# Arkansas SB596: TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING ENERGY; TO ESTABLISH A STATE ENERGY POLICY; TO REGULATE RETIREMENT OF DISPATCHABLE ELECTRIC GENERATION FACILITIES; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

Arkansas SB596, TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING ENERGY; TO ESTABLISH A STATE ENERGY POLICY; TO REGULATE RETIREMENT OF DISPATCHABLE ELECTRIC GENERATION FACILITIES; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Matt McKee (Republican), Mindy McAlindon (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-22 (Notification that SB596 is now Act 940) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB596-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Arkansas SB596
- State: Arkansas
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING ENERGY; TO ESTABLISH A STATE ENERGY POLICY; TO REGULATE RETIREMENT OF DISPATCHABLE ELECTRIC GENERATION FACILITIES; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
- Status: enacted
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-03-31
- Last action: 2025-04-22, Notification that SB596 is now Act 940
- Sponsors: Matt McKee (Republican), Mindy McAlindon (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 3 (160 yes, 1 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Customer safeguards before Arkansas power plants close: benefit, medium. Public utilities need state commission approval to permanently close covered Arkansas power plants of at least 100 megawatts. Covered plants supply power on demand, rather than only when conditions allow. Utilities must give the commission 30 days’ notice; it must decide within 180 days after a com…
- Arkansas sets goals for affordable electricity: benefit, low. The law sets Arkansas goals for affordable, reliable electricity and a secure power grid. It promotes diverse power sources, in-state plants, and power available on demand. Goals include keeping customer prices as low as possible while allowing producers a reasonable return. It also supports strong…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Matt McKee (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Mindy McAlindon (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-16 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 12:36:54 PM | pass | 92 | 1 |   |
| 2025-04-14 | Senate | Senate Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 7:42:49 PM | pass | 34 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-07 | Senate | Senate Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 5:06:46 PM | pass | 34 | 0 | 1 |

## Actions (36)

- 2025-04-22: Notification that SB596 is now Act 940 (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: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (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)
- 2025-04-14: Re-referred to the Committee on INSURANCE & COMMERCE- HOUSE (House)
- 2025-04-14: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House)
- 2025-04-14: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Read the third time and passed. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Rules suspended. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Amendment # 3 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Rules suspended. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Amendment #2 was withdrawn. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Motion to Expunge the Vote by which SB596 passed. Motion carried. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Returned from the House as requested. (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House)
- 2025-04-14: Returned to the Senate as requested. (House)
- 2025-04-07: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on INSURANCE & COMMERCE- HOUSE (House)
- 2025-04-07: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House)
- 2025-04-07: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Read the third time and passed. (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Rules suspended. (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate)
- 2025-04-03: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1 (Senate)
- 2025-03-31: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to INSURANCE & COMMERCE - SENATE (Senate)
- 2025-03-31: Filed (Senate)

## Bill text

- SB596 - Introduced, 2025-03-31: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB596.pdf)
- Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=940.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
- [SB596 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB596.pdf)
- [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=940.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-SB596-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).