# Arkansas HB1958: TO REQUIRE PUBLIC ENTITIES TO CREATE A POLICY CONCERNING THE AUTHORIZED USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. Arkansas HB1958, TO REQUIRE PUBLIC ENTITIES TO CREATE A POLICY CONCERNING THE AUTHORIZED USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Jane English (Republican), Stephen Meeks (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-17 (Notification that HB1958 is now Act 848) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1958-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1958 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO REQUIRE PUBLIC ENTITIES TO CREATE A POLICY CONCERNING THE AUTHORIZED USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-04-01 - Last action: 2025-04-17, Notification that HB1958 is now Act 848 - Sponsors: Jane English (Republican), Stephen Meeks (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (227 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Public access to state technology policies: benefit, low. Arkansas state entities must provide their technology, artificial intelligence, and automated decision tool policies when the public requests them. The Department of Education must develop model policies for each type of state educational institution. It must work with the State Cybersecurity Offic… - Public workers face training and discipline rules: cost, low. Arkansas public entities must develop training for all employees on technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and automated decision tool policies. Training must cover proper use of these tools when making work-related decisions. Political subdivisions are exempt only from the cybersecuri… - New technology safeguards and public worker limits: mixed, low. Taxpayer-funded Arkansas public entities, including schools and local governments, must set rules for technology, artificial intelligence, and automated decision tools. An authorized human employee or designee must make final work-related decisions, regardless of a tool’s recommendation. Cybersecur… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jane English (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Stephen Meeks (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-14 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 2:56:31 PM | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Senate Vote - Thursday, April 10, 2025 4:10:31 PM | pass | 35 | 0 | | | 2025-04-07 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 4:39:12 PM | pass | 93 | 0 | 2 | ## Actions (17) - 2025-04-17: Notification that HB1958 is now Act 848 (House) - 2025-04-15: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House) - 2025-04-14: TO BE ENROLLED (House) - 2025-04-14: Senate amendment # 1 read and concurred in. (House) - 2025-04-10: Returned from Senate as passed, as amended # 1 (House) - 2025-04-10: Returned to the House as passed as amended # 1 . (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Amendment # 1 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) - 2025-04-08: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-03: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-04-01: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-01: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1958 - Introduced, 2025-04-01: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1958.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=848.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 - [HB1958 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1958.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=848.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-HB1958-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).