# Arkansas HB1561: TO ESTABLISH THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2025.

Arkansas HB1561, TO ESTABLISH THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2025., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Ricky Hill (Republican), Stetson Painter (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-08 (Notification that HB1561 is now Act 473) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1561-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Arkansas HB1561
- State: Arkansas
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: TO ESTABLISH THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2025.
- Status: enacted
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-24
- Last action: 2025-04-08, Notification that HB1561 is now Act 473
- Sponsors: Ricky Hill (Republican), Stetson Painter (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 61
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (110 yes, 15 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 11

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Colleges must disclose past foreign funding: benefit, low. 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 board…
- Colleges must report foreign ties yearly: benefit, low. 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 cov…
- Some research applicants face extra screening: cost, medium. 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 r…
- Campus groups face foreign funding bans: cost, low. 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 af…
- College workers need foreign travel approval: cost, low. 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 re…
- Colleges face limits on foreign funding: cost, low. 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 int…
- Colleges must remove covered foreign software: cost, low. 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…
- Trade secret crimes face felony penalties: mixed, low. 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 obt…
- College disclosure enforcement adds whistleblower protection: mixed, low. 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…
- Colleges restrict foreign cultural exchange deals: mixed, low. 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.…
- Colleges tighten safeguards for foreign research: mixed, low. 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-sch…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ricky Hill (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Stetson Painter (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Brandon Achor (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Wade Andrews (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Brit McKenzie (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Sonia Eubanks Barker (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Rick Beck (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mary Bentley (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Harlan Breaux (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Keith Brooks (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Cameron Cooper (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Frances Cavenaugh (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Paul Childress (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Bruce Cozart (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Cindy Crawford (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: James Eaton (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Brian S. Evans (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Tony Furman (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jimmy Gazaway (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Zack Gramlich (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Brad Hall (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: RJ Hawk (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steve Hollowell (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jeremiah Moore (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Joey L. Carr (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: John P. Carr (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Karilyn Brown (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Lee Johnson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Wayne Long (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Robin Lundstrum (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Roger D. Lynch (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Matt Brown (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mark D. McElroy (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Matthew J. Shepherd (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: John Maddox (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mindy McAlindon (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Rick McClure (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Richard McGrew (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Ron McNair (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jon Milligan (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Nick Burkes (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jason Nazarenko (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Shad Pearce (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mark Perry (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Aaron Pilkington (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Chad Puryear (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Rebecca Burkes (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: R. Scott Richardson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: David Ray (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Marcus E. Richmond (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Ryan A. Rose (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Johnny Rye (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Stan Berry (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Bart Schulz (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Randy Torres (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Dwight Tosh (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Kendon Underwood (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steve Unger (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: DeAnn Vaught (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steven Walker (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Carlton Wing (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jim Wooten (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-01 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 1, 2025 4:47:36 PM | pass | 29 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025-03-17 | House | House Vote - Monday, March 17, 2025 2:29:26 PM | pass | 81 | 10 |   |

## Actions (19)

- 2025-04-08: Notification that HB1561 is now Act 473 (House)
- 2025-04-02: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House)
- 2025-04-01: TO BE ENROLLED (House)
- 2025-04-01: Returned from the Senate as passed. (House)
- 2025-04-01: Returned to the House as passed. (Senate)
- 2025-04-01: Read the third time and passed. (Senate)
- 2025-03-31: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate)
- 2025-03-17: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate)
- 2025-03-17: Received from the House. (Senate)
- 2025-03-17: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House)
- 2025-03-13: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House)
- 2025-03-12: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House)
- 2025-03-12: Amendment No. 2 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House)
- 2025-03-12: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House)
- 2025-03-05: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House)
- 2025-03-05: Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House)
- 2025-03-05: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House)
- 2025-02-24: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House)
- 2025-02-24: Filed (House)

## Bill text

- HB1561 - Introduced, 2025-02-24: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1561.pdf)
- Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=473.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
- [HB1561 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1561.pdf)
- [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=473.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1561-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).