# Arkansas SB516: TO ALLOW A PERSON FILING AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OR JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS WHO IS AN APPOINTEE IN THAT POSITION TO USE THE TITLE OF THAT POSITION AS A PREFIX WHEN FILING AS A CANDIDATE.

Arkansas SB516, TO ALLOW A PERSON FILING AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OR JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS WHO IS AN APPOINTEE IN THAT POSITION TO USE THE TITLE OF THAT POSITION AS A PREFIX WHEN FILING AS A CANDIDATE., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Ben Gilmore (Republican), David Ray (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-18 (Notification that SB516 is now Act 761) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB516-2025
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Arkansas SB516
- State: Arkansas
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: TO ALLOW A PERSON FILING AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OR JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS WHO IS AN APPOINTEE IN THAT POSITION TO USE THE TITLE OF THAT POSITION AS A PREFIX WHEN FILING AS A CANDIDATE.
- Status: enacted
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-03-19
- Last action: 2025-04-18, Notification that SB516 is now Act 761
- Sponsors: Ben Gilmore (Republican), David Ray (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (128 yes, 2 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Appointed judges can use titles when filing: benefit, low. Qualifying appointed Arkansas judges can put their office title before their names when filing to run for that same office. This covers Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals judges, circuit judges, and district judges in nonpartisan elections. They must currently hold the position and have serve…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ben Gilmore (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: David Ray (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-14 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 3:19:43 PM | pass | 95 | 2 |   |
| 2025-04-07 | Senate | Senate Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 2:27:31 PM | pass | 33 | 0 | 1 |

## Actions (15)

- 2025-04-18: Notification that SB516 is now Act 761 (Senate)
- 2025-04-15: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate)
- 2025-04-15: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Returned to the Senate as passed. (House)
- 2025-04-14: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House)
- 2025-04-09: 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 STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- 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: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate)
- 2025-03-19: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate)
- 2025-03-19: Filed (Senate)

## Bill text

- SB516 - Introduced, 2025-03-19: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB516.pdf)
- Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=761.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
- [SB516 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB516.pdf)
- [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=761.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB516-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).