Above: Sen. Stubblefield and Rep. Lundstrum present H.B. 1615 in committee. The bill passed at the Arkansas Legislature, and Gov. Sanders signed it into law last week.
H.B. 1615 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch) will help ensure that religious organizations and religious individuals are not penalized for living out their deeply held religious convictions.
This good law is especially important for people who have religious convictions about biological sex and marriage.
Nobody should be forced to choose between their religious convictions and their livelihood, and nobody should be punished for obeying their conscience. H.B. 1615 will help prevent the government from burdening the free exercise of religion in Arkansas.
Family Council wants to thank Rep. Lundstrum and Sen. Stubblefield for sponsoring H.B. 1615. We appreciate the General Assembly passing this measure, and we are grateful to Gov. Sanders for signing it into law.
Arkansas has a longstanding tradition of affirming and protecting the free exercise of religion. H.B. 1615 is a good law that will help the state continue to do exactly that.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
Above: Family Council staff members pause for a photo with Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) on the final day of the regular legislative session.
This week marked the fourteenth — and final — week of the 2025 regular legislative session.
On Monday the Arkansas Legislature passed S.B. 533, a good bill to protect Arkansans from dangerous drugs like THC made from industrial hemp.
On Tuesday, the House Public Health Committee passed S.B. 444 to protect healthcare workers’ rights of conscience. Lawmakers also passed S.B. 450 to help teach public school students about unborn children and H.B. 1202 budgeting $2 million for grant funding to charities that help women with unplanned pregnancies.
On Wednesday, the legislature passed three good bills before leaving Little Rock:
S.B. 444 to protect healthcare workers’ rights of conscience;
S.B. 486 to protect physical privacy and safety in showers, locker rooms, changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters in government buildings, in state jails, and in shelters for victims of domestic violence.
Governor Sanders also vetoed H.B. 1889 on Wednesday. This bad bill legalizes “medical” marijuana deliveries in Arkansas. We have written repeatedly about how marijuana deliveries are unnecessary and create an environment where marijuana may be diverted to the black market. Lawmakers will re-convene on May 5 to decide whether to sustain or override the governor’s veto.
Below is a recap of the good bills that passed, good bills that failed to pass, bad bills that passed, and bad bills defeated at the 2025 legislative session.
Good Bills that Passed this Year
H.B. 1615 (Religious Liberty): This good law by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch) would help ensure that religious organizations and religious individuals are not penalized for living out their deeply held religious convictions. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
S.B. 444 (Conscience Protections): This good law by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Lee Johnson (R — Greenwood) strengthens the healthcare workers’ rights of conscience law Arkansas passed in 2021. Among other things, this law adds whistleblower protections for healthcare workers, and it helps protect all medical professionals from having their rights of conscience violated. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1202 (Pro-Life): This good law by the Joint Budget Committee appropriates money for the Department of Finance and Administration for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The budget includes $2 million in grant funding to pregnancy help organizations that promote maternal and infant wellness and provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Act 387 / H.B. 1610 (Pro-Life): This good law by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R — Texarkana) would clarify Arkansas’ law that prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency. The bill clarifies the definition of “medical emergency,” strengthens legal protections for doctors who treat pregnant women, closes possible loopholes in the current abortion law, and makes it clear that abortion remains illegal in Arkansas except to save the mother’s life. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
S.B. 450 (Pro-Life): This good law by Sen. Breanne Davis (R — Russellville) and Rep. Kendra Moore (R — Lincoln) makes it possible for public school students to see a recording of a high-definition ultrasound video as part of human fetal growth and development education courses and learn important facts about how unborn children develop in the womb. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1142 (Bioethics): This good law by Rep. Alyssa Brown (R — Heber Springs) and Sen. Jim Dotson (R — Bentonville) promotes ethical fertility treatments such as restorative reproductive medicine in Arkansas. The law also protects healthcare providers who have conscientious objections to unethical in vitro fertilization (IVF) and similar procedures. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Act 153 / H.B. 1221 (Ballot Initiatives): This good law by Rep. David Ray (R — Maumelle) and Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) clarifies Arkansas’ laws concerning initiatives and referenda. The bill makes it clear that petition signatures expire at the end of a General Election cycle. This would prevent canvassers from collecting signatures across multiple election cycles and help ensure sponsors don’t submit old signatures that are outdated or more likely to be invalid. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Act 154 / H.B. 1222 (Ballot Initiatives): This good law by Rep. David Ray (R — Maumelle) and Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) clarifies Arkansas’ laws concerning initiatives and referenda. The bill says the Arkansas Attorney General cannot approve a measure’s sponsors to begin collecting signatures to place a measure on the ballot if the measure conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or federal law. The bill also prevents sponsors from asking the attorney general to certify conflicting measures. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Act 218 / S.B. 207 (Ballot Initiatives): This good law by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requires petition canvassers to inform people that petition fraud is a crime before obtaining their signatures on a petition. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Act 240 / S.B. 208 (Ballot Initiatives): This good law by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requires canvassers to verify a person’s identity via photo ID before obtaining the person’s signature on a petition. This helps prevent people from fraudulently signing someone else’s name on a petition. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Act 273 / S.B. 209 (Ballot Initiatives): This good law by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) clarifies that the signatures a canvasser collects will not count if the Secretary of State finds the canvasser has violated Arkansas’ laws concerning canvassing, perjury, forgery, or fraud in the process of gathering signatures. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted. Read The Bill Here.
Act 274 / S.B. 210 (Ballot Initiatives): This good law by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requires people to read the ballot title of the measure before signing a petition. The ballot title includes a summary of the ballot measure. Reading the ballot title helps ensure people understand the measure before they sign a petition to place the measure on the ballot. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Act 241 / S.B. 211 (Ballot Initiatives): This good law by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requires petition canvassers to file an affidavit with the Secretary of State verifying that the canvasser complied with the Arkansas Constitution and all Arkansas laws concerning canvassing, perjury, forgery, and fraud in the process of gathering signatures. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Act 602 / H.B. 1713 (Ballot Initiatives): This good law by Rep. Ryan Rose (R — Van Buren) and Sen. Mark Johnson (R — Little Rock) requires ballot initiative titles to be written at or below an eighth grade reading level. A ballot title is supposed to accurately summarize a measure so voters can decide if they support or oppose it. H.B. 1713 is similar to legislation enacted in other states to help make sure ballot titles are easy for voters to read and understand. This will help address deceptive or misleading ballot initiatives in Arkansas. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1529 (Pornography): This good law by Rep. Stephen Meeks (R — Greenbrier) and Sen. Clint Penzo (R — Springdale) prohibits people from using artificial intelligence to create and distribute “deepfake” pornographic images depicting another individual without that individual’s consent. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
S.B. 547 (Home School): This good law by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R — Jonesboro) and Rep. Stephen Meeks (R — Greenbrier) eliminates the provision in state law that requires home schoolers to live within 25 miles of a private school in order to participate in interscholastic activities at that school. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
S.B. 625 (Education Freedom): This good law by Sen. Breanne Davis (R — Russellville) and Rep. Keith Brooks (R — Little Rock) amends the laws governing Education Freedom Accounts that let students use public dollars to pay for an education at a private school or at home. S.B. 625 helps clarify the law, and it places certain restrictions on fees and costs in the EFA program. In the past year, parents have reached out to us about the cost of education and extracurricular activities rising now that EFA funding is available. S.B. 625 reduces EFA vendor fees, and it places some spending restrictions on extracurricular activities, PE courses, fine arts, music, STEM, and field trips. These are areas where home schoolers have experienced the most price increases in the past year. Cutting vendor fees and capping certain costs will encourage educational providers to keep their prices down. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
