# Arkansas SB320: TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS JUVENILE CODE OF 1989. Arkansas SB320, TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS JUVENILE CODE OF 1989., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Carol Dalby (Republican), Missy Irvin (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-10 (Notification that SB320 is now Act 518); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB320-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB320 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS JUVENILE CODE OF 1989. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-26 - Last action: 2025-04-10, Notification that SB320 is now Act 518 - Sponsors: Carol Dalby (Republican), Missy Irvin (Republican) - Cosponsors: 16 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (161 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 129 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Detained youth get limits on isolation: benefit, high. Punitive isolation or solitary confinement for discipline generally cannot last more than 24 hours in a juvenile detention facility. Each additional 24 hours requires assault, an imminent threat of harm, or escape or attempted escape, plus the director's written approval. Solitary confinement is pr… - Families keep paths to returning home: benefit, high. The court decides whether to pursue more than one permanent-home goal. When adoption is a goal, reunification services continue unless the court finds them unnecessary, parental rights end, or another plan is finalized. At review, the court must return a child when health and safety are adequately… - Lawyer rights for juveniles facing charges: benefit, high. Juveniles and caregivers must be told about the juvenile's right to a lawyer throughout delinquency cases. That right also covers every stage, including reviews, of extended juvenile jurisdiction cases. Courts must appoint a lawyer for court appearances when one is not retained or likely to be reta… - Relatives get priority for child placements: benefit, high. When a child enters state custody or must leave home, DHS must promptly assess a noncustodial parent and recommended relatives. It must also assess close family-like caregivers identified by the child. Unless background checks show safety problems, identified people must receive written information… - Foster care stays available until age 21: benefit, high. Young people found dependent or dependent-neglected before 18 can ask to continue court jurisdiction until age 21. They must meet, or have a workable plan to meet, education, training, work, or documented medical-condition requirements. Those in foster care at 18 who later left can petition to retu… - Children gain police questioning protections: benefit, medium. Officers need reasonable cause to stop a child near a felony scene as a witness and must explain the stop. Stops cannot exceed 15 minutes unless the child refuses requested information. Further detention then requires immediate presentation to a judicial officer or prosecutor. Before custodial ques… - Children get lawyers protecting their interests: benefit, medium. Courts must appoint a qualified lawyer to protect a child's best interests in dependency-neglect cases. Appointment occurs when the petition is filed or an emergency order is entered, whichever happens first. The lawyer must participate as needed and can review relevant records within federal-law l… - Children in protection cases avoid detention: benefit, medium. Dependent-neglected children generally cannot be held in secure detention, delinquency facilities, or adult facilities. A narrow juvenile-facility exception requires more than 24 hours away from home and a contacted caregiver over 50 driving miles away or out of state. The child must be separated f… - Children's placements get continuing court oversight: benefit, medium. Covered dependency-neglect cases get a first review within six months of the original out-of-home placement, then every six months until permanency. Reviews also cover children returned home while family-service orders continue, but this schedule excludes youth over 18 choosing extended foster care… - Custody reviews and trial returns for parents: benefit, medium. Courts presume noncustodial parents fit, assess their role in neglect, and can award custody or visits based on best interests. Parent transfers need no home study and do not end the removed parent's services unless ordered; courts must identify unresolved safety factors. Court-ordered trial return… - Custody rights for mothers and fathers: benefit, medium. When paternity is not established, the biological mother has care, custody, and control unless a court orders otherwise. This applies to adult and minor mothers. A father with court-established paternity can seek custody in the county where the child lives. Custody requires proof that he is fit, ha… - Detention limits for children needing services: benefit, medium. Children in dependency-neglect or family-services cases generally cannot be held in secure, delinquency, or adult detention. Juvenile facilities can briefly hold them for identification, processing, release, or transfer. Another exception covers children away over 24 hours whose contacted adult liv… - Family notice and temporary holding limits: benefit, medium. For covered custody cases outside the separate delinquency rules, officers must use shelter care and notify the department and court intake officer. They must try every possible way to notify caregivers and give written location, petition-copy, court-contact, and hearing information. A special juve… - Foster youth can extend court support: benefit, medium. Youth in foster care before 18 can request continued court jurisdiction when their family was found to need services. They must meet, or have a viable plan to meet, the code's independent-living requirements. The court can continue jurisdiction until age 21, but never beyond it. Jurisdiction must e… - Juvenile restitution capped at $10,000 per victim: benefit, medium. Juvenile restitution orders cannot exceed $10,000 per victim or the specific damages proved, whichever is lower. The court must find it more likely than not that the juvenile directly caused