All Roll Calls
Yes: 122 • No: 0
ArkansasHB19412025 Regular SessionHouse
CONCERNING DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS; AND TO PROTECT ARKANSAS STUDENTS BY ENSURING THE EFFICIENT DISPOSITION OF ETHICS COMPLAINTS AGAINST TEACHERS.
Sponsored By: Jane English (Republican), Joey L. Carr (Republican)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
School workers lose defense payment appeals
The law repeals the School Worker Defense Program Advisory Board. School workers entitled to program payments can no longer appeal an education division decision to that board. The program and its underlying payment provision remain in place. The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education may still issue rules to run the program.
Term limits for educator licensing board
Arkansas Professional Licensure Standards Board members serve three-year terms, with a limit of three terms total. Initial members draw lots to stagger their terms. The State Board of Education may appoint qualified replacements to finish vacant terms.
New educator discipline and appeal rules
Arkansas's educator licensing board must set procedures to receive and investigate written or electronic ethics complaints. Ethics rules, hearings, and appeals must follow the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act. A new ethics subcommittee has equal numbers of teachers and administrators, plus one member from another board category. It may authorize investigations, approve settlements, impose listed sanctions, dismiss complaints without violations, and arrange hearings. The law removes the State Board of Education's prior authority for informal resolutions. Sanctions include written warnings, reprimands, activity restrictions, license probation, suspension, revocation, denial, nonrenewal, and private caution letters. Student interns may face sanctions on their teaching licenses when those licenses are issued. Educators must receive hearing dates and may have a representative. After a hearing, the written order must state factual findings, legal conclusions, and sanctions or dismissal. Educators may accept the result or appeal to the State Board of Education within 30 days of receiving the order. Filing an appeal preserves their right to further review. Without an appeal, the order takes effect upon written acceptance or 60 days after transmission, whichever comes first. The education division may publish ethics violations when licenses are suspended, revoked, denied, or not renewed. Posts may include the standard violated, sanction, and settlement or board orders, subject to legal disclosure limits.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Jane English
Republican • Senate
Joey L. Carr
Republican • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/14/2025
Senate Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 2:34:59 PM
Yes: 33 • No: 0
House vote • 4/8/2025
House Vote - Tuesday, April 8, 2025 3:29:33 PM
Yes: 89 • No: 0 • Other: 1
Actions Timeline
Notification that HB1941 is now Act 809
4/17/2025HouseCorrectly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
4/15/2025HouseTO BE ENROLLED
4/14/2025HouseReturned from the Senate as passed.
4/14/2025HouseReturned to the House as passed.
4/14/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
4/14/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
4/9/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE
4/8/2025SenateReceived from the House.
4/8/2025SenateRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
4/8/2025HouseReturned by the Committee Do Pass
4/7/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE
3/31/2025HouseFiled
3/31/2025House
Bill Text
HB1941 - Introduced
3/31/2025
Act Version
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