Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
                                           Act 734 of the Regular Session
 1   State of Arkansas                    As Engrossed:       H4/1/21
 2   93rd General Assembly                        A Bill
 3   Regular Session, 2021                                                             HOUSE BILL 1728
 4
 5   By: Representatives Godfrey, Clowney, A. Collins
 6   By: Senators B. Davis, G. Leding
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 8                                      For An Act To Be Entitled
 9                  AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW RELATED TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE;
10                  TO ALLOW CAMPAIGN FUNDS TO PAY CHILDCARE EXPENSES; TO
11                  AMEND PORTIONS OF INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1990 AND
12                  INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1996; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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15                                                 Subtitle
16                           TO AMEND THE LAW RELATED TO CAMPAIGN
17                           FINANCE; TO ALLOW CAMPAIGN FUNDS TO PAY
18                           CHILDCARE EXPENSES; AND TO AMEND PORTIONS
19                           OF INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1990 AND INITIATED
20                           ACT 1 OF 1996.
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23   BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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25          SECTION 1.        Arkansas Code  7-6-203(f)(2), concerning the
26   contributions, limitations, and use of campaign funds and carryover campaign
27   funds and resulting from Initiated Act 1 of 1990 and Initiated Act 1 of 1996,
28   is amended to read as follows:
29                  (2)      A candidate shall not take any campaign funds as income for
30   his or her spouse or dependent children, except that:
31                           (A)   This subsection shall not prohibit a candidate who has
32   an opponent from employing his or her spouse or dependent children as
33   campaign workers;
34                           (B)   The use of campaign funds to pay a candidate's
35   childcare expenses shall not be considered a taking of campaign funds as
36   personal income if the campaign funds are used to pay for childcare for the
     *MLD038*                                                                    04-01-2021 11:31:09 MLD038
     As Engrossed:   H4/1/21                                                   HB1728
 1   time the candidate is engaging in campaign activity and the childcare
 2   expenses would not exist in the absence of the campaign; and
 3                     (B)(C)   Any candidate who has an opponent and who, during
 4   the campaign and before the election, takes a leave of absence without pay
 5   from his or her primary place of employment shall be authorized to take
 6   campaign funds during the campaign and before the election as personal income
 7   up to the amount of employment income lost as a result of such the leave of
 8   absence.
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10                                     /s/Godfrey
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13                                  APPROVED: 4/15/21
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