# Arkansas HB1797: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. Arkansas HB1797, TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), Ben Gilmore (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-21 (Notification that HB1797 is now Act 944); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1797-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1797 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-14 - Last action: 2025-04-21, Notification that HB1797 is now Act 944 - Sponsors: Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), Ben Gilmore (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 5 (287 yes, 23 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Finance authority workers gain state insurance access: benefit, high. Beginning July 1, 2025, Arkansas Development Finance Authority employees and staff can join the state life and health insurance program. This is the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program. The law does not set premium or coverage amounts. - Finance authority gains independence and protects staff: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Arkansas Development Finance Authority operates independently of Commerce and any cabinet-level department. Employees employed before the transfer and kept through it retain at least their existing rank and salary grade. Commerce and Shared Administrative Services must p… - Governments gain simpler public bond approval options: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Arkansas government units can authorize revenue bonds by letter, besides an order, ordinance, or resolution. The letter must be signed by the governing body's executive head and clearly state the bonds' principal amount and purposes. Refunding bonds need no authorization doc… - Finance authority loses one state-land transaction route: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Arkansas Development Finance Authority can no longer use the state-land cash-sale process in § 22-6-601. This removes one legal route for the authority to buy or sell state land. It does not directly change household property rights or benefits. - Bond guaranty disclosures cover recommendations, not applications: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, staff or committee recommendations to approve bond-guaranty requests become public after preliminary review. They are available for inspection during regular business hours. For a negative recommendation, disclosure applies when the borrower requests a hearing within 30 days… - Finance authority faces fewer rules, keeps audits: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Arkansas Development Finance Authority is exempt from state administrative procedure and purchasing laws. It can carry out listed transactions and exercise its powers without proceedings, notice, or approval unless its governing law requires them. Specified dedicated aut… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), House - Sponsor: Ben Gilmore (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-15 | House | House Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 3:02:00 PM | pass | 83 | 5 | 6 | | 2025-04-15 | House | House Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 3:02:19 PM | pass | 84 | 3 | 6 | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 10:43:26 PM | pass | 33 | 1 | 1 | | 2025-04-08 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 8, 2025 10:58:26 PM | pass | 19 | 6 | 3 | | 2025-04-01 | House | House Vote - Tuesday, April 1, 2025 3:53:44 PM | pass | 68 | 8 | 14 | ## Actions (33) - 2025-04-21: Notification that HB1797 is now Act 944 (House) - 2025-04-16: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House) - 2025-04-15: TO BE ENROLLED (House) - 2025-04-15: Senate Amendment #2 read and concurred in and the Emergency Clause (House) - 2025-04-15: Senate Amendment #1 read and concurred in and the Emergency Clause (House) - 2025-04-14: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass, concur in Senate Amendment No. 1 & 2 (House) - 2025-04-10: Re-referred to the Committee on STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-10: Returned from Senate as passed, as amended # 1 & 2 (House) - 2025-04-09: Returned to the House as passed as amended # 1 & 2 . (Senate) - 2025-04-09: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Amendment # 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Motion to Expunge the Vote by which HB1797 failed to pass. Motion carried. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Motion for Clincher. Motion failed. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Upon Sounding of the Ballot HB1797 failed. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Sounding of the Ballot requested on the passage of HB1797. Five Hands were Seen. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Emergency Clause failed of adoption. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-01: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (House) - 2025-04-01: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-03-31: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-03-17: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE (House) - 2025-03-14: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1797 - Introduced, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1797.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=944.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 - [HB1797 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1797.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=944.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-HB1797-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).