those damages. Victims can still seek damages above $10,000 under other law. - Juveniles face limits on adult jails: benefit, medium. Juveniles generally cannot be confined in adult jails, except when transferred or charged for adult prosecution or during narrow short holds. An alleged delinquent can be held up to six hours for identification, processing, release, or transfer arrangements, separated from adults by sight and sound… - Juveniles released when filing deadlines pass: benefit, medium. An alleged delinquent juvenile must be released from custody, detention, or shelter care if no petition is filed on time. The deadline is 24 hours after the detention hearing or 96 hours after custody, whichever comes first. If the 96-hour deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the clo… - Lawyer access for parents and guardians: benefit, medium. Parents and custodians have a right to a lawyer in dependency-neglect cases; guardians with court-ordered custody count as custodians. Appointed counsel generally requires financial need and a request, including at hearings to end parental rights. Courts must appoint counsel when an emergency order… - Limits on sharing children's case information: benefit, medium. Family-services, dependency-neglect, and covered arrest or detention information stays confidential, including family-services records under public-records rules. Allowed service or safety sharing must be reasonably necessary, court-authorized in writing, and limited to listed recipients. For cover… - More protection for exploited children: benefit, medium. Sexual abuse includes recruiting, harboring, transporting, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting a child for a commercial sex act. Other covered sexual conduct depends on the people's ages and relationships, including caretaker or spouse status. Grooming includes knowingly sending sexual material,… - Older foster children get placement safeguards: benefit, medium. Another planned permanent living arrangement is available only for children age 16 or older. The department must document a compelling reason not to choose another permanent-home plan. The court must explain why the arrangement is best for the child. It must also explain why return home, adoption,… - Parents get stronger family visit protections: benefit, medium. At each hearing, unsupervised family time is presumed best unless the petitioner proves otherwise by a preponderance of evidence. A finding against unsupervised time requires supervised visits. DHS may allow unsupervised time when the court has not restricted it and finds safety and best interests… - Parents get ten days to withdraw consent: benefit, medium. Parents can withdraw consent to end parental rights by filing an affidavit within 10 calendar days after signing. If the deadline falls on a weekend or legal holiday, filing is allowed the next working day. No filing fee is allowed. The consent form must explain this right and give the designated c… - Potential parents get notice and hearings: benefit, medium. A potential parent must be named in a dependency-neglect case when possible paternity or significant contact is alleged. Listing on the Putative Father Registry also triggers inclusion. The court must add a person later found to be a parent. A potential parent not named and served must receive noti… - Privacy protections for children's court records: benefit, medium. News media cannot publish information identifying a child in a covered juvenile case without a written circuit-court order. Covered arrest, detention, delinquency, and investigation records are confidential and outside public-records disclosure. Exceptions include written juvenile-court orders, fel… - Privacy protections for children's court records: benefit, medium. Schools must receive court-ordered student safety plans and orders, including updates or removal, through the superintendent and principal. Verbal sharing is limited to staff needed to carry out the plan; confidentiality statements and federal education-record protections apply. Schools cannot rele… - Safe returns home and family visits: benefit, medium. Before transferring custody, courts must find that preventive family services were reasonably attempted and placement outside the home is necessary. If services were not attempted, courts can dismiss the case or order services, but can still transfer custody for safety or to keep the child under co… - Safer placements and clear caregiver duties: benefit, medium. Children in Department of Human Services custody must stay in approved or licensed settings, or with an exempt child welfare agency. The law classifies them as “awaiting foster care placement” under the federal McKinney-Vento law. Appointed custodians must provide care, protection, education, and t… - Some teens receive juvenile court outcomes: benefit, medium. Criminal courts can transfer qualifying cases involving teens ages 14 through 17 to juvenile court under extended juvenile jurisdiction. Transfer requires a charge listed in Arkansas Code § 5-13-310(c)(2) and a court finding that transfer is appropriate. For 14- and 15-year-olds found guilty in cri… - Stronger lawyer protections for children: benefit, medium. Children in family-in-need-of-services cases must hear about lawyer rights at custody, intake, and their first court appearance. Appointment depends on retained counsel, waiver rules, and, for possible institutional commitment, a judge finding commitment reasonably likely. At delinquency hearings,… - Teens get structured assessments before commitment: benefit, medium. The courts' administrative office must work with courts to use validated risk and needs assessments for delinquency dispositions and treatment plans. Interviews include the juvenile and a parent, guardian, or custodian; intake information is confidential, cannot be used against the juvenile, and ca… - Youth get stronger court process safeguards: benefit, medium. Courts must review all circumstances before accepting a juvenile's confession as voluntary, knowing, and intelligent. Factors include maturity, understanding, parent or custodian circumstances, notice of the alleged act, pressure, access to counsel, and recording. Continued detention requires