# Arkansas SB361: TO CREATE THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES EXPANSION ACT; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE CREATION OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES TO SECURE AND DEVELOP INDUSTRY AND FOSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Arkansas SB361, TO CREATE THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES EXPANSION ACT; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE CREATION OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES TO SECURE AND DEVELOP INDUSTRY AND FOSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), Tyler Dees (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-14 (Notification that SB361 is now Act 576) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB361-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB361 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO CREATE THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES EXPANSION ACT; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE CREATION OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES TO SECURE AND DEVELOP INDUSTRY AND FOSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-03 - Last action: 2025-04-14, Notification that SB361 is now Act 576 - Sponsors: Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), Tyler Dees (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (105 yes, 3 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 10 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Investors get tax-exempt authority bonds: benefit, medium. Bonds issued under this law are exempt from state, county, and city taxes, including income, inheritance, and estate taxes. This exemption is not a federal tax exemption. The bonds can also secure public deposits and serve as legal investments for banks, insurance companies, and retirement funds. - Development authorities can run railroads: benefit, low. Authorities can acquire, build, equip, maintain, and operate railroads and related equipment. They can carry freight and passengers as common carriers and make wage and working-condition agreements with railroad workers. Connecting to or crossing another railroad requires just compensation. State p… - Local governments can create development authorities: benefit, low. Arkansas counties and cities can create public-benefit authorities to support industry and economic development. Cities must approve an ordinance, counties must approve an order, and a circuit court must establish each authority. Boards must have an odd number of members, population-based represent… - Authority bonds do not bind governments: benefit, low. Authority bonds and obligations are not debts of Arkansas, cities, counties, or other local governments. They do not pledge state or local government revenues for repayment. Board members are not personally liable for bonds or related contract and construction damages unless they act with corrupt i… - Qualifying industrial facilities escape property taxes: benefit, low. Industrial facilities are exempt from property taxes when an authority owns them and finances them with bonds under this law. A lessee's or purchaser's interest in those facilities is also exempt. The law treats that interest as intangible personal property for property-tax purposes. Separate subst… - Development authorities can build and charge: mixed, low. Authorities can build, own, improve, operate, lease, sell, or mortgage property for industry and business. Projects include business parks, research and technology facilities, job training, air cargo, military depots, rail facilities, and related infrastructure. They can accept funds, work with pub… - Governments can fund authority development projects: mixed, low. Local governments can provide available revenues to authorities through donations, loans, or other means. They can also provide bond proceeds authorized by Arkansas Constitution Amendment 62 or its predecessors. Those proceeds must follow constitutional rules, and the contributing government must h… - Authorities gain borrowing and refinancing powers: mixed, low. Authorities can borrow and issue bonds lasting up to 35 years without separate approval from governments represented on their boards. Bond proceeds can cover facilities, issuance costs, reserves, and debt payments until project revenues become available. Bonds can be backed by project revenues, oth… - Authorities gain property-taking powers with limits: mixed, low. Authorities can obtain property and rights-of-way through gifts, purchases, negotiations, or eminent domain—the legal power to take property. Property must be needed or desirable for the authority's lawful purposes, and takings must follow required legal procedures. Authorities can also exchange ac… - Industrial deals require substitute tax payments: mixed, low. Covered industrial leases and sale contracts with private for-profit businesses must provide payments in place of property taxes. This covers property provided by development authorities, cities, counties, or the Arkansas Development Finance Authority. Total payments during the initial term must re… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), House - Sponsor: Tyler Dees (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-07 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 8:22:40 PM | pass | 75 | 3 | 15 | | 2025-03-12 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, March 12, 2025 3:31:58 PM | pass | 30 | 0 | 3 | ## Actions (15) - 2025-04-14: Notification that SB361 is now Act 576 (Senate) - 2025-04-09: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Returned to the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-04-07: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-02: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-03-12: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT- HOUSE (House) - 2025-03-12: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-03-12: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-11: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB361 - Introduced, 2025-03-03: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB361.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=576.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 - [SB361 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB361.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=576.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-SB361-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).