S.B. 486 (Privacy): This good law by Sen. Blake Johnson (R — Corning) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R — Perryville) protects physical privacy and safety of Arkansans in showers, locker rooms, changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters in government buildings and in state and local jails. The law also applies to changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters in shelters for victims of domestic violence. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Good Bills that Failed to Pass this Year
H.B. 1180 (Pro-Life): This good bill by Rep. Mary Bentley (R — Perryville) and Sen. Clint Penzo (R — Springdale) ensures public schools show students a high-definition ultrasound video that is at least three minutes long as part of sex-education and human growth and development education courses. The bill also ensures students see a video like Live Action’s computer-animated “Meet Baby Olivia” video that teaches about human development from conception to birth. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1946 (Pro-Life): This good bill by Rep. Mary Bentley (R — Perryville) and Sen. Clint Penzo (R — Springdale) requires public schools to provide human growth and development education in grades 6 – 12 every school year. The bill requires the courses to include a three-minute high-definition ultrasound video and a high-quality, computer animated video depicting the process of fertilization and every stage of fetal development. Under H.B. 1946, this instruction would be included in biology instruction and in courses related to sex-education. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1678 (Pro-Life): This good bill by Rep. Wayne Long (R — Bradford) would strengthen Arkansas’ Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act that prevents abortion drugs from being delivered or administered illegally in Arkansas. The bill would increase the penalty for selling or prescribing illegal abortion-inducing drugs, and it would make it easier to take a person to court for violating the Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act. All of this would provide additional options for enforcing Arkansas’ pro-life laws. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1404 (Pro-Life): This good bill by Rep. Cameron Cooper (R — Romance) and Sen. John Payton (R — Wilburn) creates a tax credit for donations to pro-life pregnancy resource centers. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1554 (Bioethics): This good bill by Rep. Alyssa Brown (R — Heber Springs) and Sen. Jim Dotson (R — Bentonville) establishes the Assisted Reproductive Technology Reporting Act in Arkansas. The bill would require fertility clinics to track and report key data related to assisted reproductive technology. H.B. 1554 also would mandate annual reporting on embryo creation, usage, and outcomes, as well as tracking maternal and neonatal health for children conceived through ART. All of this would help the Arkansas Department of Health better track assisted reproductive technology in the state. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1139 (Religious Liberty): This good bill by Rep. Brit McKenzie (R — Rogers) and Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) would strengthen Arkansas’ law concerning public school “released time.” The bill clarifies that public schools must excuse students from school, if the students’ parents request it, to receive religious instruction off-campus. Read The Bill Here.
S.B. 212 (Ballot Initiatives): This good bill by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) creates the Document Validity Division within the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office to investigate, subpoena, and nullify fraudulent or false documents related to ballot initiatives. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1714 (Ballot Initiatives): This good bill by Rep. Ryan Rose (R — Van Buren) and Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) clarifies the definition of a “paid canvasser” in state law. Current law says that anyone who receives anything of value in return for soliciting signatures on a petition is a paid canvasser. Paid canvassers are subject to certain laws that do not apply to volunteer canvassers. H.B. 1714 further clarifies that receiving anything of value includes receiving payment for items like food, lodging, travel, bonuses, fees, gift cards, and other payments associated with obtaining signatures on a petition. This will help bring better clarity to state law. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1162 (Good Friday): This good bill by Rep. Matt Duffield (R — Russellville) would establish Good Friday as an official state holiday in Arkansas. Some school districts in Arkansas already close in honor of Good Friday. This bill would ensure Arkansas’ public school students, teachers, and state employees are able to observe and celebrate Good Friday with their churches and their families. Read The Bill Here.
S.B. 49 (Used Car Tax): This good bill by Sen. Justin Boyd (R — Fort Smith) and Rep. Lee Johnson (R — Greenwood) would eliminate the sales tax on used cars sold for less than $10,000. Read The Bill Here.
S.B. 82 (Used Car Tax): This good bill by Sen. John Payton (R — Wilburn) would eliminate the sales tax on used cars sold for less than $10,000. Read The Bill Here.