clear… - Children's major medical decisions need approval: benefit, medium. During an open child abuse or neglect case, custodians need express court approval for certain major medical decisions. These include organ removal, amputation, or withholding life-saving or life-sustaining treatment. Organ removal or amputation can proceed without approval when needed to save the… - Emancipated youth keep help and support: benefit, medium. Eligible emancipated youth can request independent-living services and funding from the Department of Human Services. Federal program eligibility as a juvenile continues until adulthood. Child support orders continue unless the issuing court orders otherwise. Emancipation does not remove compulsory… - Foster youth get help leaving care: benefit, medium. DHS must help foster youth apply for ARKids First, Medicaid, or other health coverage. It must also help with housing referrals, employment or financial support, and education admission and aid when appropriate. DHS must help youth build and maintain supportive relationships, but application help d… - Foster youth get transition and money information: benefit, medium. Foster youth and their lawyers must fully help develop transition plans when youth are medically and developmentally able. DHS must refer youth needing adult guardianship assistance to the Office of Public Guardian for Adults. Referral is due six months before 18 or upon entering care, whichever is… - Education required during covered juvenile detention: benefit, medium. Juvenile detention facilities must provide education and other rehabilitation services for covered juveniles found delinquent. The requirement applies when a court orders an unspecified-length stay of no more than 90 days. - Foster youth get adulthood plans and records: benefit, medium. Human Services must help youth in or entering foster care make a transition plan at age 14 or within 90 days of their fourteenth birthday, whichever occurs first. The plan provides written information about adulthood services, including the Chafee foster youth program. It must explain extended fost… - Caregiving grandparents get a court voice: benefit, low. Qualifying grandparents receive notice and a chance to speak in a dependency-neglect case. They must have provided primary care and financial support while the child lived with them. For a child younger than 12 months, this requires six continuous months of residence before the child's first birthd… - Children can receive trained volunteer advocates: benefit, low. Courts can appoint trained volunteer advocates in child abuse or neglect cases to support the child's best interest. Advocates must meet program standards, receive approval, and pass applicable criminal-background and child-abuse-registry checks. They can investigate, inform the court, monitor orde… - Children get deadlines for permanent-home planning: benefit, low. Courts must hold a permanency planning hearing within 12 months after a child enters out-of-home placement. The law also requires a hearing after 15 of the previous 22 months in placement, excluding trial placements and runaway time. A hearing is due within 30 days after a hearing grants no reunifi… - Courts must review earlier family contacts: benefit, low. Before finding that DHS reasonably tried to prevent removal, courts must receive evidence of all earlier DHS contact with the family. This requirement does not apply to emergency removals when DHS had no earlier contact with the child or family. The finding is void if the court determines that prio… - Families get timely juvenile court decisions: benefit, low. After a dependency-neglect petition is proven, the court must hold a disposition hearing at adjudication or within 14 days afterward. The written disposition order is due within 30 days after the hearing or before the next hearing, whichever comes first. Courts can assign a party or lawyer to file… - Juveniles gain intake and trial protections: benefit, low. Intake officers must conduct a preliminary investigation after learning a juvenile is in custody on a delinquency allegation. Additional inquiries require consent from both the juvenile and a parent, guardian, or custodian. Intake conferences are voluntary, and participants must be told about the j… - Limits on treatment orders for families: benefit, low. Courts can order family members' evaluations, counseling, or treatment only after finding them necessary for the child's treatment or rehabilitation. This protection does not apply to parental responsibility training. - No covered detention charges for families: benefit, low. Children and their parents, guardians, or custodians cannot be charged for covered detention, shelter, or electronic monitoring. The ban applies when a juvenile officer authorizes those measures under the law's specified custody provision. - Parental rights hearings have firm timelines: benefit, low. Courts must complete parental-rights termination hearings within 90 days after the petition is filed, unless good cause supports a written continuance. Extraordinary circumstances can extend the hearing deadline to 180 days from filing. Examples include suspended in-person court proceedings and dec… - Parents get case record access decisions: benefit, low. Parents' or custodians' lawyers must receive relevant school, medical, court, and DHS records, including electronic and state reporting-system records. Access extends only to records the client can legally receive. When custody transfers to DHS, courts must decide parents' access to school records,… - Service referrals for sexually exploited children: benefit, low. The Department of Human Services must develop a statewide referral process to coordinate help for sexually exploited children under 18. It covers trafficking victims and children engaged in prostitution or sexual solicitation. The law requires coordination but does not guarantee a specific service… - Parents can face insurance disclosure orders: benefit, low. For privately insured youth in a youth services center or juvenile detention facility, courts can order parents or guardians to share coverage details. These details may include the insurance policy and pharmacy card, when available. The order is optional, and the law