# Arkansas HB1615: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RELIGIOUS NONDISCRIMINATION. Arkansas HB1615, TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RELIGIOUS NONDISCRIMINATION., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Gary Stubblefield (Republican), Robin Lundstrum (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-16 (Notification that HB1615 is now Act 677) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1615-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1615 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RELIGIOUS NONDISCRIMINATION. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-27 - Last action: 2025-04-16, Notification that HB1615 is now Act 677 - Sponsors: Gary Stubblefield (Republican), Robin Lundstrum (Republican) - Cosponsors: 11 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (95 yes, 22 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Religious beliefs cannot block state benefits: benefit, medium. Arkansas cannot deny, cut, end, or materially change covered state benefits because of a person's sincere religious beliefs. Covered benefits include grants, benefit programs, contracts, subcontracts, cooperative agreements, guarantees, loans, and scholarships. The protection also covers state cont… - Religious protections for professional licenses grow: benefit, medium. Arkansas must license or certify otherwise qualified people despite sincere religious beliefs or inability to provide services conflicting with those beliefs. It also cannot deny, revoke, or refuse to renew covered degrees, licenses, or certificates on those grounds. Arkansas cannot require occupat… - State workers gain belief-based speech protections: benefit, medium. Arkansas cannot discriminate against state workers for lawful speech or expressive conduct reflecting covered beliefs about biological sex or marriage. At work, the same time, place, manner, and frequency rules apply as for other permitted religious, political, or moral expression. Expression at pu… - Students gain religious protections during training: benefit, medium. Arkansas public schools must protect students studying for a state-licensed or state-certified job from certain conflicting service requirements. Schools cannot require students to assist or serve clients toward goals, outcomes, or behaviors conflicting with their sincere religious beliefs. This in… - Marriage officials gain belief-based recusal protections: benefit, low. Covered personnel can seek to step aside from authorizing, licensing, performing, or solemnizing lawful marriages because of covered beliefs. These are beliefs about biological sex or marriage. After prior written notice to the state, Arkansas cannot discriminate against them for stepping aside. Th… - Marriage service providers gain belief-based protections: benefit, low. Arkansas cannot discriminate against people or religious groups for covered choices based on religious or philosophical beliefs about sex or marriage. The law defines these beliefs around male and female meaning only biological sex determined at birth, which cannot change. Covered choices include p… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Gary Stubblefield (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Robin Lundstrum (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Alyssa Brown (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Brad Hall (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Joey L. Carr (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jack Ladyman (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Wayne Long (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mindy McAlindon (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rebecca Burkes (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ryan A. Rose (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Randy Torres (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Steve Unger (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 6:23:16 PM | pass | 29 | 5 | 1 | | 2025-04-03 | House | House Vote - Thursday, April 3, 2025 2:20:33 PM | pass | 66 | 17 | 7 | ## Actions (28) - 2025-04-16: Notification that HB1615 is now Act 677 (House) - 2025-04-10: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House) - 2025-04-09: TO BE ENROLLED (House) - 2025-04-09: Returned from the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-04-09: Returned to the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-02: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-04-02: Amendment No. 5 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-04-02: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House) - 2025-04-01: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 5 (House) - 2025-03-31: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-03-31: Amendment No. 4 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-03-31: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House) - 2025-03-12: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-03-12: Amendment No. 3 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-03-12: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House) - 2025-03-11: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-03-11: Amendment No. 2 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-03-11: 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) - 2025-02-27: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-02-27: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1615 - Introduced, 2025-02-27: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1615.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=677.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 - [HB1615 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1615.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=677.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-HB1615-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).