The bill amends the Arkansas Municipal Accounting Law to enhance the responsibilities of municipal treasurers and establish mandatory training requirements. It stipulates that all municipal treasurers, whether elected or appointed, must complete eight hours of training provided by the Arkansas Municipal League in cooperation with Arkansas Legislative Audit within 180 days of taking office. Failure to complete this training will result in the municipality being deemed noncompliant until the training is completed. The curriculum for this training will be developed collaboratively by the Arkansas Municipal League and Arkansas Legislative Audit.

Additionally, the bill outlines the procedures for addressing noncompliance with accounting standards. Upon notification of noncompliance, the governing body of the municipality is required to mandate the treasurer to attend the necessary training. The bill also allows for the assignment of specific duties to other employees or private, qualified individuals if the municipal treasurer does not comply with the accounting requirements. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
SB 553: 14-59-115, 14-59-117(b), 14-59-117(c)
Act 671: 14-59-115, 14-59-117(b), 14-59-117(c)