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ArkansasSB4862025 Regular SessionSenate

CONCERNING SAFETY AND PRIVACY IN CERTAIN ENTITIES; AND CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF MULTI-OCCUPANCY RESTROOMS, CHANGING ROOMS, AND SLEEPING QUARTERS IN CERTAIN ENTITIES BASED ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S SEX.

Sponsored By: Blake Johnson (Republican), Mary Bentley (Republican)

Enacted

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Detention facilities must separate rooms by sex

Arkansas state correctional and juvenile detention facilities must designate shared bathrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping rooms for females or males. Use is limited to the designated sex, with listed exceptions. Facilities must take reasonable steps to provide privacy and cannot require opposite-sex sharing of sleeping rooms. Temporary municipal holding facilities are excluded. Exceptions cover cleaning, maintenance, medical help, law-enforcement duties, emergencies, disaster aid, and serious safety or order threats. Near athletic events, coaches or athletics staff may enter only after verifying nobody is undressed and another adult is present. Facilities may accommodate people with disabilities, young children needing help, and elderly people needing aid. They may offer single-person or family rooms and redesignate shared rooms for the opposite sex. Transgender or intersex inmates may receive individual housing, program, or assignment decisions to protect health and safety. Disability accommodations and inmate safety decisions reference federal standards as they existed on January 1, 2025.

Shelters must separate shared rooms by sex

Arkansas shelters must designate shared bathrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping rooms for females or males, using state-law sex definitions. Use is limited to the designated sex, with listed exceptions. Shelters must take reasonable steps to provide privacy and cannot require opposite-sex sharing of sleeping rooms. Exceptions cover cleaning, maintenance, medical help, law-enforcement duties, emergency shelter, disaster aid, and serious safety or order threats. Shelters may accommodate people with disabilities, young children needing help, and elderly people needing aid. The disability rules reference federal law as it existed on January 1, 2025. Shelters may offer single-person or family rooms, or redesignate shared rooms for the opposite sex.

Shelter users gain room-access lawsuit rights

Shelter users can sue after encountering someone of the opposite sex in a bathroom or changing room designated for their sex. The shelter must have allowed that use or failed to take reasonable steps to prohibit it. Users can also sue when required to share a sleeping room designated for their sex with someone of the opposite sex. Claims must start within two years after they arise. Relief includes damages, a court ruling on rights, and court orders stopping violations. A substantially prevailing party may recover reasonable legal fees and litigation expenses. When government immunity blocks damages in court, damage claims go to the Arkansas State Claims Commission within the same two-year deadline. Claims for legal fees and expenses through the commission must be filed within 60 days of the case's final resolution.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Blake Johnson

    Republican • Senate

  • Mary Bentley

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 88 • No: 27

House vote • 4/16/2025

House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 1:10:24 PM

Yes: 60 • No: 22

Senate vote • 4/2/2025

Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 2, 2025 3:09:39 PM

Yes: 28 • No: 5

Actions Timeline

  1. Notification that SB486 is now Act 955

    4/22/2025Senate

  2. DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR.

    4/16/2025Senate

  3. Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.

    4/16/2025Senate

  4. ORDERED ENROLLED

    4/16/2025Senate

  5. Returned from the House as passed.

    4/16/2025Senate

  6. Returned to the Senate as passed.

    4/16/2025House

  7. Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.

    4/16/2025House

  8. Returned by the Committee Do Pass

    4/15/2025House

  9. Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE

    4/2/2025House

  10. RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE

    4/2/2025House

  11. Ordered immediately transmitted to the House.

    4/2/2025Senate

  12. Read the third time and passed.

    4/2/2025Senate

  13. Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass

    4/1/2025Senate

  14. Re-referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE

    3/31/2025Senate

  15. REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED

    3/31/2025Senate

  16. Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.

    3/31/2025Senate

  17. Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment.

    3/31/2025Senate

  18. Rules suspended.

    3/31/2025Senate

  19. Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass

    3/20/2025Senate

  20. Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE

    3/17/2025Senate

  21. Filed

    3/17/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • SB486 - Introduced

    3/17/2025

    PDF

  • Act Version

    PDF

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