The proposed bill amends Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 9, Subchapter 1, to allow healthcare providers to maintain medical records in an electronic format. It introduces a new section, 20-9-106, which defines key terms such as "healthcare provider," "medical record," and "patient." The bill grants healthcare providers the discretion to create, maintain, transmit, receive, and store medical records electronically, without the requirement to keep separate tangible copies. However, it mandates that electronically stored records must be legible, retrievable, and backed up adequately.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that a tangible copy of a medical record generated from an electronic source will be considered an original for legal purposes. It requires healthcare providers to provide copies of medical records in either tangible or electronic form upon request, and allows auditors from health benefit plans or third-party entities to accept electronic versions of medical records during audits. The provisions of this section also extend to mental health records, ensuring compliance with applicable federal laws regarding the security and confidentiality of personal health information.