The proposed legislation aims to establish two new criminal offenses in Arkansas: human smuggling and harboring illegal immigrants. Under the new Chapter 80 of the Arkansas Code, a person commits the offense of human smuggling if they knowingly transport individuals who have unlawfully entered the United States and have not been inspected by the government. Each instance of transportation constitutes a separate offense, with penalties set as a Class D felony for a first offense and a Class C felony for subsequent offenses.

Similarly, the bill defines the offense of harboring illegal immigrants as knowingly concealing or shielding individuals who have entered the U.S. unlawfully. Like human smuggling, each act of harboring is treated as a separate offense, with the same classification of penalties: a Class D felony for a first offense and a Class C felony for any subsequent offenses. This legislation seeks to enhance the legal framework surrounding immigration enforcement in the state.