The bill amends existing laws regarding fraud against the government to specifically include fraud against state-supported retirement systems. It establishes that it is unlawful for a person to knowingly make material false statements or representations to these retirement systems for the purpose of obtaining benefits or manipulating claims. Upon conviction, such actions are classified as a Class D felony, which is a significant increase in penalty compared to previous classifications. The bill also mandates that any violations found by a state-supported retirement system can be referred for investigation to the Attorney General or the Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney.

Additionally, the bill revises penalties for making false statements or falsifying records in relation to various state retirement systems, including the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System and the Arkansas Judicial Retirement System, aligning them with the new Class D felony classification. An emergency clause is included, emphasizing the urgent need for these revisions to protect the integrity of state-supported retirement systems and ensure timely legal action against fraudsters. The act will take effect immediately upon approval by the Governor or after the designated veto period.

Statutes affected:
Old version HB1317 V2 - 2-5-2025 09:24 AM: 5-55-301, 02-05-2025, 24-4-102, 24-6-202
Old version HB1317 Original - 1-30-2025 10:54 AM: 5-55-301, 24-4-102, 24-6-202
HB 1317: 5-55-301, 24-4-102, 24-6-202
Act 112: 5-55-301, 02-05-2025, 24-4-102, 24-6-202