does not change insurance cove… - Adult jail holds limited for juveniles: benefit, low. Juveniles generally cannot be held in adult jails or lock-ups. Processing holds can last only as long as needed, up to six hours, with adults out of sight and hearing. Outside metropolitan statistical areas, an initial-appearance hold can last up to 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. That e… - Detained youth get firm hearing deadlines: benefit, low. Youth held on delinquency, aftercare, probation, or court-order allegations must receive a detention hearing as soon as possible. The deadline is 72 hours after custody, or the next business day if it ends on a weekend or holiday. A youth not released by law enforcement or intake staff must be rele… - Exploited children get coordinated service referrals: benefit, low. Human Services must create a statewide referral process to coordinate services for sexually exploited children. It covers children under 18 who are victims of trafficking of persons or child sex trafficking. It also covers children under 18 who engage in prostitution or sexual solicitation. - Government juvenile filings avoid processing fees: benefit, low. Circuit clerks and sheriff's offices cannot charge filing, copying, faxing, or other covered fees in qualifying juvenile cases. The exemption applies to government or nonprofit filers, including qualifying family-in-need-of-services cases. It does not create a general fee exemption for households f… - Local governments can share juvenile costs: benefit, low. Two or more counties, cities, or school districts can agree to share juvenile court staff or facility costs. They must enter a compact to do so. The law does not require an agreement or set a funding amount. - Secure detention limited for child welfare cases: benefit, low. Secure detention is generally barred for youth in dependency-neglect or family-in-need-of-services cases. Exceptions include a youth away from home over 24 hours whose contacted adult lives over 50 driving miles away or out of state. Another exception covers an adjudicated family-in-need-of-service… - Treatment plans and safeguards for committed youth: benefit, low. Courts cannot commit youth to the Division of Youth Services solely for criminal contempt. Courts may recommend treatment or community placement with supporting findings; the division must consider that recommendation. Courts must also say whether they request an aftercare plan. A written plan cove… - Capped court charges for juvenile families: cost, medium. Juvenile courts can charge up to $35 in court costs and up to $500 in fines in covered cases. Probation fees in delinquency cases and service fees for families found in need of services each have a $20 monthly cap. Courts can assign allowed charges to the juvenile or responsible adults; charges are… - Juvenile escapes and order violations carry consequences: cost, medium. Escaping the locked part of a juvenile facility is an act of delinquency. Parents, guardians, custodians, and juveniles who violate juvenile court orders can face contempt sanctions; no specific sanction amount is set. Directors must release identifying information after unauthorized departures fro… - Limits on state services for families: cost, medium. Court-ordered DHS family services are limited to available community-based providers or contractors, excluding Division of Children and Family Services contractors. Families must apply and qualify for department services. For services meant to prevent removal, courts must explain in writing how eac… - Parents can owe juvenile placement costs: cost, medium. Courts can order parents or guardians to pay commitment, detention, or electronic monitoring costs for a juvenile found delinquent. Liability is not automatic. Courts must consider ability to pay, prior efforts to correct conduct, and a noncustodial parent's opportunity to intervene. They must also… - Responsible adults must pay affordable child support: cost, medium. Juvenile courts must order support when a legally responsible person is able to contribute, based on findings at adjudication or disposition. The amount follows child-support guidelines and the family support chart. Payments go to the person, agency, or institution awarded custody. Legally responsi… - Some juvenile sex offenses require DNA collection: cost, medium. People adjudicated delinquent for rape, first- or second-degree sexual assault, or incest must provide a DNA sample. - Caregiver custody limits state financial help: cost, medium. After a court gives a caregiver custody of a child and siblings or step-siblings, DHS generally cannot provide board payments or other financial help. Caregivers can still apply for assistance programs and receive help if they qualify under those programs' guidelines. Courts cannot order equivalent… - Young adults face foster care discharge limits: cost, medium. DHS may seek discharge for adults over 18 who reentered extended foster care after more than 60 days of disengagement. This applies only when they also lack a workable plan to meet the program's requirements. DHS must ask the court to end jurisdiction when court oversight continues. Without court o… - Family service payments depend on finances: cost, low. When courts order family services, they must document whether the parent, guardian, or custodian can pay. If the adult can afford some or all of the cost, the court must set the amount in writing. Payments go directly to the provider, no more than once per month. The law sets no dollar amount; paym… - Some families pay juvenile lawyer costs: cost, low. Courts can require a juvenile, parent, guardian, or custodian to pay some or all reasonable costs of the juvenile's lawyer. The court must first review a verified financial affidavit and find that the person can pay. No fixed fee is set. Collections go into a juvenile representation fund for delinq… - Courts cannot direct children's benefit spending: cost, low. When DHS is the payee for a child's Social Security benefits, a court cannot order DHS to spend or forward them. The law does not set a benefit amount or payment change. - Courts cannot direct DHS Social Security spending: cost, low. Courts cannot order DHS to spend or forward a juvenile's