# Arkansas HB1568: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EXAMINATIONS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND POSTMORTEM EXAMINATIONS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW REQUIRING A POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION WHEN A DEATH IS BY APPARENT DRUG, ALCOHOL, OR POISON TOXICITY. Arkansas HB1568, TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EXAMINATIONS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND POSTMORTEM EXAMINATIONS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW REQUIRING A POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION WHEN A DEATH IS BY APPARENT DRUG, ALCOHOL, OR POISON TOXICITY., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Paul Childress (Republican), Kim Hammer (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-03-12 (Notification that HB1568 is now Act 289) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1568-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1568 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EXAMINATIONS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND POSTMORTEM EXAMINATIONS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW REQUIRING A POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION WHEN A DEATH IS BY APPARENT DRUG, ALCOHOL, OR POISON TOXICITY. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-24 - Last action: 2025-03-12, Notification that HB1568 is now Act 289 - Sponsors: Paul Childress (Republican), Kim Hammer (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (129 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Arkansas coroners follow new toxicity death rules: benefit, low. When death appears caused by drug, alcohol, or poison toxicity, the county coroner in charge must arrange an examination. The coroner must send the deceased person to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for that examination. This requirement does not apply if the person was admitted for inpatient h… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Paul Childress (Republican), House - Sponsor: Kim Hammer (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-10 | Senate | Senate Vote - Monday, March 10, 2025 2:59:47 PM | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2025-03-03 | House | House Vote - Monday, March 3, 2025 1:55:59 PM | pass | 95 | 0 | | ## Actions (16) - 2025-03-12: Notification that HB1568 is now Act 289 (House) - 2025-03-11: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House) - 2025-03-10: TO BE ENROLLED (House) - 2025-03-10: Returned from the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-03-10: Returned to the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-02-27: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-02-27: Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-02-27: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House) - 2025-02-26: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1 (House) - 2025-02-24: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE (House) - 2025-02-24: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1568 - Introduced, 2025-02-24: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1568.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=289.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 - [HB1568 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1568.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=289.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-HB1568-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).