# Arkansas HB1812: TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A GED TEST; AND TO AMEND THE SCORE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GED TEST. Arkansas HB1812, TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A GED TEST; AND TO AMEND THE SCORE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GED TEST., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Zack Gramlich (Republican), Justin Boyd (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-21 (Notification that HB1812 is now Act 918) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1812-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1812 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A GED TEST; AND TO AMEND THE SCORE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GED TEST. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-17 - Last action: 2025-04-21, Notification that HB1812 is now Act 918 - Sponsors: Zack Gramlich (Republican), Justin Boyd (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (322 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Children with GEDs can leave school: benefit, low. Arkansas children who have received a GED are exempt from the school attendance requirement. The exemption also covers children with a high school diploma or an equivalent credential approved by the State Board of Education. Taking the GED test alone does not qualify a child for this exemption. - Public school students gain GED access: benefit, low. Arkansas public school students age 16 or older can take the GED test without school district permission. Private and religious school students age 16 or older must provide a school letter confirming enrollment. Home-school students age 16 or older must provide a notarized copy of their notice of i… - Schools stop counting GED passers as dropouts: benefit, low. Arkansas public school districts do not count students who pass a GED test as dropouts in their five-year graduation rates. The State Board of Education can also consider graduation rates, student growth, and performance across schools that feed into one another. These factors help the board determ… - Adult education entry rules for teens: cost, low. Private, religious, and home-school students ages 16 and 17 must apply to enter an adult education program. Private and religious school students must provide a letter from their principal or administrator confirming enrollment. They must meet an Adult Education Section score requirement on the Tes… - Youth Challenge students lose attendance exemption: cost, low. The law removes Arkansas National Guard Youth Challenge Program enrollment as a reason for an attendance exemption at age 16 or older. Students age 16 or older enrolled in a qualifying adult education program remain exempt. Youth Challenge enrollment alone no longer provides this exemption. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Zack Gramlich (Republican), House - Sponsor: Justin Boyd (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-15 | House | House Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 2:49:18 PM | pass | 96 | 0 | 2 | | 2025-04-15 | House | House Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 2:48:18 PM | pass | 95 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 10:46:35 PM | pass | 35 | 0 | | | 2025-04-02 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 2, 2025 3:06:54 PM | pass | 96 | 0 | 1 | ## Actions (22) - 2025-04-21: Notification that HB1812 is now Act 918 (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. (House) - 2025-04-15: Senate amendment # 1 read and concurred in. (House) - 2025-04-14: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass, concur in Senate Amendment No. 1 (House) - 2025-04-10: Re-referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- 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: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Amendment # 1 & 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) - 2025-04-09: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1 & 2 (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-01: 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 EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-03-17: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1812 - Introduced, 2025-03-17: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1812.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=918.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 - [HB1812 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1812.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=918.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-HB1812-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).