The bill aims to enhance the reporting requirements for institutions of higher education regarding students with disabilities. It introduces a new section, 6-60-123, which mandates that eligible institutions report annually to the Division of Higher Education on the number of students registered to receive accommodations for disabilities. This report must include key data such as the total number of students registered for accommodations, the percentage of these students relative to the total undergraduate population, and the number of degrees awarded to these students. However, institutions are exempt from reporting if the number of students with disabilities is less than three percent of the total student population or if reporting would disclose personally identifiable information.

Additionally, the bill amends the Comprehensive Arkansas Higher Education Annual Report to include data on students with disabilities as specified in the new section. This change is intended to address the lack of statewide data on postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities, which hinders efforts to connect these students to the workforce and improve their educational and career outcomes. The overall goal is to ensure that significant data is collected to better support students with disabilities in higher education.

Statutes affected:
Old version HB1728 Original - 3-10-2025 03:50 PM: 6-60-703(b)
Old version HB1728 V2 - 4-1-2025 10:09 AM: 6-60-703(b)
HB 1728: 6-60-703(b)
Act 906: 6-60-703(b)