Social Security benefits when DHS is the payee. This restriction does not state how DHS otherwise manages or spends the money. - School absences can bring family fines: cost, low. Courts can fine a juvenile or caregiver up to $500 for exceeding the applicable unexcused-absence limit. The limit comes from the school or workforce-development attendance policy. Courts must assess caregivers' ability to pay and consider the required factors. Attendance programs or community serv… - Certain youth gun offenses require confinement: cost, low. Youth found delinquent for specified handgun possession, prohibited-weapons, or defaced-firearm offenses must receive a confinement placement. Allowed placements are juvenile detention, a youth services center, or residential detention. Courts may count detention time already served toward the disp… - Courts face custody and provider limits: cost, low. Courts cannot give legal custody to one person or agency and physical custody to another. Courts placing foster children cannot name a particular placement provider. When DHS pays for or provides placements or family services, courts generally cannot choose a specific provider; a family-services ru… - Broader child abuse and neglect rules: mixed, high. The law covers children at substantial risk from abuse, neglect, abandonment, parental unfitness, or known exposure to methamphetamine production. Abuse includes specified injuries, substance exposure, and forced child labor; conduct must meet the legal definition. Neglect includes newborn drug exp… - Court noncompliance can change permanent custody: mixed, high. Courts can grant permanent custody to another person after proof that the removed parent or guardian did not follow court orders. This option applies when no further services or periodic reviews are required. It establishes a permanent placement for the child while changing the removed adult's cust… - Ending parental rights ends services too: mixed, high. Termination generally ends the parent's legal rights, powers, and duties, including attached rights of a putative parent. The child's inheritance right continues until a final adoption order, and the other legally established parent's rights remain intact. The order can authorize the Department of… - Families can seek restored parental rights: mixed, high. DHS or the child's lawyer can seek resumed services after rights termination when the child lacks likely permanency in DHS custody or a permanent placement has failed. The usual three-year wait can be waived for the child's best interest; active orders require reviews every 90 days. After at least… - Fifteen-month review can end parental rights: mixed, high. After 15 continuous months outside home, courts must review termination filings when the goal is reunification or another planned permanent arrangement. Trial placements and runaway time do not count. Courts must authorize filing unless exceptions apply, including relative care, a parent in foster… - Parent services continue with court exceptions: mixed, high. The Department of Human Services must include incarcerated parents in case planning and monitor prison services as federal law permits. Visits must be offered when appropriate and in the child's best interest. Courts can excuse reunification efforts for proven grounds, including aggravated circumst… - Parents face defined rights-ending court rules: mixed, high. Only the Department of Human Services or a court-appointed lawyer for the child can seek this termination remedy. Ending parental rights requires clear and convincing evidence of a legal ground and the child's best interest. The court considers likely adoption and potential harm from returning home… - Required detention and safeguards for children: mixed, high. Officers can take children into custody without a warrant only under court orders or the cited criminal-procedure or child-protection authority. Officers must make every effort to tell the custodial adult the child's location. Detention is required for unlawful handgun possession, school-property h… - Services and safeguards before child removal: mixed, high. Courts must order suitable services before removing children in dependency-neglect or family-services cases, unless health or safety requires immediate removal. Written orders must explain the evidence and welfare, safety, and best-interest findings. Within 60 days, courts must assess services and… - Teens face detention with education protections: mixed, high. Courts can order juvenile detention for an indeterminate period of up to 90 days. Courts can permit work release, school, or educational and job training during detention. Facilities must provide educational, recreational, and other rehabilitative opportunities. Courts can also order residential de… - Unconfirmed parents face contact-based rights termination: mixed, high. Courts may end a putative parent's rights for failing to establish or maintain meaningful contact with the child. This applies to a claimed parent only after service, required notice, and a finding that parental rights have attached. Failure is willful only when no one prevented visits or contact;… - Victim repayment duties with family safeguards: mixed, high. Courts can order children, parents, guardians, or custodians to repay victims, capped initially at $10,000 per victim; other law allows excess recovery. Amounts can be agreed or proved by the State at a hearing by a preponderance of evidence. Courts must consider resources, ability to pay, rehabili… - Adoption goals trigger parental-rights filing deadlines: mixed, medium. When a court sets adoption as the child's permanent-home goal, Human Services must petition to end parental rights. The petition must be filed within 30 days of that hearing. Filing the petition does not itself end parental rights. - Child placements require home checks and approval: mixed, medium. Custody transfers to relatives or other people require a written home study and a court finding supporting the child's best interest. DHS or a licensed certified social worker must conduct the study. In-state studies must reach the requesting court within 30 working days, excluding criminal-check r… - Children's probation capped but sometimes extended: mixed, medium. Most