Title 21 — Public Officers and Employees

Any person who knowingly or willfully violates any provision of this subchapter shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

(a) (1) It shall be the duties and responsibilities of the prosecuting attorneys of this state to supervise compliance with this subchapter and to prosecute persons who violate the provisions of this subchapter.(2) (A) However, the Arkansas Ethics Commission shall also have autho…

(a) No public servant shall use or attempt to use his or her official position to secure special privileges or exemptions for himself or herself or his or her spouse, child, parents, or other persons standing in the first degree of relationship, or for those with whom he or she h…

(a) If a person has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or has been found guilty of a public trust crime, he or she shall not:(1) File as a candidate for:(A) A constitutional office;(B) A county elected office; or(C) An elected office in a municipality, city, township, or other …

(1) Persons elected or appointed to the following offices shall not knowingly or willfully solicit or accept a gift in violation of Arkansas Constitution, Article 19, § 30, from a lobbyist, a person acting on behalf of a lobbyist, or a person employing or contracting with a lobby…

This subchapter, § 21-8-601 et seq., § 21-8-701 et seq., and § 21-8-801 et seq. may be referred to and cited as the “Disclosure Act for Lobbyists and State and Local Officials”.

(1) As used in this subchapter and § 21-8-601 et seq., § 21-8-701 et seq., and § 21-8-801 et seq., unless the context otherwise requires:(1) (A) “Administrative action” means any decision on, or proposal, consideration, or making of any rule, ratemaking proceeding, or policy acti…

(a) Upon conviction, any person who violates any provision of this subchapter, § 21-8-601 et seq., § 21-8-701 et seq., or § 21-8-801 et seq. is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. (b) The culpable mental state required shall be a purposeful violation.

The prosecuting attorney of the district where an alleged violation occurred shall have the authority to investigate the alleged violations of this chapter.

This subchapter, § 21-8-601 et seq., § 21-8-701 et seq., and § 21-8-801 et seq. are supplemental to any other law pertaining to ethics or conflicts of interest and do not repeal any other law except for a law specifically repealed by this subchapter, § 21-8-601 et seq., § 21-8-70…

For the purposes of this subchapter, § 21-8-601 et seq., § 21-8-701 et seq., and § 21-8-801 et seq., the value of a ticket to a charitable event shall not include the tax deductible portion of the ticket.

Any work of art contracted for prior to January 1, 1998, for public service recognition for members of the General Assembly shall not be a gift under § 21-8-402 nor shall it be deemed an unlawful gift under any other statute or rule.

(a) (1) A lobbyist shall register within five (5) days after beginning lobbying. Such registration shall be on forms provided by the Secretary of State containing the following information:(A) The name, address, and telephone number of the lobbyist;(B) The calendar year for which…

(a) A lobbyist who lobbies public servants of state government shall register and make other filings with the Secretary of State. (b) A lobbyist who lobbies public servants of municipal government shall register and make other filings with the city clerk or recorder of the munici…

(a) (1) Within fifteen (15) days after the end of each calendar quarter, each registered lobbyist shall file a complete and detailed statement, signed and sworn to, concerning his or her lobbying activities during the previous calendar quarter.(2) (A) A registered lobbyist who lo…

(a) The lobbyist activity reports shall be signed and sworn to by the registered lobbyist. (b) The reports shall contain:(1) (A) The total of all expenditures made or incurred by the registered lobbyist or on behalf of the registered lobbyist by his or her employer or any officer…

A registered lobbyist shall maintain and preserve all accounts, bills, receipts, and any other documents necessary to substantiate the financial reports required by this subchapter, § 21-8-401 et seq., § 21-8-701 et seq., and § 21-8-801 et seq. for a period of at least four (4) y…

(1) The Secretary of State, each county clerk, and each city clerk or recorder shall:(1) Provide forms approved by the Arkansas Ethics Commission for registration and for statements required by this subchapter, § 21-8-401 et seq., § 21-8-701 et seq., and § 21-8-801 et seq. to all…

(a) No person shall purposely employ any lobbyist who is required to register as a registered lobbyist but is not registered pursuant to this chapter. (b) No person engaging in lobbying shall:(1) Influence or attempt to influence, by coercion, bribery, or threat of economic sanct…

(a) The following persons shall file a written statement of financial interest:(1) A public official, as defined in § 21-8-402(17);(2) A candidate for elective office;(3) A district judge or city attorney, whether elected or appointed;(4) An agency head, department director, or d…

Forms used by persons in filing statements as required in this subchapter shall provide for the signature of the person, under penalty of false swearing, with respect to the truth and accuracy of the statements made on the form.

