All Roll Calls
Yes: 124 • No: 0
ArkansasHB19312025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
TO CREATE THE RECIDIVISM REDUCTION SYSTEM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
Sponsored By: Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), Ben Gilmore (Republican)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
More support for people leaving prison
The law creates a reentry deputy director and requires at least one reentry coordinator at each Arkansas correctional facility. Coordinators work with every inmate on release plans for housing and employment, including resumes, applications, and workforce connections. They provide transition and family reunification lessons, required release documents, and information about fines, fees, and child support owed. They coordinate benefits, veterans’ services, medical-record transfers, and connections to medical providers. People with serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or significant cognitive impairment receive help accessing appropriate health and behavioral care. For substance use disorder, plans include a medication-assisted-treatment referral and a prescription for opioid-use-disorder medication. A business-hours hotline provides information and service referrals after release.
Education access limits for some inmates
Inmates in maximum custody or detention cannot join education programs unless digital learning is available. Inmates sentenced to death are excluded. Foreign citizens or nationals who are not legally present in the United States are also excluded. Those legally present are excluded if they have a detainer or removal order. Legally present foreign nationals without either restriction may qualify.
Arkansas launches and checks prison reentry
The law takes effect immediately under its emergency clause; the corrections secretary must implement the system within 180 days. The secretary must plan assessments of all current inmates by December 31, 2026, with ranking reports guiding program placement. Up to 150 vacant correctional officer positions are reclassified for the system. The secretary may seek legislative funding to restore positions once all vacant officer positions are filled and the reclassified positions remain necessary. Annual reports track program access, participation, results, work release, partnerships, and savings; audits every two years require dated correction plans and reinspection for noncompliance.
Job-focused education partnerships for Arkansas inmates
Arkansas corrections must establish policies for education, training, apprenticeship, and employment-help partnerships. Annual coordination with the Chief Workforce Officer aligns training with jobs available after release. College instruction uses volunteers, scholarships, Pell Grants, or other sources that do not increase the corrections budget. Industry training arrangements must be voluntary, no-cost, or limited to a licensing fee. By December 31, 2025, the correctional school district must present studies on a school year with at least 208 instructional days and a high school diploma program. The studies also examine requiring 15 hours of weekly literacy lessons for inmates below an eighth-grade reading standard until they reach it. They must also examine whether privatizing the GED program saves money; these studies do not themselves establish those programs.
Inmates earn privileges through program participation
Arkansas corrections must reward program participation and completion. Successful participants who show lasting positive behavior may earn more phone time, visits, commissary spending limits, property, or recreation. Rewards can also include preferred or skilled work assignments. Refusing an assigned program blocks incentives. Rule violations or removal for failing eligibility or participation requirements also block incentives until reenrollment and restored eligibility.
Inmates get plans and required programs
Arkansas corrections staff assess every inmate at intake, repeat assessments, and update a personal program plan. Inmates receive assessment results, discuss their plans, and must participate throughout incarceration. Programs include education, job skills, substance-use and sex-offender treatment, family and faith programs, and preparation for release. Higher-risk inmates receive more programming and placement priority; rankings also consider sentence length, time remaining, and custody restrictions. Similar-risk inmates are grouped and housed together when practical and safe. An annual catalog lists programs by facility, delivery method, and instructor qualifications.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Republican • House
Ben Gilmore
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/9/2025
Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 11:02:41 PM
Yes: 35 • No: 0
House vote • 4/8/2025
House Vote - Tuesday, April 8, 2025 2:38:39 PM
Yes: 89 • No: 0 • Other: 2
Actions Timeline
Notification that HB1931 is now Act 694
4/16/2025HouseCorrectly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
4/10/2025HouseTO BE ENROLLED
4/10/2025HouseReturned from the Senate as passed.
4/10/2025HouseReturned to the House as passed.
4/9/2025SenateEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
4/9/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
4/9/2025SenateRules suspended.
4/9/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
4/9/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE
4/8/2025SenateReceived from the House.
4/8/2025SenateEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
4/8/2025HouseRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
4/8/2025HouseREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
4/7/2025HouseAmendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.
4/7/2025HousePlaced on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
4/7/2025HouseReturned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1
4/3/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE
3/31/2025HouseFiled
3/31/2025House
Bill Text
HB1931 - Introduced
3/31/2025
Act Version
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