# Arkansas SB448: TO AUTHORIZE THE FINANCING OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS, BUILDING RESILIENCY IMPROVEMENTS, AND WATER CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENTS. Arkansas SB448, TO AUTHORIZE THE FINANCING OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS, BUILDING RESILIENCY IMPROVEMENTS, AND WATER CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENTS., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Jim Petty (Republican), Robin Lundstrum (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-14 (Notification that SB448 is now Act 579); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB448-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB448 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AUTHORIZE THE FINANCING OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS, BUILDING RESILIENCY IMPROVEMENTS, AND WATER CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENTS. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-12 - Last action: 2025-04-14, Notification that SB448 is now Act 579 - Sponsors: Jim Petty (Republican), Robin Lundstrum (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (120 yes, 2 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Investors get state-tax-free building financing bonds: benefit, medium. Arkansas exempts bonds issued under the PACE law from state taxation. The exemption covers bond income and profits from selling or transferring the bonds. It does not establish a federal tax exemption. - Legal claims against financing officials limited: cost, medium. PACE districts, government entities, and their personnel generally have immunity from tort lawsuits over duties under this law. Tort claims seek remedies for harm caused by wrongful conduct. Immunity does not apply when expressly waived in writing or when the district or government entity acts with… - Property financing carries an optional fee: cost, medium. A government entity or PACE administrator can charge a one-time administration fee for an approved application. The fee cannot exceed the smaller of 1% of the principal financed or $50,000. Charging the fee is optional, not required. - Property districts face year-end filing deadline: cost, low. PACE district boards must file next year’s assessment list with the county clerk by December 31. The list must identify assessed parcels and include the district assessor’s contact information. It must exclude assessments on parcels otherwise absent from next year’s tax books. Boards must send copi… - Building financing liens follow the property: mixed, medium. The law replaces former PACE loan-lien and combined-billing rules with special-assessment rules securing the full financing amount. The recorded lien outranks mortgages and other liens, except general property-tax liens and district liens equal to property taxes. Remaining payments stay with the pr… - Property financing requires lender approval: mixed, medium. PACE applicants must certify ownership, program compliance, and no overdue taxes or assessments. Before signing, every mortgage holder must give acknowledged written consent confirming the assessment is not a mortgage default; consent is discretionary. Average debt-service coverage over the financi… - Building financing excludes public tax backing: mixed, low. PACE districts can issue bonds, obtain other lawful financing, and create reserve funds using legally available nonstate money. Districts or nonprofits working with them can maintain revolving funds using permitted bond proceeds, contributions, and financing proceeds. Banks must hold revolving fund… - Property owners gain building improvement financing: mixed, low. Arkansas lets local governments create voluntary PACE programs by ordinance to finance or refinance building improvements. Eligible private properties include commercial, industrial, agricultural, nonprofit, mixed-use, and multifamily buildings with at least five homes. The law also includes proper… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jim Petty (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Robin Lundstrum (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Greg Leding (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-07 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 8:50:49 PM | pass | 95 | 1 | | | 2025-04-01 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 1, 2025 3:41:07 PM | pass | 25 | 1 | 2 | ## Actions (18) - 2025-04-14: Notification that SB448 is now Act 579 (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) - 2025-04-01: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on INSURANCE & COMMERCE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-01: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-01: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-31: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to CITY, COUNTY & LOCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB448 - Introduced, 2025-03-12: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB448.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=579.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 - [SB448 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB448.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=579.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-SB448-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).