Bad Bills that Passed this Year
Act 28 / H.B. 1204 (Tort Reform): This bad bill by Rep. Jon Eubanks (R — Paris) and Sen. Missy Irvin (R — Mountain View) restricts what people can recover in damages when they are injured through no fault of their own. The bill effectively reduces what a person or company might be forced to pay when they injure an innocent person. H.B. 1204 benefits insurance companies who might not be forced to pay as much in lawsuits. That might increase the insurance companies’ profits, but there is no guarantee it will result in lower premiums for customers. Family Council has concerns about potential, unintended consequences this bill could have on families. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Act 157 / S.B. 98 (Alcohol): This bad bill by Sen. Breanne Davis (R — Russellville) and Rep. John Maddox (R — Mena) expands alcohol delivery in Arkansas. The measure expands the list of stores that can deliver alcohol to include grocery stores, small farm wine convenience stores, and retail beer sellers. The bill also lets delivery companies obtain permits to deliver alcohol to consumers on behalf of the stores. Currently, retailers are directly responsible for ensuring all alcohol deliveries comply with state laws — including laws against delivering to minors. S.B. 98 shifts liability from the retailer to the delivery service. Right now, retailers have accountability in following alcohol laws. Under S.B. 98, alcohol deliverers may not have the same degree of oversight or accountability. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted. Read The Bill Here.
Act 569 / S.B. 564 (Alcohol): This bad bill by Sen. Scott Flippo (R — Bull Shoals) and Rep. Matt Brown (R — Conway) raises the legal alcohol content for beer from 5% to 10%, and it allows malt beverages to contain up to 21% alcohol by weight. Under this measure, beer could contain twice as much alcohol as it currently does. That could make stronger alcoholic drinks more widely available in stores and other locations where beer is currently sold across Arkansas. See How Your Senator Voted Here. See How Your Representative Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Vetoed: H.B. 1889 (Marijuana): This bad bill by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R — Knoxville) and Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) legalizes “medical” marijuana deliveries in Arkansas. H.B. 1889 passed in the Arkansas House and Senate, but Governor Sanders vetoed this bad measure on April 16. The Arkansas Legislature will meet on May 5 to determine whether they will sustain or override the governor’s veto. See How Your Representative Voted Here. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
Bad Bills Defeated this Year
H.B. 1861 (Gambling): This bad bill by Rep. Matt Duffield (R — Russellville) and Sen. Jamie Scott (D — North Little Rock) would let casinos in Arkansas conduct gambling online from anywhere in Arkansas. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1722 (Drugs): This bad bill by Rep. Jeremiah Moore (R — Clarendon) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch) would legalize THC and other dangerous drugs made from cannabis under the state’s industrial hemp law. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1578 (Drugs): This bad bill by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R — Knoxville) and Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) legalizes intoxicating drinks containing THC made from cannabis under the state’s industrial hemp law. Read The Bill Here.
S.B. 455 (Drugs): This bad bill by Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) and Rep. Justin Gonzales (R — Okolona) would legalize THC made from hemp if Arkansas’ laws restricting THC are ruled unconstitutional. Under this bill, food, drinks, and similar products containing as much as 50mg of THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids could be sold in Arkansas. See How Your Senator Voted Here. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1173 (Alcohol): This bad bill by Rep. Matt Brown (R — Conway) and Sen. Scott Flippo (R — Bull Shoals) raises the legal alcohol content for beer from 5% to 14% alcohol by weight, and it allows malt beverages to contain up to 21% alcohol by weight. Under this measure, beer could contain nearly three times as much alcohol as it currently does. That could make stronger alcoholic drinks more widely available in stores and other locations where beer is currently sold across Arkansas. See How Your Representative Voted. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1371 (Human Trafficking): This bad bill by Rep. Jeff Wardlaw (R — Hermitage) repeals human trafficking prevention education requirements for commercial drivers. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1880 (Abortion): This bad bill by Rep. Ashley Hudson (D — Little Rock) would expand abortion in Arkansas. The bill would add sweeping health exceptions for abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. It also would permit abortion in cases of rape or incest or when a baby is at risk of certain fetal abnormalities. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1011 (Abortion): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would repeal virtually all of Arkansas’ pro-life laws, and it would legalize abortion throughout the state. Read The Bill Here.