juvenile probation orders last no more than two years; extended juvenile jurisdiction offenders are excluded. Before expiration, courts can add one year when necessary for the child's welfare or the public interest. Probation ends when the order expires or the court finds its purpose achieved. - Family lawyer payments support appointed counsel: mixed, medium. Courts must review verified financial affidavits before ordering payment of reasonable appointed-lawyer fees and expenses. For a juvenile's representation, courts can require financially able juveniles or responsible adults to pay all or part. For appointed parent or custodian representation, court… - Family treatment options bring participation duties: mixed, medium. For children found dependent-neglected, courts can order family services, change custody, set case goals, or order drug court or available family treatment programs. Courts can require parents or guardians to attend available parenting training, meet a deadline, show completion, and pay its cost. C… - Home detention and written juvenile rules: mixed, medium. Courts can order home detention with electronic monitoring; this provision sets no duration or monitoring fee. Supervision can require school attendance or high school equivalency progress, a curfew, and no alcohol or illegal drugs. Rules must be written, given to the juvenile, and explained to the… - Juvenile commitments have limits and extensions: mixed, medium. Juvenile courts cannot commit a child to the Division of Youth Services solely for criminal contempt. Commitments have no fixed stay length, but cannot extend beyond the juvenile's 21st birthday. Commitment orders last up to two years and can receive one-year extensions needed for the juvenile's we… - Juvenile diversion offers alternatives with conditions: mixed, medium. Diversion offers an alternative to a formal delinquency or family-in-need-of-services case when the responsible official finds it best for the juvenile and community. Required parties must consent; the juvenile must admit involvement, understand the right to refuse, and enter a voluntary written ag… - Juvenile records face clearing and retention: mixed, medium. The law replaces the old code's record-retention, clearing, and adult-record transfer provisions with recodified rules. Violent-felony records stay for 10 years after the last qualifying delinquency finding or specified adult plea or guilt finding, then can be cleared. Extended-jurisdiction records… - Juvenile records stay limited but usable: mixed, medium. Police must photograph and fingerprint juveniles arrested for offenses classified as Class Y, A, or B felonies for adults. For other allegations, collection under this law is barred unless the juvenile is taken into custody for one of those offenses. Copies are limited to law enforcement, the Arkan… - Paternity rules guide parents seeking custody: mixed, medium. When paternity is not established, the biological mother is the natural guardian unless a court orders otherwise. The mother, putative father, child, or child-support office can bring an action to establish paternity or support. A father with court-established paternity can petition for custody in… - Paternity testing rights and evidence rules: mixed, medium. Either party can request testing in a paternity case; courts must order tests for the alleged father, mother, and child. No more than three court-appointed qualified professionals can conduct testing, and results are admissible. A probability of at least 95%, plus the mother's testimony about acces… - Safety checks shape children's custody placements: mixed, medium. In family-service cases, courts can transfer custody when it serves the child's best interest. Placement with Human Services also requires removal to protect health and safety because of a caregiver's acts or omissions. Transfers to relatives or other individuals require a written home study by Hum… - Safety limits for children's new caregivers: mixed, medium. Nonparent custody transfers require a written home study by DHS or an approved licensed social worker and a best-interest finding. Transfers to parents need no home study. Courts cannot give legal custody to one person or agency and physical custody to another. Caregivers awarded custody, guardians… - Teens can seek independence at 17: mixed, medium. A party in a qualifying juvenile case can seek emancipation for a teen age 17 or older. The teen must be willing to live separately, have suitable housing and legal income, and manage personal finances. The teen also needs health coverage or a realistic health plan and must agree to follow school-a… - Teens face driving limits with exceptions: mixed, medium. Courts can suspend a delinquent juvenile's driving privileges, but suspension is not automatic. Courts can authorize a restricted permit for work, school, or other reasons. A court ordering suspension must send the order to the Department of Finance and Administration within 24 hours after the deli… - Unpaid juvenile debts get affordability review: mixed, medium. Unpaid restitution, fines, or court costs can count as a juvenile's probation violation. The juvenile can show that nonpayment was not purposeful refusal or a failure to make good-faith efforts to find money. Before revoking probation, courts must consider employment, earning ability, resources, wi… - Victims can recover juvenile-caused financial losses: mixed, medium. Juvenile restitution covers actual financial losses directly caused by a delinquent act. Covered losses include medical and funeral bills, counseling, lost wages, and property repair or replacement. The law caps the first restitution judgment at $10,000 per victim; additional losses can be pursued… - Voluntary diversion with family fee limits: mixed, medium. Family-services diversion requires the child's admission and the prosecutor's best-interest decision after consulting intake. Written agreements must be voluntary, use validated assessments, and follow consent rules; children and caregivers must hear they can refuse. Services last at most six month… - Vulnerable children face strict detention limits: mixed, medium. Children in abuse, neglect, or family-in-need-of-services cases generally cannot be held