The bill amends various sections of Arkansas campaign finance and ethics laws, specifically targeting the acceptance and reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures. Notably, it introduces a prohibition on prospective contributors, excluding certain specified individuals, from making contributions to candidates or their representatives. Additionally, it clarifies that candidates or officeholders assessed fines by the Arkansas Ethics Commission cannot use campaign funds to pay these fines, and it modifies the language regarding the reporting of remaining campaign funds, ensuring that candidates must continue filing reports if they retain or raise funds after an election.

Further amendments include changes to the registration and reporting requirements for political action committees and independent expenditure committees, lowering the threshold for registration from $500 to $200 in contributions. The bill also establishes new provisions for the reuse of campaign materials and mandates that such materials clearly state who paid for them. Lastly, it adds a requirement for executive directors of education service cooperatives to file their financial interest statements with the county clerk, thereby expanding the scope of financial disclosure in the state.

Statutes affected:
Old version SB351 V2 - 3-5-2025 02:48 PM: 7-6-203(a), 7-6-203(f), 7-6-203(g), 7-6-206(a), 7-6-207(a), 7-6-207(b), 7-6-208(b), 7-6-209(b), 7-6-215(d), 7-6-216(c), 7-6-220(a), 7-6-227(a), 7-6-228(c), 7-9-402(2), 7-9-402(10), 7-9-409(a), 21-8-703(a)
Old version SB351 Original - 2-28-2025 01:29 PM: 7-6-203(a), 7-6-203(f), 7-6-203(g), 7-6-206(a), 7-6-207(a), 7-6-207(b), 7-6-208(b), 7-6-209(b), 7-6-215(d), 7-6-216(c), 7-6-216(d), 7-6-220(a), 7-6-227(a), 7-6-228(c), 7-9-402(2), 7-9-402(10), 7-9-409(a), 21-8-703(a)
SB 351: 7-6-203(a), 7-6-203(f), 7-6-203(g), 7-6-206(a), 7-6-207(a), 7-6-207(b), 7-6-208(b), 7-6-209(b), 7-6-215(d), 7-6-216(c), 7-6-216(d), 7-6-220(a), 7-6-227(a), 7-6-228(c), 7-9-402(2), 7-9-402(10), 7-9-409(a), 21-8-703(a)
Act 592: 7-6-203(a), 7-6-203(f), 7-6-203(g), 7-6-206(a), 7-6-207(a), 7-6-207(b), 7-6-208(b), 7-6-209(b), 7-6-215(d), 7-6-216(c), 7-6-220(a), 7-6-227(a), 7-6-228(c), 7-9-402(2), 7-9-402(10), 7-9-409(a), 21-8-703(a)