This bill amends the Freedom of Information Act of 1967 and introduces new provisions regarding the actions of governing bodies in relation to the issuance of bonds. Specifically, it establishes that if a circuit court finds a governing body or its member has violated the law concerning bond issuance, the court can only invalidate the action within thirty days of its occurrence. If the court's finding occurs after this period, the governing body must remedy the violation within thirty days by providing notice, disclosing the violation at a public meeting, and authorizing the action in question. Additionally, the bill imposes a civil penalty of $1,000 on each responsible member of the governing body, which must be paid to the claimant and cannot be satisfied with public funds.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies that the remedies provided are supplemental to other available remedies under the existing law. It also defines "bonds" to include various debt-related instruments as per the Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 78. Importantly, the effectiveness of this bill is contingent upon the enactment of SB227 by the Ninety-Fifth General Assembly; if SB227 does not become law, the provisions of this bill will not take effect.

Statutes affected:
Old version SB614 V2 - 4-9-2025 09:23 AM: 25-19-106
Old version SB614 V3 - 4-9-2025 01:22 PM: 25-19-106
Old version SB614 Original - 4-2-2025 05:11 PM: 25-19-106
SB 614: 25-19-106
Act 992: 25-19-106