# Arkansas HB1598: TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH A NEW ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS; AND TO REMOVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM SCHOOL RATINGS FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL YEARS.

Arkansas HB1598, TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH A NEW ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS; AND TO REMOVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM SCHOOL RATINGS FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL YEARS., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Keith Brooks (Republican), Jane English (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-08 (Notification that HB1598 is now Act 474) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1598-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Arkansas HB1598
- State: Arkansas
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH A NEW ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS; AND TO REMOVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM SCHOOL RATINGS FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL YEARS.
- Status: enacted
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-26
- Last action: 2025-04-08, Notification that HB1598 is now Act 474
- Sponsors: Keith Brooks (Republican), Jane English (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (122 yes, 3 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Arkansas school ratings pause, then change: mixed, low. Arkansas’s Department of Education cannot assign new public-school ratings under the current system for 2023-2024. It must create a new system and give every public school, including open-enrollment public charter schools, a letter grade for 2024-2025. Schools can request a review if they fail to i…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Keith Brooks (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Jane English (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-01 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 1, 2025 4:49:38 PM | pass | 33 | 1 |   |
| 2025-03-18 | House | House Vote - Tuesday, March 18, 2025 2:48:39 PM | pass | 89 | 2 | 6 |

## Actions (16)

- 2025-04-08: Notification that HB1598 is now Act 474 (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)
- 2025-03-18: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate)
- 2025-03-18: Received from the House. (Senate)
- 2025-03-18: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House)
- 2025-03-17: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House)
- 2025-03-17: Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House)
- 2025-03-17: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House)
- 2025-03-13: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1 (House)
- 2025-02-26: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House)
- 2025-02-26: Filed (House)

## Bill text

- HB1598 - Introduced, 2025-02-26: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1598.pdf)
- Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=474.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
- [HB1598 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1598.pdf)
- [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=474.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-HB1598-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).