This bill amends the rules governing the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals of Arkansas to establish exclusive original jurisdiction for the Court of Appeals over facial constitutional challenges. Specifically, it allows the Court of Appeals to handle cases where a party seeks to declare a provision of an act of the General Assembly, the Arkansas Code, or an administrative rule unconstitutional in all its applications under both the United States and Arkansas Constitutions. The bill also modifies Rule 1-2 of the court rules to reflect this change, ensuring that the procedures for these cases align with those used in circuit court bench trials.

Additionally, the bill makes several amendments to existing rules, including the deletion of certain language regarding appellate jurisdiction and the insertion of new provisions that clarify the process for filing petitions for review and the grounds for such reviews. It specifies that the Supreme Court will only review decisions from the Court of Appeals under certain conditions, such as tie votes or conflicts with prior decisions. The act is set to take effect on November 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Old version HB1832 V2 - 4-7-2025 10:36 AM: 16-13-201(a)
Old version HB1832 Original - 3-18-2025 01:57 PM: 16-13-201(a)
HB 1832: 16-13-201(a)
Act 975: 16-13-201(a)