# Arkansas SB485: TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE SUSPENDED IMPOSITION OF A SENTENCE, PROBATION, PAROLE, AND POST-RELEASE SUPERVISION. Arkansas SB485, TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE SUSPENDED IMPOSITION OF A SENTENCE, PROBATION, PAROLE, AND POST-RELEASE SUPERVISION., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Clarke Tucker (Democratic), Jimmy Gazaway (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-18 (Notification that SB485 is now Act 670); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB485-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB485 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE SUSPENDED IMPOSITION OF A SENTENCE, PROBATION, PAROLE, AND POST-RELEASE SUPERVISION. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-17 - Last action: 2025-04-18, Notification that SB485 is now Act 670 - Sponsors: Clarke Tucker (Democratic), Jimmy Gazaway (Republican) - Cosponsors: 2 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (132 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 10 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Less jail time for unpaid fines: benefit, medium. Jail time for unpaid fines is limited to one day per $100 owed, replacing one day per $40. The shorter limit applies: that calculation or 30 days for misdemeanors and one year for felonies. People eligible for a public defender automatically get $100 off their fines for each day jailed for nonpayme… - Release plans prioritize continued work and treatment: benefit, medium. Reentry plans must prioritize continuing positive activities that inmates took part in while incarcerated. These include employment and mental health or substance-use treatment. The rule sets a planning priority, not a guarantee of a job or treatment services. - Supervision rules must fit each person: benefit, medium. Probation, suspended-sentence, parole, and post-release conditions must be narrowly tailored to each person's rehabilitation, public safety, and crime-related risks. Courts must consider a presentence report when available; otherwise, they must use all available information. Courts must explain in… - Earned discharge objections need written reasons: benefit, low. Prosecutors and the Post-Prison Transfer Board must submit earned-discharge objections in writing and explain their reasons. Objections must be submitted within 30 days after receipt of the notice. This applies to eligible people on probation or parole and does not change discharge eligibility. - Clearer decisions on community correction transfers: benefit, low. Arkansas sentencing and correctional agencies must create an intake policy that maximizes use of community correction, work-release, and reentry beds. When a court denies an otherwise eligible inmate an administrative transfer, its sentencing order must explain why in writing. These rules do not gu… - Corrections and courts strengthen rehabilitation practices: benefit, low. The Department of Corrections must create a unit for research, evaluation, audits, statistics, and planning, including studies of treatment. Officer evaluations and promotions must assess risk-assessment skills, evidence-based case planning, and engagement in rehabilitation. The courts office must… - Stricter limits on community correction placement: cost, high. Community correction placement is limited to the group targeted by the General Assembly. People must be legally eligible for the felony sentence or otherwise under Division of Community Correction supervision. Custody disciplinary violations for violent acts or sexual misconduct disqualify a person… - Courts must consider recommended probation lengths: mixed, medium. The Arkansas Sentencing Commission must set recommended lengths for probation and suspended sentences. Courts must consider those recommendations when setting a definite term. The term cannot exceed the maximum jail or prison sentence allowed for the offense. The law sets no recommended lengths, so… - Supervised people face rewards and sanctions: mixed, low. The Division of Community Correction must create point-based reward and sanction guides for probation, parole, and post-release supervision. The guides cover positive behavior, violations, sanction thresholds, and how officers balance rewards against sanctions. Rewards must be meaningful at each ri… - Supervision providers face annual funding checks: mixed, low. The Department of Corrections must review covered probation, parole, and post-release service providers every year. Reviews check compliance with required evidence-based programs and service standards. The Board of Corrections must publish results and identify noncompliant providers in its annual r… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Clarke Tucker (Democratic), Senate - Sponsor: Jimmy Gazaway (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Carol Dalby (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ben Gilmore (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-09 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 8:31:59 PM | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2025-04-07 | Senate | Senate Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 2:16:26 PM | pass | 34 | 0 | 1 | ## Actions (18) - 2025-04-18: Notification that SB485 is now Act 670 (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) - 2025-04-07: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-07: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-07: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB485 - Introduced, 2025-03-17: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB485.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=670.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 - [SB485 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB485.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=670.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-SB485-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).