All Roll Calls
Yes: 202 • No: 15
ArkansasHB18372025 Regular SessionHouse
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING DISCLOSURE FOR MATTERS REFERRED TO VOTERS; AND TO BAN FOREIGN FUNDING FOR BALLOT MEASURES; TO AMEND PORTIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE THAT RESULTED FROM INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1996.
Sponsored By: Kim Hammer (Republican), Mindy McAlindon (Republican)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Lawful nonprofit donors gain privacy protections
Government bodies generally cannot collect donor identities from tax-exempt groups unless directly related to an alleged violation of these funding rules. During investigations, they must protect lawful donors' identities as much as possible. They generally cannot share those identities publicly or with uninvolved officials. Exceptions cover final findings of donor violations and required ballot or legislative question committee registration and reporting. The separate public-disclosure exception requires a final finding that the donor violated the rules. Covered tax-exempt groups are defined under federal tax law as of January 1, 2025; Section 527 political groups do not qualify.
Ballot committees must check donor funding
At registration, ballot and legislative question committee treasurers must certify that prohibited sources did not fund early work, directly or indirectly. Early work includes polling, drafting question language, and focus groups. Financial reports must affirm that committees have not knowingly or willfully sought, received, or accepted prohibited-source contributions or spending. Treasurers must also affirm, to their best knowledge, that each donor is not a foreign national and meets the funding test. That test bars knowingly or willfully accepting more than $10,000 total from prohibited sources during the four years before the contribution. When a donor gives more than $10,000 total, the treasurer must obtain the donor's own affirmation of these facts.
Foreign funding and ballot influence banned
Registered ballot and legislative question committees cannot knowingly or willfully seek, receive, or accept prohibited-source funding, directly or indirectly. Prohibited sources include foreign nationals and certain groups funded by them. Foreign nationals cannot control or join another person's decisions about influencing these questions, or solicit money for that purpose. The definition covers people who are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents, foreign governments, foreign parties, and majority-foreign-owned entities. Narrow exceptions apply to organizations whose contribution decisions are made only by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Independent ballot spenders face funding checks
Independent spending reports must affirm that the spender has not knowingly or willfully accepted more than $10,000 total from prohibited sources during the prior four years. Anyone spending more than $10,000 total independently to support or oppose a ballot or legislative question must also certify this to the Arkansas Attorney General. That certification must promise to meet the funding limit through the rest of the calendar year when the question appears on the ballot. Independent spending above $10,000 supporting or opposing a ballot or legislative question committee also requires contribution or spending records. Those records must be kept for the period required by state law.
Prohibited ballot funding brings financial penalties
The Arkansas Attorney General can sue to enforce the prohibited-funding rules, with notice and an opportunity to be heard. If the Attorney General wins, the court must order relief to stop the violation and award statutory damages. Those damages can reach twice the prohibited contribution or spending amount. For a knowing or willful violation, the court can add a separate penalty up to three times those damages.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Kim Hammer
Republican • Senate
Mindy McAlindon
Republican • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/15/2025
House Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 3:11:12 PM
Yes: 87 • No: 5
Senate vote • 4/14/2025
Senate Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 3:15:45 PM
Yes: 34 • No: 0
House vote • 4/7/2025
House Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 2:59:37 PM
Yes: 81 • No: 10
Actions Timeline
Notification that HB1837 is now Act 999
4/22/2025HouseCorrectly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
4/16/2025HouseTO BE ENROLLED
4/15/2025HouseSenate amendment # 1 read and concurred in.
4/15/2025HouseReturned from Senate as passed, as amended # 1
4/14/2025HouseReturned to the House as passed as amended # 1 .
4/14/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
4/14/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
4/10/2025SenateRe-referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE
4/9/2025SenateREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
4/9/2025SenateAmendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.
4/9/2025SenateWithdrawn from Committee and placed on 2nd reading for purpose of amendment # 1
4/9/2025SenateRules suspended.
4/9/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE
4/7/2025SenateReceived from the House.
4/7/2025SenateRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
4/7/2025HouseREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
4/3/2025HouseAmendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.
4/3/2025HousePlaced on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
4/3/2025HouseReturned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1
4/2/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE
3/18/2025HouseFiled
3/18/2025House
Bill Text
HB1837 - Introduced
3/18/2025
Act Version
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