# Arkansas SB491: TO REQUIRE A VENDOR THAT CONTRACTS WITH THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIVISION TO SUBMIT DATA FOR VERIFICATION BY AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT; TO IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALTY ON A VENDOR THAT PROVIDES INACCURATE DATA; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. Arkansas SB491, TO REQUIRE A VENDOR THAT CONTRACTS WITH THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIVISION TO SUBMIT DATA FOR VERIFICATION BY AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT; TO IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALTY ON A VENDOR THAT PROVIDES INACCURATE DATA; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Brandon Achor (Republican), Kim Hammer (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-22 (Notification that SB491 is now Act 956) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB491-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB491 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO REQUIRE A VENDOR THAT CONTRACTS WITH THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIVISION TO SUBMIT DATA FOR VERIFICATION BY AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT; TO IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALTY ON A VENDOR THAT PROVIDES INACCURATE DATA; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-17 - Last action: 2025-04-22, Notification that SB491 is now Act 956 - Sponsors: Brandon Achor (Republican), Kim Hammer (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (177 yes, 7 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - New contracts and audits for benefits vendors: mixed, low. Arkansas’s State Board of Finance can direct the Employee Benefits Division to hire qualified plan vendors without competitive bidding. Contracts must last at least one year and can renew automatically unless either party gives notice to end them. Qualified vendors must agree to independent checks… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Brandon Achor (Republican), House - Sponsor: Kim Hammer (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-16 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 12:18:36 PM | pass | 19 | 7 | 6 | | 2025-04-16 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 10:34:11 AM | pass | 96 | 0 | | | 2025-04-16 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 12:19:42 PM | pass | 29 | 0 | 1 | | 2025-03-31 | Senate | Senate Vote - Monday, March 31, 2025 3:47:08 PM | pass | 33 | 0 | 1 | ## Actions (28) - 2025-04-22: Notification that SB491 is now Act 956 (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: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Motion to Expunge the Vote by which Emergency Clause failed of adoption. Motion carried. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Emergency Clause failed of adoption. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: House Amendment No. 1 read first time, rule suspended, read second time and concurred in. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned from the House as passed as amended # 1 . (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned to Senate as passed, as amended # 1 (House) - 2025-04-16: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (House) - 2025-04-16: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-15: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-04-15: Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-04-15: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House) - 2025-04-14: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1 (House) - 2025-03-31: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE (House) - 2025-03-31: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-03-31: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-03-31: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB491 - Introduced, 2025-03-17: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB491.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=956.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 - [SB491 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB491.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=956.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-SB491-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).