# Arkansas SB625: TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. Arkansas SB625, TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Breanne Davis (Republican), Keith Brooks (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-22 (Notification that SB625 is now Act 920); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB625-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB625 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-04-03 - Last action: 2025-04-22, Notification that SB625 is now Act 920 - Sponsors: Breanne Davis (Republican), Keith Brooks (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (151 yes, 23 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Lower Fees and Direct Payments for Families: benefit, low. Arkansas must offer direct payments for qualifying education account expenses, alongside reimbursement requests, at a parent's direction. The system can use electronic transfers, debit cards, or another payment method. A contracted payment vendor can withhold no more than 2% of each account's yearl… - Switching Schools Does Not Increase Family Funding: cost, low. Changing from one participating school to another does not entitle a family to more education account funding. This rule does not itself reduce the student's existing funding. - More Education Expenses Covered for Families: mixed, medium. Arkansas education accounts cover fine arts, music, and STEM courses offered by Arkansas public schools. Disability services in nontraditional settings qualify when recommended and approved by a licensed or accredited practitioner or physician. Communication devices qualify when students cannot com… - Family Account Closures, Appeals, and Recovery: mixed, low. Expulsion or loss of eligibility are grounds for closing a student's education account. Parents can appeal closures on either ground to the State Board of Education under its appeal rules. The board can also close accounts early based on evidence of intentional misuse under state rules. The state d… - New Education Account Application Rules for Parents: mixed, low. The application window for the upcoming school year starts no earlier than February 1 and ends no later than June 1. Arkansas must set rules for qualifying applications outside that window, including some families moving into Arkansas or near participating schools. Applications are complete only af… - Private School Choices Depend on Accreditation: mixed, low. Private schools must earn accreditation within four years of becoming eligible for education account payments. The state division can find a school ineligible if it misses that deadline or cannot finish accreditation within four years. It also uses accrediting-group information to decide whether a… - Provider Bans Protect Families but Limit Choices: mixed, low. Arkansas can bar providers from education account payments and restrict them from serving additional participating students. Grounds include lost eligibility, serious or ongoing academic failures, major or intentional misrepresentations, delayed overpayment refunds, unprovided services, and fraud.… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Breanne Davis (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Keith Brooks (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-16 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 12:25:53 PM | pass | 29 | 1 | 4 | | 2025-04-16 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 10:13:53 AM | pass | 74 | 9 | 12 | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Senate Vote - Thursday, April 10, 2025 2:48:50 PM | pass | 29 | 4 | 1 | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Senate Vote - Thursday, April 10, 2025 2:46:14 PM | pass | 19 | 9 | 3 | ## Actions (32) - 2025-04-22: Notification that SB625 is now Act 920 (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: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: House Amendment No. 1 read first time, rule suspended, read second time and concurred in. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned from the House as passed as amended # 1 . (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned to Senate as passed, as amended # 1 (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: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (House) - 2025-04-15: Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. (House) - 2025-04-15: Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment. (House) - 2025-04-14: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1 (House) - 2025-04-10: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-10: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-10: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Motion to Expunge the Vote by which the Emergency Clause failed of Adoption. Motion Carried. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Emergency Clause failed of adoption. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB625 - Introduced, 2025-04-03: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB625.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=920.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 - [SB625 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB625.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=920.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-SB625-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).