. They must include expected end dates for reported arrangements. Information covered by the law's public-access rule can be examined or disclosed unless another law provides otherwise.
Campus groups face foreign funding bans
Registered student groups and scholar associations at Arkansas colleges cannot accept gifts from or make agreements with foreign adversaries. Foreign adversaries also cannot direct or control these groups. Member dues and fees are excluded from the gift and contract bans. Colleges must end their affiliation with groups that violate these rules.
College workers need foreign travel approval
By January 1, 2026, colleges and affiliates with at least $10 million in federal research spending must establish travel controls. Their research compliance offices must screen and preapprove work travel to foreign-adversary countries and work-related foreign-adversary activities. Travelers must review college guidance and make a binding promise to follow college limits and applicable federal law. Annual board reports must identify travelers and foreign-adversary institutions visited. Travel requests, approvals, reimbursed expenses, and honoraria records must be kept for at least three years, or longer when required by law.
Colleges face limits on foreign funding
Arkansas colleges need board approval before accepting new foreign-adversary gifts or signing contracts worth at least $250,000. The rule also covers arrangements through middlemen or affiliates. Boards must decide within 30 days and reject arrangements without an overwhelming state or national interest. Simply getting more money does not justify accepting a gift. Accepted gifts, contracts, and final board decisions must be posted publicly, subject to confidentiality laws.
Colleges must remove covered foreign software
Arkansas college boards must review software and platforms that may be linked to foreign adversaries. Boards must plan to remove software hosted, operated, or owned by foreign-adversary countries. They must also ban future use of or contracts with covered software providers based in those countries. The ban includes providers owned or controlled by entities based there. These rules apply to college software, not household purchases.
Trade secret crimes face felony penalties
The law strengthens protection for trade secrets through felony penalties. Willful misuse of a trade secret to benefit a foreign government, agent, or government-linked entity is a Class D felony. Unauthorized trafficking is also a Class D felony when someone knows or should know the secret was obtained or used without permission. Covered theft or trafficking offenses are reclassified as Class C felonies when intended to benefit a foreign government, agent, or government-linked entity.
College disclosure enforcement adds whistleblower protection
The Arkansas Department of Inspector General must investigate foreign-gift violations referred by compliance officers or raised in qualifying sworn complaints. Sworn complaints must rest on substantive information and reasonable belief. Entities must provide records tied to reasonable suspicions of violations within 10 days, unless the Department allows more time. After a final administrative finding, colleges knowingly withholding required disclosures or records face $10,000 for a first violation and $20,000 for later violations. People reporting undisclosed foreign-adversary gifts or contracts to the appropriate inspector general can also report to the Attorney General while keeping state whistleblower protection.
Colleges restrict foreign cultural exchange deals
Arkansas colleges can enter cultural exchange deals with foreign adversaries or their controlled entities only to meet an overwhelmingly unmet state or national need. Deals cannot limit public entities' freedom to make contracts or let foreign adversaries influence state program courses or values. They also cannot promote agendas harmful to state or national safety or security. Colleges must share proposed deals with the Arkansas Department of Inspector General before signing. The Department can block a deal that promotes a harmful safety or security agenda.
Colleges tighten safeguards for foreign research
Arkansas colleges must protect their intellectual property before starting or renewing partnerships with foreign government-linked entities. Required safeguards include federal export and sanctions compliance, yearly faculty conflict training, and a formal visitor process with standard visiting-scholar agreements. Partnerships must serve an overwhelming state interest, with no alternative institution available for a similar partnership. College boards can also reject or end research partnerships with academic or research institutions in foreign-adversary countries. Boards can do so at any time and for any reason.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Ricky Hill
Republican • Senate
Stetson Painter
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Brandon Achor
Republican • House
Wade Andrews
Republican • House
Brit McKenzie
Republican • House
Sonia Eubanks Barker
Republican • House
Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Republican • House
Rick Beck
Republican • House
Mary Bentley
Republican • House
Harlan Breaux
Republican • House
Keith Brooks
Republican • House
Cameron Cooper
Republican • House
Frances Cavenaugh
Republican • House
Paul Childress
Republican • House
Bruce Cozart
Republican • House
Cindy Crawford
Republican • House
James Eaton
Republican • House
Brian S. Evans
Republican • House
Tony Furman
Republican • House
Jimmy Gazaway
Republican • House
Zack Gramlich
Republican • House
Brad Hall
Republican • House
RJ Hawk
Republican • House
Steve Hollowell
Republican • House
Jeremiah Moore
Republican • House
Joey L. Carr
Republican • House
John P. Carr
Republican • House
Karilyn Brown
Republican • House
Lee Johnson
Republican • House
Wayne Long
Republican • House
Robin Lundstrum
Republican • House
Roger D. Lynch
Republican • House
Matt Brown
Republican • House
Mark D. McElroy
Republican • House
Matthew J. Shepherd
Republican • House
John Maddox
Republican • House
Mindy McAlindon
Republican • House
Rick McClure
Republican • House
Richard McGrew
Republican • House
Ron McNair
Republican • House
Jon Milligan
Republican • House
Nick Burkes
Republican • House
Jason Nazarenko
Republican • House
Shad Pearce
Republican • House
Mark Perry
Democratic • House
Aaron Pilkington
Republican • House
Chad Puryear
Republican • House
Rebecca Burkes
Republican • House
R. Scott Richardson
Republican • House
David Ray
Republican • House
Marcus E. Richmond
Republican • House
Ryan A. Rose
Republican • House
Johnny Rye
Republican • House
Stan Berry
Republican • House
Bart Schulz
Republican • House
Randy Torres
Republican • House
Dwight Tosh
Republican • House
Kendon Underwood
Republican • House
Steve Unger
Republican • House
DeAnn Vaught
Republican • House
Steven Walker
Republican • House
Carlton Wing
Republican • House
Jim Wooten
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/1/2025
Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 1, 2025 4:47:36 PM
Yes: 29 • No: 5 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/17/2025
House Vote - Monday, March 17, 2025 2:29:26 PM
Yes: 81 • No: 10
Actions Timeline
Notification that HB1561 is now Act 473
4/8/2025HouseCorrectly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
4/2/2025HouseTO BE ENROLLED
4/1/2025HouseReturned from the Senate as passed.
4/1/2025HouseReturned to the House as passed.
4/1/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
4/1/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
3/31/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE
3/17/2025SenateReceived from the House.
3/17/2025SenateRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
3/17/2025HouseReturned by the Committee Do Pass
3/13/2025HouseREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
3/12/2025HouseAmendment No. 2 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.
3/12/2025HousePlaced on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
3/12/2025HouseREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
3/5/2025HouseAmendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.
3/5/2025HousePlaced on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
3/5/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE
2/24/2025HouseFiled
2/24/2025House
Bill Text
HB1561 - Introduced
2/24/2025
Act Version
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