# Arkansas SB426: TO CREATE THE DEFENSE AGAINST CRIMINAL ILLEGALS ACT; AND TO ESTABLISH ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO COMMIT SERIOUS FELONIES INVOLVING VIOLENCE. Arkansas SB426, TO CREATE THE DEFENSE AGAINST CRIMINAL ILLEGALS ACT; AND TO ESTABLISH ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO COMMIT SERIOUS FELONIES INVOLVING VIOLENCE., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Frances Cavenaugh (Republican), Bart Hester (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-18 (Notification that SB426 is now Act 654) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB426-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB426 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO CREATE THE DEFENSE AGAINST CRIMINAL ILLEGALS ACT; AND TO ESTABLISH ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO COMMIT SERIOUS FELONIES INVOLVING VIOLENCE. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-11 - Last action: 2025-04-18, Notification that SB426 is now Act 654 - Sponsors: Frances Cavenaugh (Republican), Bart Hester (Republican) - Cosponsors: 39 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (101 yes, 25 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Local Sanctuary Policies Risk State Funding: cost, medium. The law expands Arkansas's sanctuary-policy ban to counties, cities, towns, unincorporated areas, and other local governments. It covers formal or informal rules limiting immigration-status questions, information sharing, or cooperation with federal immigration officials. It also bars policies gran… - Longer Sentences for Undocumented Violent Offenders: cost, medium. The law requires added prison time for listed violent felonies committed in Arkansas by people unlawfully in the United States. The person's immigration status at the time of the crime controls, and prosecutors must give written notice seeking the enhancement. Covered crimes include specified murde… - Prisons and Jails Face Immigration Duties: cost, low. Arkansas's Division of Correction and sheriffs running county jails must apply to the federal Warrant Service Officer Program. This program allows trained officers to carry out certain federal immigration warrants. Accepted agencies must sign and renew agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs E… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Frances Cavenaugh (Republican), House - Sponsor: Bart Hester (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Alyssa Brown (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Blake Johnson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Sonia Eubanks Barker (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rick Beck (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mary Bentley (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Harlan Breaux (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Cameron Cooper (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Paul Childress (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Bruce Cozart (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Cindy Crawford (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Dan Sullivan (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Scott Flippo (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Tony Furman (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Gary Stubblefield (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jimmy Gazaway (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Justin Gonzales (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mike Holcomb (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Justin Boyd (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jonathan Dismang (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jeremiah Moore (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Lane Jean (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Joey L. Carr (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Karilyn Brown (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matt Brown (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matthew J. Shepherd (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ron McNair (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jon Milligan (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jason Nazarenko (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Stetson Painter (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Chad Puryear (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rebecca Burkes (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Marcus E. Richmond (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Stan Berry (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matt Stone (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Randy Torres (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Dwight Tosh (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Kendon Underwood (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Steve Unger (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Steven Walker (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-09 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 8:25:24 PM | pass | 73 | 20 | 2 | | 2025-04-02 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 2, 2025 2:19:38 PM | pass | 28 | 5 | | ## Actions (28) - 2025-04-18: Notification that SB426 is now Act 654 (Senate) - 2025-04-10: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Returned to the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-04-09: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-08: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-04-02: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-02: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-02: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Amendment # 3 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-01: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Amendment # 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 2 (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Re-referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-20: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Withdrawn from Committee and placed on 2nd reading for purpose of amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-03-11: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-11: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB426 - Introduced, 2025-03-11: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB426.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=654.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 - [SB426 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB426.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=654.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-SB426-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).