in secure detention, delinquency facilities, or adult detention facilities. A processing exception allows only the minimum time needed for identification, release, or transfer arrangements. Children must be kep… - Youth commitments and releases face limits: mixed, medium. A low-risk youth found delinquent only for a misdemeanor cannot be committed to the Division of Youth Services. Risk must be determined by a validated assessment. Moderate- or high-risk misdemeanor-only youth can be committed only with specific court findings that commitment serves their best inter… - Youth court authority can reach 21: mixed, medium. Arkansas circuit courts have exclusive original jurisdiction over delinquency proceedings involving youth ages 10 through 18. After a delinquency finding, the court can retain jurisdiction until 21 if the act occurred before age 18. Court authority cannot continue past age 21. - Kinship caregivers get help with limits: mixed, medium. Children, including siblings and step-siblings, can stay with relatives or close family friends for up to six months while foster-home approval proceeds. Caregivers can receive otherwise available Transitional Employment Assistance, SNAP, child support, and federal benefits paid for the child. Prov… - Families gain hearing access with privacy duties: mixed, low. Relatives, family-like caregivers, and family-connected people can attend child abuse or neglect hearings, including closed hearings. Lawmakers and the Child Welfare Ombudsman can also attend, but courts can exclude attendees for the child's best interest or under court rules. Courts must confirm f… - Family placement plans require measurable progress: mixed, low. At permanency hearings, courts must choose a long-term goal in the law's order of preference. Plans for custody with a parent, guardian, or custodian require compliance with court orders and the case plan. Courts must also find significant, measurable progress and a genuine, lasting commitment to c… - Family service orders require agency notice: mixed, low. When Human Services is not a party, courts must give notice before ordering it to provide or pay for family services. Written notice must be faxed to the department secretary and local agency lawyer at least five working days before the order. The agency must have a chance to be heard at a hearing.… - Juvenile custody requires notice and justification: mixed, low. After a juvenile enters custody on a delinquency allegation, intake officers must tell the responsible adult where the juvenile is held. They must also explain detention reasons if not already provided. Options include release, release with written promises or conditions, shelter care when the adul… - Juvenile diversion offers dismissal with conditions: mixed, low. A petition based on a diverted complaint can be filed only while the diversion agreement is in effect. Following all proper and reasonable terms provides grounds to dismiss a petition filed during that period. Diversion can end if the juvenile or responsible adult stops participating, or the juveni… - Juvenile records face collection and cleanup rules: mixed, low. Police must keep juvenile photos and fingerprints separate from adult files. Delinquency findings for offenses chargeable in adult court require submitted photos and fingerprints, plus court reporting to the Arkansas Crime Information Center. Courts must order arrest-record notations when a juvenil… - Juvenile transfers get safeguards and added charges: mixed, low. After a transfer motion, courts must hold a hearing within 30 days if the juvenile is detained, or 90 days otherwise. Judges must consider the listed factors, make written findings on each, and require clear and convincing evidence for transfer. Any party can appeal, and existing bail or appearance… - Limits on prayer-only medical neglect orders: mixed, low. In medical-neglect cases involving religious treatment through prayer alone, court orders are limited to preventing or remedying serious harm. Orders can also prevent withholding medically needed treatment for a child with a life-threatening condition. This limit does not govern medical-neglect cas… - Parents and children face court-ordered testing: mixed, low. At a party's request, a juvenile court can order a mother, father, or child to undergo drug or alcohol testing. Testing can inform decisions about child safety. A party's refusal must be disclosed at trial and can be treated as civil contempt. - Placement limits when children's cases overlap: mixed, low. Converting a delinquency case to a family-in-need-of-services case cannot transfer the child's custody to DHS. For children already in DHS custody with both cases, placement decisions belong only in the family-services or dependency-neglect case. That rule excludes children committed to youth servi… - Possible parents must establish court status: mixed, low. DHS must diligently identify possible parents in child abuse or neglect cases, including checking the Putative Father Registry. A named and served possible parent gets a chance to prove paternity or significant contact with the child. That person bears the burden of proof. Courts can determine pare… - Prebirth orders can require mothers' repayment: mixed, low. Courts can hear evidence and issue temporary orders in paternity cases before the child is born. Those orders can provide temporary support or relief while the case continues. If the final order conflicts, the court must enter a repayment judgment against a biological mother who filed the case. The… - Youth probation can require school progress: mixed, low. Courts can make school attendance or progress toward an approved high school equivalency diploma a condition of juvenile probation. The equivalency diploma must be approved by the Adult Education Section. Courts can revoke probation for failing to attend regularly or make satisfactory progress, but… - Abandonment rules cover infants and parental contact: mixed, low. An abandoned infant is under nine months old and left alone or with someone without identifying information. The definition also covers a caregiver's words, actions, or inaction showing intent not to return. Parental abandonment includes specified support or contact failures intended