# Arkansas SB431: TO AMEND THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2013; TO ELIMINATE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES; TO CREATE SAFE HARBORS FOR VICTIMS; AND TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PRODUCTS THAT RESEMBLE A CHILD. Arkansas SB431, TO AMEND THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2013; TO ELIMINATE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES; TO CREATE SAFE HARBORS FOR VICTIMS; AND TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PRODUCTS THAT RESEMBLE A CHILD., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Joshua Bryant (Republican), R. Scott Richardson (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-23 (Notification that SB431 is now Act 987) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB431-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB431 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2013; TO ELIMINATE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES; TO CREATE SAFE HARBORS FOR VICTIMS; AND TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PRODUCTS THAT RESEMBLE A CHILD. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-11 - Last action: 2025-04-23, Notification that SB431 is now Act 987 - Sponsors: Joshua Bryant (Republican), R. Scott Richardson (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (160 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - New criminal defense for trafficking victims: benefit, medium. Trafficking victims can raise an affirmative defense to specified criminal charges in Arkansas. They must show that they committed the charged conduct as a result of being trafficked. Covered charges include forgery, defrauding a prospective adoptive parent, prostitution offenses, and obscene perfo… - No deadline for trafficking crime prosecutions: benefit, medium. Arkansas removes prosecution deadlines for human trafficking, patronizing a trafficking victim, and grooming a minor for future sex trafficking. The law also removes deadlines for traveling to commit an unlawful sex act with a minor. Sexual extortion has no prosecution deadline when the victim was… - Child sex dolls bring felony penalties: cost, medium. Arkansas bans knowingly possessing, bringing into the state, distributing, or making a child sex doll. This means an anatomically correct or precise doll, mannequin, or robot resembling a minor and intended for sexual acts. The definition covers whole bodies and body parts, including a pelvis. Poss… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joshua Bryant (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: R. Scott Richardson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Bart Hester (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-15 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 1:28:47 PM | pass | 35 | 0 | | | 2025-04-14 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 6:43:07 PM | pass | 92 | 0 | | | 2025-04-02 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 2, 2025 2:34:50 PM | pass | 33 | 0 | | ## Actions (27) - 2025-04-23: Notification that SB431 is now Act 987 (Senate) - 2025-04-16: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: House Amendment No. 1 read first time, rule suspended, read second time and concurred in. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Returned from the House as passed as amended # 1 . (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Returned to the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-04-14: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-10: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-04-09: Re-referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-09: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-04-09: Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-04-09: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (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) - 2025-04-01: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Amendment # 1 & 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 # 1 & 2 (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 - SB431 - Introduced, 2025-03-11: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB431.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=987.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 - [SB431 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB431.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=987.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-SB431-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).