# Arkansas HB1865: TO CREATE AN ENHANCED PENALTY FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES AGAINST A CHILD. Arkansas HB1865, TO CREATE AN ENHANCED PENALTY FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES AGAINST A CHILD., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Ben Gilmore (Republican), DeAnn Vaught (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-22 (Notification that HB1865 is now Act 976) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1865-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1865 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO CREATE AN ENHANCED PENALTY FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES AGAINST A CHILD. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-20 - Last action: 2025-04-22, Notification that HB1865 is now Act 976 - Sponsors: Ben Gilmore (Republican), DeAnn Vaught (Republican) - Cosponsors: 11 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (310 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Longer sentences for trusted adults harming children: cost, low. Arkansas sets higher minimum prison terms for people age 18 or older who commit listed felonies against children. The person must hold a position of trust or authority over the child. Covered crimes include homicide, kidnapping, sexual offenses, voyeurism, human trafficking, child exploitation, usi… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ben Gilmore (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: DeAnn Vaught (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Lincoln Barnett (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Clarke Tucker (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Nicole Clowney (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jimmy Gazaway (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ashley Hudson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lee Johnson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matt Brown (Republican), House - Cosponsor: John Maddox (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Shad Pearce (Republican), House - Cosponsor: R. Scott Richardson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ryan A. Rose (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-16 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 1:32:26 PM | pass | 91 | 0 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 1:32:14 PM | pass | 90 | 0 | | | 2025-04-14 | Senate | Senate Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 3:46:20 PM | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2025-04-02 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 2, 2025 2:44:43 PM | pass | 95 | 1 | | ## Actions (26) - 2025-04-22: Notification that HB1865 is now Act 976 (House) - 2025-04-16: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House) - 2025-04-16: TO BE ENROLLED (House) - 2025-04-16: Senate amendment # 2 read and concurred in. (House) - 2025-04-16: Senate amendment # 1 read and concurred in. (House) - 2025-04-15: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass, concur in Senate Amendment No. 1 & 2 (House) - 2025-04-14: Re-referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-14: Returned from Senate as passed, as amended # 1 & 2 (House) - 2025-04-14: Returned to the House as passed as amended # 1 & 2 . (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Amendment # 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JUDICIARY 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) - 2025-03-20: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-03-20: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1865 - Introduced, 2025-03-20: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1865.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=976.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 - [HB1865 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1865.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=976.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-HB1865-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).