to continue in… - Child welfare rules define care and danger: mixed, low. A dependent child includes one with an incarcerated, incapacitated, or deceased parent or guardian and no suitable relative or friend available. It also includes infants surrendered to DHS solely for adoption; incarceration tied to the child's welfare may instead support dependency-neglect. Caretak… - Juvenile cases have specific filing rules: mixed, low. Only prosecutors can file juvenile delinquency petitions or petitions to revoke probation. A biological mother, possible father, juvenile, or the Office of Child Support Enforcement can file a petition to establish paternity. - Juvenile home-study rules are recodified: mixed, low. The law repeals the old code's home-study and household background-check provisions as part of recodification. The bill summary describes a 30-working-day deadline for presenting requested in-state home studies under the new code. It also describes department authority to obtain criminal background… - Juvenile privacy and school notices reorganized: mixed, low. The law repeals old juvenile-record confidentiality and school-notice provisions as part of replacing the juvenile code. The new code generally keeps juvenile records confidential, with defined disclosure exceptions. The repealed provisions covered access to arrest, detention, court, and investigat… - Schools get safety information with privacy limits: mixed, low. Courts must send new, changed, or removed student safety plans and orders to the relevant superintendent and principal. Schools must keep them confidential, verbally inform only staff needed to carry out the plan, and destroy them when juvenile jurisdiction ends. Schools cannot release those record… - Schools receive safety information with privacy limits: mixed, low. Courts must send contact-limiting or supervised-contact school safety plans, related orders, changes, and removal notices to relevant superintendents and principals. Schools must keep the information confidential, limit verbal notice to staff needed to carry out the plan, and keep it in permanent s… - Youth court rules balance protections and penalties: mixed, low. Delinquency generally covers youth age 10 or older for adult-equivalent crimes, excluding traffic and game-and-fish offenses; specified handgun and school-employee cyberbullying violations also qualify. Murder charges also fall within the definition under extended juvenile jurisdiction. Cases gener… - Youth sex registration includes review protections: mixed, low. Screening and risk assessment are mandatory after findings of rape, first- or second-degree sexual assault, incest, or using children in sexually explicit visual or print material. Courts may also order assessment for other offenses with a sexual motive. Registration requires a committee recommenda… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Carol Dalby (Republican), House - Sponsor: Missy Irvin (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Alyssa Brown (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Breanne Davis (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Sonia Eubanks Barker (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mary Bentley (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Frances Cavenaugh (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Cindy Crawford (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Hope Duke (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Dolly Henley (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jane English (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Julie Mayberry (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Karilyn Brown (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Kendra Moore (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Robin Lundstrum (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mindy McAlindon (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rebecca Burkes (Republican), House - Cosponsor: DeAnn Vaught (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-03 | Senate | Senate Vote - Thursday, April 3, 2025 1:52:10 PM | pass | 33 | 0 | | | 2025-03-31 | House | House Vote - Monday, March 31, 2025 4:09:12 PM | pass | 96 | 0 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | Senate Vote - Thursday, March 6, 2025 3:36:31 PM | pass | 32 | 0 | 1 | ## Actions (24) - 2025-04-10: Notification that SB320 is now Act 518 (Senate) - 2025-04-04: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: House Amendment No. 1 read first time, rule suspended, read second time and concurred in. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass concur in House Amendment No. 1 (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Re-referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Returned from the House as passed as amended # 1 . (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Returned to Senate as passed, as amended # 1 (House) - 2025-03-31: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-03-20: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-03-19: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-03-19: Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-03-19: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House) - 2025-03-06: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-03-06: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-03-06: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB320 - Introduced, 2025-02-26: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB320.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=518.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) - HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS. (failed) - 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) - 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 - [SB320 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB320.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=518.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) - [HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1686-2025) - [HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1237-2025) - [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-SB320-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).