# Arkansas SB598: TO AMEND VARIOUS LAWS RELATED TO THE DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES; AND TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "EMPLOYEE" UNDER THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW RESULTING FROM INITIATED ACT 4 OF 1948. Arkansas SB598, TO AMEND VARIOUS LAWS RELATED TO THE DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES; AND TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "EMPLOYEE" UNDER THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW RESULTING FROM INITIATED ACT 4 OF 1948., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Bruce Cozart (Republican), Jane English (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-18 (Notification that SB598 is now Act 743); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB598-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB598 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND VARIOUS LAWS RELATED TO THE DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES; AND TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "EMPLOYEE" UNDER THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW RESULTING FROM INITIATED ACT 4 OF 1948. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-04-01 - Last action: 2025-04-18, Notification that SB598 is now Act 743 - Sponsors: Bruce Cozart (Republican), Jane English (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (126 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Job-search relief rules for unemployment claimants: benefit, low. The Arkansas workforce director can set rules to reduce or remove job-search requirements for unemployment claimants. The law does not itself excuse any claimant from job searches. Relief depends on the eligibility criteria the director sets by rule. - Penalty relief rules for unemployment overpayments: benefit, low. The Arkansas workforce director can set eligibility rules for waiving penalties and interest when claimants settle unemployment overpayments. The law does not itself grant a waiver. This authority concerns penalties and interest, not forgiveness of the overpaid benefits. - False unemployment claims require 20 working weeks: cost, high. Claimants remain disqualified for intentionally lying about or hiding an important fact on an initial or renewed unemployment claim. To regain eligibility, they must complete 20 weeks of qualifying employment under Arkansas law. In each week, wages must be at least equal to the claimant’s weekly be… - Fewer laid-off workers can skip job searches: cost, low. The short-layoff exemption from work registration and job searches now requires a planned recall within three weeks, not ten. You must expect to return to a full-time job. Your employer must intend to recall you within three weeks after your initial layoff date. Workers outside this shorter recall… - Workforce special fund supports fewer programs: cost, low. The Division of Workforce Services cannot use its Special Fund to administer Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me Act is also removed from eligible uses. The fund remains available to administer workforce services, workforce innovation and opportunity… - New employee status rules for Arkansas workers: mixed, medium. Arkansas uses the Empower Independent Contractors Act of 2019 factors to decide employee status under covered laws. These include workers’ compensation, wage discrimination, and workforce services laws. Employee status affects access to work-related protections and businesses’ duties toward workers… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bruce Cozart (Republican), House - Sponsor: Jane English (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-14 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 7:43:08 PM | pass | 91 | 0 | | | 2025-04-08 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 8, 2025 3:30:21 PM | pass | 35 | 0 | | ## Actions (15) - 2025-04-18: Notification that SB598 is now Act 743 (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) - 2025-04-10: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-04-08: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-08: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-08: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB598 - Introduced, 2025-04-01: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB598.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=743.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 - [SB598 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB598.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=743.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-SB598-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).