# Arkansas HB1661: TO AMEND THE LAWS CONCERNING STATE DISTRICT COURTS; TO ELIMINATE THE OBLIGATION OF CITIES AND COUNTIES TO PAY THE SALARIES OF STATE DISTRICT COURT JUDGES; AND TO AMEND THE LAWS CONCERNING DISTRICT COURT CLERKS. Arkansas HB1661, TO AMEND THE LAWS CONCERNING STATE DISTRICT COURTS; TO ELIMINATE THE OBLIGATION OF CITIES AND COUNTIES TO PAY THE SALARIES OF STATE DISTRICT COURT JUDGES; AND TO AMEND THE LAWS CONCERNING DISTRICT COURT CLERKS., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Alan Clark (Republican), Carol Dalby (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-03-20 (Notification that HB1661 is now Act 371); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1661-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1661 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE LAWS CONCERNING STATE DISTRICT COURTS; TO ELIMINATE THE OBLIGATION OF CITIES AND COUNTIES TO PAY THE SALARIES OF STATE DISTRICT COURT JUDGES; AND TO AMEND THE LAWS CONCERNING DISTRICT COURT CLERKS. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-04 - Last action: 2025-03-20, Notification that HB1661 is now Act 371 - Sponsors: Alan Clark (Republican), Carol Dalby (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (123 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - District court installment fees expire in 2031: benefit, low. Authority to collect the specified district court installment fees expires on December 31, 2031, unless extended or repealed beforehand. This covers the base district court installment fee and the additional fee for cases filed on or after January 1, 2026. Ending this authority removes these charge… - Court funds can support security officer training: benefit, low. District court automation funds can cover indirect costs of hiring and training court security officers. Travel for that training is allowed. These funds cannot pay the officers' salaries, benefits, or overtime. - State pays judges and revises court rules: benefit, low. The state pays state district court judges' salaries and benefits; cities and counties no longer owe salary contributions. Judges receive uniform salaries from the Constitutional Officers Fund, as funded by the legislature. Where a dedicated district court cost fund exists, local officials can appr… - Higher fees for district court payment plans: cost, low. For district court cases filed on or after January 1, 2026, installment payments carry a $5 monthly fee plus $2.50. Fees stop when $90 in installment fees or the total assessment owed is paid, whichever comes first. A new fine can trigger new fees, and each district court department collecting inst… - Local courts share fees with the state: mixed, low. Towns, cities, and counties operating district courts may keep up to 50% of covered court costs and filing fees. The other 50% goes monthly to the state's justice fund. Towns and cities also send an agreed portion of their local share to counties for county programs and agencies. County governing b… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Alan Clark (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Carol Dalby (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-18 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, March 18, 2025 3:37:04 PM | pass | 23 | 1 | 9 | | 2025-03-10 | House | House Vote - Monday, March 10, 2025 2:29:58 PM | pass | 100 | 0 | | ## Actions (13) - 2025-03-20: Notification that HB1661 is now Act 371 (House) - 2025-03-19: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House) - 2025-03-18: TO BE ENROLLED (House) - 2025-03-18: Returned from the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-03-18: Returned to the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-18: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-03-06: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-03-04: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-03-04: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1661 - Introduced, 2025-03-04: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1661.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=371.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) - HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS. (failed) - 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) - 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 - [HB1661 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1661.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=371.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) - [HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1686-2025) - [HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1237-2025) - [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-HB1661-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).