# Arkansas SB538: TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS PROCUREMENT LAW. Arkansas SB538, TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS PROCUREMENT LAW., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Ben Gilmore (Republican), Jeff Wardlaw (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-18 (Notification that SB538 is now Act 782) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB538-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB538 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS PROCUREMENT LAW. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-20 - Last action: 2025-04-18, Notification that SB538 is now Act 782 - Sponsors: Ben Gilmore (Republican), Jeff Wardlaw (Republican) - Cosponsors: 3 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (126 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Fewer entry barriers for state vendors: benefit, low. Agencies cannot require prior Arkansas state experience to submit a proposal through the competitive sealed proposals process. They also cannot reject bids, proposals, or qualifications statements simply because vendors did not answer an information request. That response can be required only when… - More time for state contract proposals: benefit, low. Arkansas agencies must issue requests for proposals at least 20 business days before proposals are due. Reissuing a request before announcing an anticipated award requires extending the original deadline by at least 10 business days. Agencies other than colleges and universities must notify the Off… - Stronger cost checks for state contracts: benefit, low. Agencies must evaluate every responsible vendor's proposal cost during the initial review, before identifying vendors as potential contract winners. They must follow Office of State Procurement rules, policies, and guidance for scoring technical details and costs. For sealed bids and proposals, an… - Vendors can appeal state contracting bans: benefit, low. The state must send contracting-ban or suspension decisions to affected vendors and intervening parties within five calendar days after writing them. Affected vendors can appeal to the Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Shared Administrative Services under the director's rules. These decisions… - State procurement workers need annual certification: cost, low. State agency employees cannot conduct procurements without annual certification. The State Procurement Director must establish training and continuing education, with required education hours set by rule. Training is delivered in person or through live virtual courses. People handling competitive s… - Contract protests bring protections and deadlines: mixed, low. A vendor named in an anticipated award must respond in writing within five calendar days after receiving protest notice. The state must send written protest decisions to the protestor and intervening parties within five calendar days after writing them. A timely protest generally blocks signing the… - Local governments can skip professional bidding: mixed, low. Local governments can choose not to use competitive bidding for other professional services. This requires a two-thirds vote of the local government's governing body. - State gains remedies for unlawful contracts: mixed, low. Remedies apply when a legal review finds unlawful contract creation, solicitation, award, management, or modification. Depending on vendor fraud or bad faith, the State can approve and keep the contract, end it, or void it. The State can also require performance and appropriate damages when that se… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ben Gilmore (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Jeff Wardlaw (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jimmy Hickey, Jr (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Missy Irvin (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jim Dotson (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-16 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 12:38:09 PM | pass | 93 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 2:51:16 PM | pass | 33 | 1 | 1 | ## Actions (25) - 2025-04-18: Notification that SB538 is now Act 782 (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: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned to the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-04-16: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-15: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-04-09: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-09: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-09: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Re-referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-07: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Amendment # 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Withdrawn from Committee and placed on 2nd reading for purpose of amendment # 2 (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Re-referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-02: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Withdrawn from Committee and placed on 2nd reading for purpose of amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB538 - Introduced, 2025-03-20: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB538.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=782.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 - [SB538 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB538.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=782.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-SB538-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).