# Arkansas SB539: TO UPDATE AND CLARIFY CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THE LAW REGARDING THE DIVISION OF COMMUNITY CORRECTION AND THE DIVISION OF CORRECTION; TO CLARIFY REFERENCES TO COMMUNITY CORRECTION CENTERS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. Arkansas SB539, TO UPDATE AND CLARIFY CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THE LAW REGARDING THE DIVISION OF COMMUNITY CORRECTION AND THE DIVISION OF CORRECTION; TO CLARIFY REFERENCES TO COMMUNITY CORRECTION CENTERS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Jimmy Gazaway (Republican), Ben Gilmore (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-18 (Notification that SB539 is now Act 723); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB539-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB539 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO UPDATE AND CLARIFY CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THE LAW REGARDING THE DIVISION OF COMMUNITY CORRECTION AND THE DIVISION OF CORRECTION; TO CLARIFY REFERENCES TO COMMUNITY CORRECTION CENTERS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-20 - Last action: 2025-04-18, Notification that SB539 is now Act 723 - Sponsors: Jimmy Gazaway (Republican), Ben Gilmore (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (131 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Counties get inmate legal expense reimbursement: benefit, low. Counties are entitled to Department of Corrections reimbursement for legal proceedings involving inmates at covered secured facilities. These facilities must be run or contracted by a department division. Claims must list expenses, be verified by the county judge, and be submitted within 90 days af… - Release options and credits for inmates: benefit, low. People sentenced to covered correctional facilities may earn good-time credits while awaiting transfer, under applicable law and Board rules. For inmates transferred to community centers, release requires the Secretary’s finding that the prescribed treatment program was successfully completed. Mini… - Program participants’ pay can cover costs: cost, low. Part of an eligible person’s pay from a community correction program can go to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. This money can cover program costs and the person’s custody and care. The law does not set a percentage or require a specific amount. - Correction agencies get clearer oversight roles: mixed, low. The Division of Correction takes over community centers’ operations and security, including budgets, purchases, records, contracts, staff, property, and funds. The Department of Corrections supervises eligible community-program participants to support public safety. The Division of Community Correc… - Counties get revised jail reimbursement rules: mixed, low. The Department of Corrections must reimburse counties when a division cannot accept jail inmates because beds are unavailable. The rate includes transportation costs. Payment requires available appropriations and funding, plus a complete and accurate sentencing order. This bed-shortage rule replace… - More facilities for supervised release sanctions: mixed, low. Parole and post-release incarceration sanctions may use any facility run or contracted by a Department of Corrections division. For the specified parole sanctions, each placement is capped at 120 days. Parolees may accumulate up to 240 facility days before a violation recommendation. For the specif… - New placement rules for eligible defendants: mixed, low. Courts may place eligible defendants in community correction centers run or contracted by a Department of Corrections division. Administrative transfers require available beds; the Division of Correction now makes final placement eligibility decisions. Judicial transfers require sentences of three… - Probation sanctions have options and limits: mixed, low. Probation authorities may use increased substance-use screening, treatment, or both as sanctions without revoking probation. Confinement sanctions may use facilities run or contracted by any Department of Corrections division. Limits are six uses, up to 180 days per placement, and 360 total facilit… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jimmy Gazaway (Republican), House - Sponsor: Ben Gilmore (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-14 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 7:28:16 PM | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2025-04-02 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 2, 2025 4:15:48 PM | pass | 33 | 0 | | ## Actions (20) - 2025-04-18: Notification that SB539 is now Act 723 (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: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (House) - 2025-04-14: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-10: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-04-02: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-02: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-02: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-01: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB539 - Introduced, 2025-03-20: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB539.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=723.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 - [SB539 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB539.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=723.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-SB539-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).