(a) The statement of financial interest shall be filed as follows:(1) State or district public servants and candidates for state or district public office required to file shall file with the Secretary of State;(2) County, township, or school district public servants and candidat…

(1) If a person who is required to file a statement of financial interest under this subchapter is called to active duty in the United States Armed Forces:(1) The person shall be allowed an additional one hundred eighty (180) days to file the statement of financial interest requi…

If the party filing period under § 7-7-203 ends before January 1 of the year of the general election, a candidate for elective office shall file a statement of financial interest for the previous calendar year no later than January 31 of the year of the general election in additi…

(a) No public servant shall:(1) Receive a gift or compensation as defined in § 21-8-401 et seq., other than income and benefits from the governmental body to which he or she is duly entitled, for the performance of the duties and responsibilities of his or her office or position;…

(a) No legislator shall appear for compensation on behalf of another person, firm, corporation, or entity before any entity of:(1) State government, if the legislator is a member of the General Assembly;(2) The legislator's county government, if the legislator is a member of a qu…

(a) A legislator who is required to take an action in the discharge of his or her official duties that may affect his or her financial interest or cause financial benefit or detriment to him or her, or a business in which he or she is an officer, director, stockholder owning more…

(a) (1) The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, Commissioner of State Lands, and Attorney General, in their official capacity, may accept gifts, grants, and donations of money or property on behalf of the state for any lawful p…

In addition to the required filings under § 21-8-701, a member or a member-elect of the General Assembly shall report any goods or services sold during the previous calendar year having a total annual value in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) to an office, department, comm…

(a) The disclosure required by § 21-8-901 shall be filed with the Secretary of State at the same time as the filing of the statement of financial interest required under § 21-8-701 et seq. (b) The disclosure shall be on a form requiring the signature of the member, under penalty …

Any person who purposely violates the provisions of this subchapter shall be deemed guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

For the purpose of this subchapter, elected state officials and members of commissions, boards, or other governing bodies of agencies are officers of the State of Arkansas.

(a) The Arkansas State Claims Commission shall have jurisdiction over all claims for indemnification based on a judgment or negotiated settlement in conformity with § 21-9-203. (b) Proceedings for the recovery of claims and the payment of claims shall be governed by the law gover…

(a) The State of Arkansas shall pay actual, but not punitive, damages adjudged by a state or federal court, or entered by such a court as a result of a compromise settlement approved and recommended by the Attorney General, against officers or employees of the State of Arkansas, …

Damages payable under this subchapter shall be reduced to the extent that the officer or employee has been indemnified or is entitled to indemnification under any contract of insurance.

(a) A party desiring to make a claim for indemnification under this subchapter shall notify the Attorney General of the filing of a complaint in any court or the making of any other form of demand for damages promptly after it is filed or made and permit the Attorney General to p…

(a) It is declared to be the public policy of the State of Arkansas that all counties, municipal corporations, school districts, public charter schools, special improvement districts, law enforcement agencies for and certified law enforcement officers employed by a public or priv…

Each county, municipal corporation, school district, special improvement district, or any other political subdivision of the state is authorized to provide for hearing and settling tort claims against it.

(a) All political subdivisions shall carry liability insurance on their motor vehicles or shall become self-insurers, individually or collectively, for their vehicles, or both, in the minimum amounts prescribed in the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act, § 27-19-101 et seq. (…

(a) When any city of the first class, city of the second class, incorporated town, county, and its employees are called upon to assist the state and its employees and as a result are sued for their actions performed under the direct supervision of a state official or employee, th…

(a) As used in this chapter:(a) “Public security” means a bond, note, certificate of indebtedness, or other obligation for the payment of money, issued by this state or by any of its departments, agencies, or other instrumentalities, or by any of its political subdivisions;(b) “I…

(a) Any authorized officer may, after filing with the Secretary of State his or her manual signature certified by him or her under oath, execute or cause to be executed with a facsimile signature in lieu of his or her manual signature:(a) Any public security; and(b) Any instrumen…

When the seal of this state or any of its departments, agencies, or other instrumentalities, or of any of its political subdivisions is required in the execution of a public security or instrument of payment, the authorized officer may cause the seal to be printed, engraved, stam…

A.C.A. § 21-10-104Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

This chapter shall be so construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of states which enact it.

This chapter may be cited as the “Uniform Facsimile Signature of Public Officials Act.”

If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the p…

All acts and parts of acts are repealed insofar as inconsistent herewith.

A.C.A. § 21-10-109Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

(1) As used in this chapter, “employee” shall mean all full-time state employees of all departments, agencies, boards, commissions, or other agencies of the state supported by appropriation of state or federal funds except the following excluded employees:(1) The elected constitu…