# Arkansas SB444: TO AMEND THE MEDICAL ETHICS AND DIVERSITY ACT. Arkansas SB444, TO AMEND THE MEDICAL ETHICS AND DIVERSITY ACT., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Kim Hammer (Republican), Lee Johnson (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-22 (Notification that SB444 is now Act 970) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB444-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB444 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE MEDICAL ETHICS AND DIVERSITY ACT. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-12 - Last action: 2025-04-22, Notification that SB444 is now Act 970 - Sponsors: Kim Hammer (Republican), Lee Johnson (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (110 yes, 18 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Medical practitioners gain protected speech safeguards: benefit, low. State licensing bodies and the Arkansas Department of Health cannot discipline or discriminate against medical practitioners for First Amendment-protected speech, expression, or association. This includes revoking or threatening to revoke a license, certification, or registration. An exception requ… - Medical workers gain rights to refuse: benefit, low. Medical employees and contractors can refuse to help in any way with abortion, assisted suicide, or gender-transition procedures or services. This right is subject to the law's emergency-care rule. It does not cover abortions performed in accordance with the Arkansas Human Life Protection Act and A… - Healthcare workers gain whistleblower protections: benefit, low. Medical research now counts as a healthcare service under the act throughout a patient's treatment. Healthcare providers are protected from discrimination for reporting reasonably suspected violations of this act to covered employers or government agencies. They are also protected for taking part i… - Practitioner complaints get deadlines and review: mixed, medium. A board, entity, or the Arkansas Department of Health must give practitioners complaints that could revoke their license, certification, or registration. The deadline is 21 days after the body receives the complaint. Practitioners are entitled to a $500 administrative penalty for each day the compl… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Kim Hammer (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Lee Johnson (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-16 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 11:18:17 AM | pass | 82 | 13 | 2 | | 2025-04-03 | Senate | Senate Vote - Thursday, April 3, 2025 3:14:04 PM | pass | 28 | 5 | | ## Actions (19) - 2025-04-22: Notification that SB444 is now Act 970 (Senate) - 2025-04-16: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned to the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-04-16: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-15: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-04-03: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-03: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-03: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Re-referred to PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR 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) - 2025-03-12: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB444 - Introduced, 2025-03-12: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB444.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=970.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 - [SB444 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB444.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=970.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-SB444-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).