All Roll Calls
Yes: 131 • No: 0
ArkansasHB15892025 Regular SessionHouse
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE FINANCIAL OPERATIONS OF A COUNTY; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ANNUAL COUNTY FINANCIAL REPORT.
Sponsored By: Steve Crowell (Republican), Bart Schulz (Republican)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Fourfold recovery for unpaid county checks
Claimants can seek four times the amount of an unpaid county check or payment warrant ordered by the county court. The fund must have cash available, and the treasurer must have neglected or refused payment. Claimants can recover through a civil lawsuit against the treasurer and those backing the treasurer’s bond. The treasurer also faces a misdemeanor charge and removal from office upon conviction.
Counties can pay creditors electronically
Arkansas counties can use electronic transfers to pay creditors by order of a court with authority over the case. Electronic payments to federal and state government entities are also allowed. Each claim must first be submitted and approved through the county claim process. Each payment must include adequate supporting records.
Counties must publish yearly financial reports
Arkansas counties must prepare a full annual report using the clerk’s or comptroller’s records and the treasurer’s records. It must cover all operating accounts under the quorum court’s budget authority. Reports show January 1 and December 31 cash balances, revenues by fund and source, spending by fund, and fund-balance changes. They also detail bond debt and short-term debt. A combined report may show general, road, and other county funds in aggregate, including fund-balance changes. When one official compiles the report, the other must supply revenue or spending reports by March 1. The previous year’s report must be published by March 15, once in a county newspaper and on an eligible website. Eligible websites belong to or are maintained by the county, state, or Association of Arkansas Counties. Without a newspaper published in the county, the newspaper with the largest county circulation must carry the report. January and February accruals following the reporting year may be left out. All publication costs come from the county treasurer’s budget.
County payments face tighter fund safeguards
Arkansas county treasurers receive county revenues and pay them out through checks or payment warrants ordered by the county court. They must refuse payments that leave the general fund, taken as a whole, in deficit. Special revenue accounts also have deficit safeguards, with exceptions provided elsewhere in the same law section. The law no longer expressly allows an approved general-fund transfer to cover a special-account deficit. Treasurers must record grant revenues in the proper grant fund. Upon resignation, removal, or death, office affairs must be settled immediately and all records and money delivered to the successor.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Steve Crowell
Republican • Senate
Bart Schulz
Republican • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/9/2025
Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 6:16:33 PM
Yes: 35 • No: 0
House vote • 3/6/2025
House Vote - Thursday, March 6, 2025 2:05:21 PM
Yes: 96 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Notification that HB1589 is now Act 676
4/16/2025HouseCorrectly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
4/10/2025HouseTO BE ENROLLED
4/9/2025HouseReturned from the Senate as passed.
4/9/2025HouseReturned to the House as passed.
4/9/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
4/9/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
4/7/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to REVENUE & TAX - SENATE
3/6/2025SenateReceived from the House.
3/6/2025SenateRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
3/6/2025HouseReturned by the Committee Do Pass
3/5/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on CITY, COUNTY & LOCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE- HOUSE
2/25/2025HouseFiled
2/25/2025House
Bill Text
HB1589 - Introduced
2/25/2025
Act Version
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