TO AMEND THE PUBLIC EDUCATION REORGANIZATION ACT; AND TO REMOVE THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATI...
This legislation amends the Public Education Reorganization Act by taking away the State Board of Education’s power to require the administrative consolidation of certain small school districts. It allows those districts to voluntarily consolidate with others instead.
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SB 262 — TO AMEND THE PUBLIC EDUCATION REORGANIZATION ACT; AND TO REMOVE THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO REQUIRE AN ADMINISTRATIVE CONSOLIDATION FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
Last action — Notification that SB262 is now Act 461
No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed Senate
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✓Passed House
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 14, 2023. Enacted.
Signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Republican) on April 19, 2023.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
HighHow often bills like it became law.
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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12 sponsors
2 primary, 10 co-sponsors signed on.
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 2 recorded votes so far.
Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.
In plain language
The bill removes state authority to mandate school district consolidations.
This legislation amends the Public Education Reorganization Act by taking away the State Board of Education’s power to require the administrative consolidation of certain small school districts. It allows those districts to voluntarily consolidate with others instead.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
1 added · 2 removedPlain-language change summary
In the latest version of Bill SB 262, a line has been added to clarify an important aspect of the legislation, while a reference to an earlier law (Act 461 of the Regular Session) has been removed. This change is significant because it helps ensure that the bill is current and accurately reflects the latest legal context, which can affect how the bill is understood and implemented. Keeping the bill up-to-date helps prevent confusion and supports better governance.
Act 461 of the Regular Session State of Arkansas As Engrossed:
Payton APPROVED:5 03-02-2023 12:34:30 TNL212
4/4/23 5 03-02-2023 12:34:30 TNL212
AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.
The bill removes the authority of the State Board of Education to require administrative consolidation of certain school districts.
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Arkansas Code § 6-13-1602
6-13-1602. Administrative consolidation list.This section is completely abolished, removing the requirement for the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to publish an administrative consolidation list.
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Arkansas Code § 6-13-1603(a)(3)
that does not receive approval by the state board for a voluntary consolidation or annexation petition shall be administratively consolidated by the state board with or into one (1) or more school districtsThis change eliminates the requirement for forced administrative consolidation by the state board for school districts not able to voluntarily consolidate.
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Arkansas Code § 6-13-1603(b)
Any school district required to be administratively consolidated under this subchapter shall be administratively consolidated in such a manner as to create a resulting district with an average daily membership meeting or exceeding three hundred fifty (350).This section is repealed, further removing any mandates for administrative consolidation based on student membership numbers.
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Arkansas Code § 6-13-1610(a)(2)
“Act 60 school district” means a school district that was on the consolidation list under § 6-13-1602 and was involuntarily consolidated under § 6-13-1603(a)(3);This repeal removes the definition of 'Act 60 school district' as it relates to involuntary consolidations.
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Arkansas Code § 6-13-1613(c)
A school district that is granted a waiver shall remain listed on the consolidation list that is published annually by the division.This repeal means that a school district granted a waiver is no longer tied to the consolidation list publication requirements.
Amendments
2 amendments- Amendment S1 March 01, 2023 Show changes
- Amendment S2 March 01, 2023 Show changes
Click Show changes on an amendment above to see how it modifies the bill.
Action History
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Notification that SB262 is now Act 461
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DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR.
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Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.
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ORDERED ENROLLED
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Returned from the House as passed.
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Returned To the Senate as passed.
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Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
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Returned by the Committee Do Pass
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Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE
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RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE
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Ordered immediately transmitted to the House.
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Read the third time and passed.
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REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
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Amendment # 1 & 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.
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Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment.
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Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1
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Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE
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Filed
Sponsors
- Matt Stone · Cosponsor
- Blake Johnson · Cosponsor
- Missy Irvin · Cosponsor
- Scott Flippo · Cosponsor
- Jonathan Dismang · Cosponsor
- Shad Pearce · Cosponsor
- Cameron Cooper · Cosponsor
- Miller · Primary
- John Payton · Primary
- Bryan King · Cosponsor
- Jim Petty · Cosponsor
- M. Hodges · Cosponsor
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →2 sponsors · 10 co-sponsors · 126 not signed on · 5 voted No
Sponsors (2)
- Miller
- John Payton
Not signed on (126)
126 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 126 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 95 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 95 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 95% | 5% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (100)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (35)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Clark | — | Yea |
| Bart Hester | — | Yea |
| Ben Gilmore | — | Yea |
| Blake Johnson | — | Yea |
| Breanne Davis | — | Yea |
| Bryan King | — | Yea |
| C. Tucker | — | Yea |
| Clint Penzo | — | Yea |
| Dan Sullivan | — | Yea |
| Dave Wallace | — | Yea |
| Fredrick J. Love | — | Yea |
| G. Stubblefield | — | Yea |
| Greg Leding | — | Yea |
| Jane English | — | Yea |
| Jim Dotson | — | Yea |
| Jim Petty | — | Yea |
| Jimmy Hickey, Jr | — | Yea |
| John Payton | — | Yea |
| Jonathan Dismang | — | Yea |
| Joshua Bryant | — | Yea |
| Justin Boyd | — | Yea |
| Kim Hammer | — | Yea |
| L. Chesterfield | — | Yea |
| Mark Johnson | — | Yea |
| Matt McKee | — | Yea |
| Matt Stone | — | Yea |
| Missy Irvin | — | Yea |
| Reginald Murdock | — | Yea |
| Ricky Hill | — | Yea |
| Ronald Caldwell | — | Yea |
| S. Flowers | — | Yea |
| Scott Flippo | — | Yea |
| Steve Crowell | — | Yea |
| Terry Rice | — | Yea |
| Tyler Dees | — | Yea |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- Who sponsors SB 262?
- SB 262 is sponsored by Matt Stone, Blake Johnson, Missy Irvin, Scott Flippo, Jonathan Dismang, Shad Pearce, Cameron Cooper, Miller, John Payton, Bryan King, Jim Petty, and M. Hodges.
- What is the current status of SB 262?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 14, 2023. Enacted.
- Where can I track SB 262?
- Track SB 262 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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