Week 13 of the 2025 Regular Session

As we approach the final days of the 2025 Regular Session, the Arkansas House of Representatives remains focused on passing legislation that will have a lasting impact on the lives of Arkansans. We anticipate adjourning on April 16, and several key bills have advanced as we wrap up our work.

This week, the House passed HB1685, a bill that proposes eliminating the state's 0.125% sales tax on groceries, effective January 1, 2026. This effort continues our work to reduce the tax burden on Arkansas families.

The House passed HB1312, amending public school funding to provide an increase of 5% in per pupil funding, raising it to $8,162 for the 2025-2026 school year. This amount includes the cost of health insurance. For the 2026-2027 school year, the per pupil amount is set at $8,037, with the $333 for insurance costs being paid directly to the Employee Benefits Division.

We also adopted HJR1018, a proposed constitutional amendment titled "The Citizens Only Voting Amendment." This proposed amendment, if approved by the Senate, will appear on the November 2026 ballot. It proposes that only U.S. citizens who meet voter qualifications may vote in state and local elections.

A number of additional measures also passed the House:

• HB1732, which increases the income tax deduction for teachers purchasing classroom supplies from $500 to $1,000.
• HB1485, which creates a sales and use tax exemption for organizations supporting veterans' facilities.
• HB1922, which establishes an income tax credit for companies that relocate their corporate headquarters to Arkansas, further enhancing our state's economic competitiveness.

Finally, the proposed Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA) for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year was distributed to members on Friday. This document outlines our state spending priorities. You can view the proposed RSA at arkansashouse.org.