The bill amends various laws related to higher education in Arkansas, primarily focusing on the repeal of affirmative action program requirements at institutions of higher education. Specifically, it repeals the requirement for affirmative action program summaries to be included in the Comprehensive Arkansas Higher Education Annual Report, as well as the laws mandating the preparation of affirmative action plans and annual reports by state-supported institutions. Additionally, the bill removes provisions related to the duplication of services between institutions and certain reporting requirements concerning remediation costs.

Furthermore, the bill makes several amendments to existing laws, including changes to the contents of the Comprehensive Arkansas Higher Education Annual Report, which will now include financial condition reports and economic development goals, while omitting references to affirmative action plans. It also updates the list of institutions exempt from certain construction project regulations and modifies definitions and provisions related to employee compensation and sick leave for state-supported institutions. Overall, the bill aims to streamline reporting and compliance requirements for higher education institutions in Arkansas.

Statutes affected:
SB 417: 6-60-703(b), 6-61-141, 6-61-221(d), 6-62-314, 19-4-1415(b), 6-62-606(b), 6-63-103, 6-63-321, 6-64-218, 19-4-1415(c), 21-4-203(12), 21-4-503, 21-4-501, 21-4-504, 6-58-105, 6-59-105, 21-4-505, 24-4-101, 21-4-207, 22-2-114(c)
Act 402: 6-60-703(b), 6-61-141, 6-61-221(d), 6-62-314, 19-4-1415(b), 6-62-606(b), 6-63-103, 6-63-321, 6-64-218, 19-4-1415(c), 21-4-203(12), 21-4-503, 21-4-501, 21-4-504, 6-58-105, 6-59-105, 21-4-505, 24-4-101, 21-4-207, 22-2-114(c)