# Arkansas HB1963: TO CLARIFY THAT AN ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE WHO PRESCRIBES A STIMULANT MAY SUBSTITUTE A THERAPEUTICALLY EQUIVALENT MEDICATION.

Arkansas HB1963, TO CLARIFY THAT AN ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE WHO PRESCRIBES A STIMULANT MAY SUBSTITUTE A THERAPEUTICALLY EQUIVALENT MEDICATION., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Justin Gonzales (Republican), Justin Boyd (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-21 (Notification that HB1963 is now Act 963) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1963-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Arkansas HB1963
- State: Arkansas
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: TO CLARIFY THAT AN ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE WHO PRESCRIBES A STIMULANT MAY SUBSTITUTE A THERAPEUTICALLY EQUIVALENT MEDICATION.
- Status: enacted
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-04-01
- Last action: 2025-04-21, Notification that HB1963 is now Act 963
- Sponsors: Justin Gonzales (Republican), Justin Boyd (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 3 (203 yes, 5 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Arkansas patients gain nurse-led stimulant substitution options: benefit, low. Arkansas law allows advanced practice registered nurses to replace a physician-prescribed stimulant with a therapeutically equivalent medicine. The physician must have started the original prescription. That physician must have evaluated the patient within six months before the nurse issues the pre…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Justin Gonzales (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Justin Boyd (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lee Johnson (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-16 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 1:41:54 PM | pass | 84 | 1 | 4 |
| 2025-04-10 | Senate | Senate Vote - Thursday, April 10, 2025 4:13:32 PM | pass | 34 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025-04-07 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 4:15:50 PM | pass | 85 | 4 | 3 |

## Actions (20)

- 2025-04-21: Notification that HB1963 is now Act 963 (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 # 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 (House)
- 2025-04-10: Re-referred to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE (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)
- 2025-04-09: Rules suspended. (Senate)
- 2025-04-09: 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 PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE - 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 PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House)
- 2025-04-01: Filed (House)

## Bill text

- HB1963 - Introduced, 2025-04-01: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1963.pdf)
- Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=963.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
- [HB1963 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1963.pdf)
- [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=963.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1963-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).