S.C.R. 2 (DEI): This bad resolution by Sen. Jamie Scott (D — North Little Rock) and Rep. Jay Richardson (D — Fort Smith) calls Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) “essential to creating a society where all individuals are valued, heard, and included,” and says that “efforts to attack DEI are harmful to the bottom line and health of our economy.” DEI policies are closely aligned with critical theory and have been shown to be bad for business and government. Read The Resolution Here.
H.B. 1013 (Bioethics): This bad bill by Rep. Ashley Hudson (D – Little Rock) governs fertility treatments in Arkansas. The bill would let fertility labs in Arkansas create, freeze, store, and kill human embryos as part of unethical in vitro fertilization—or IVF—practices. Human beings are not lab material. This bad bill fails to respect every unborn child’s right to life. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1014 (Bioethics): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would require the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program to pay for unethical IVF practices. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1020 (School Choice): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would repeal the 2023 LEARNS Act’s education freedom account program that lets students use public funds to pay for an education at a private school or at home. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1028 (Libraries): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would repeal Arkansas’ laws that protect children from harmful sexual material. It also would let libraries lend or share obscene material, and it requires public libraries to have “a written policy prohibiting the practice of banning books or other materials because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval” in order to receive public funding. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1031 (Sex Education): This bad bill by Rep. Denise Garner (D — Fayetteville) would make it possible for the Arkansas Department of Education to implement Planned Parenthood-style sex education as part of larger changes to public school health curriculum. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1032 (LGBT): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would prevent healthcare professionals from helping people overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion. The way the bill is written, H.B. 1032 would let counselors, doctors, and other healthcare professionals encourage people to be LGBT, but healthcare professionals would not be able to help people overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or accept their biological sex. Read The Bill Here.
H.B. 1033 (Red Flag Law): This bad bill by Rep. Tippi McCullough (D — Little Rock) would create a “red flag” law in Arkansas making it easier for authorities to confiscate firearms from citizens that the government deems a danger to themselves or others. Read The Bill Here.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
On Wednesday, Gov. Sanders vetoed a bad bill that would legalize “medical” marijuana deliveries in Arkansas.
In 2016, Arkansas enacted an amendment permitting “medical” marijuana in the state. At the time, we warned that people would use marijuana recreationally under the amendment — and there is evidence showing that is happening.
H.B. 1889 by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R — Knoxville) and Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) would let marijuana dispensaries in Arkansas deliver marijuana directly to patients and caregivers.
Under current law, marijuana is processed and delivered to dispensaries that are authorized to sell marijuana.
H.B. 1889 would let dispensaries use delivery vehicles to deliver marijuana to people rather than requiring people to come to the dispensary.
Letting marijuana dispensaries deliver marijuana to people serves no legitimate purpose, and it undermines regulations on “medical” marijuana.
The Arkansas Constitution already lets “designated caregivers” deliver marijuana to patients who are authorized to use it. That provision was written into the medical marijuana amendment to assist patients who can’t go to the dispensary.
Since designated caregivers are already able to deliver “medical” marijuana to patients, the deliveries legalized under H.B. 1889 are unnecessary.
Unfortunately, H.B. 1889 narrowly passed the Arkansas House and Senate, and it was sent to Gov. Sanders to be signed into law. However, the governor vetoed this bad bill on Wednesday.
In a letter to lawmakers, Gov. Sanders wrote,
To President Pro Tempore Hester and Speaker Evans:
Pursuant to my authority under Ark. Const. Art. 6, § 15, I am returning without my approval House Bill 1889, entitled “An Act to Amend the Limitations on Access to a Dispensary or Cultivation Facility; To Authorize a Dispensary to Deliver Orders via a Delivery Vehicle or via a Drive-Through Window.”
This legislation would expand access to usable marijuana, therefore I am vetoing this legislation.
Sincerely, Sarah Huckabee Sanders Governor of Arkansas
Marijuana deliveries like the ones allowed under H.B. 1889 make it easier for “medical” marijuana to be moved to the black market or fall into the hands of people who are not authorized to use “medical” marijuana — including children.
We appreciate Gov. Sanders vetoing this bad bill. Lawmakers will reconvene on May 5, when they can decide whether to sustain or override the governor’s veto on H.B. 1889. Family Council will be there as well.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
