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 by the Arkansas Municipal League and Arkansas Legislative Audit.

Additionally, the bill outlines the procedures for municipalities in cases of noncompliance with accounting standards. Upon notification of noncompliance, the governing body must require the treasurer to attend the mandated training. The bill also allows municipalities to assign specific accounting duties to other employees or contract with private, qualified individuals if the treasurer does not comply with the training 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)