The Arkansas Guidance Out of the Darkness Act aims to enhance transparency and accountability within state agencies by requiring them to publish federal guidance documents online. This new legislation mandates that state agencies create a dedicated webpage on their publicly accessible websites to display any federal guidance documents they receive that may influence their decision-making, enforcement, or implementation of state laws. Agencies must publish these documents within thirty days of receipt, along with a summary of their content and potential impact. Additionally, if a federal guidance document is marked as confidential, agencies are required to notify the public of its existence and seek clarification on what can be disclosed.

The Act also outlines exemptions for certain types of documents, such as those classified under executive orders or exempted from disclosure by federal statutes. It establishes a compliance framework, with the director of each state agency responsible for overseeing adherence to the Act, and the Auditor of State tasked with conducting annual reviews of compliance. The legislation emphasizes the importance of public access to federal guidance documents to foster trust in government operations.