Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas A Bill
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3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1157
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5 By: Representative Perry
6 By: Senator J. Boyd
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SURVIVOR ANNUITY
10 BENEFITS FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN UNDER THE ARKANSAS
11 TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY;
12 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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14
15 Subtitle
16 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SURVIVOR
17 ANNUITY BENEFITS FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN
18 UNDER THE ARKANSAS TEACHER RETIREMENT
19 SYSTEM; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
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21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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23 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 24-7-710(c)(2), concerning survivor annuity
24 benefits for dependent children under the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System,
25 is amended to read as follows:
26 (2)(A) A deceased active member's child shall be considered a
27 dependent child and eligible for the dependent child annuity until he or she
28 reaches eighteen (18) twenty-two (22) years of age.
29 (B)(i) A deceased active member's child shall be
30 considered a dependent child who is eligible for a dependent child annuity if
31 the child:
32 (a) Is at least eighteen (18) years of age and
33 not older than twenty-two (22) years of age; and
34 (b) Stays continuously enrolled as a full-time
35 student in an accredited secondary school, college, university, or
36 vocational-technical school.
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1 (ii) Notwithstanding subdivision (c)(2)(B)(i)(b) of
2 this section, a dependent child who enrolls in an accredited college,
3 university, or vocational-technical school and defers his or her enrollment
4 in accordance with rules promulgated by the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas
5 Teacher Retirement System shall remain eligible to receive a dependent child
6 annuity during his or her period of deferred enrollment.
7 (C)(B) Regardless of age, a deceased active member's child
8 who has been deemed physically or mentally incapacitated by a court of
9 competent jurisdiction is eligible to receive a dependent child annuity for
10 as long as the incapacity exists.
11 (D)(i) A dependent child may have his or her dependent
12 child annuity temporarily suspended if the dependent child:
13 (a) Is called to active military duty or
14 active military training; and
15 (b) Submits a copy of his or her military
16 orders to the system.
17 (ii) The dependent child's dependent child annuity
18 shall be temporarily suspended for the duration of the dependent child's
19 participation in active military duty or active military duty training.
20 (iii) The dependent child's dependent child annuity
21 shall be reinstated if the dependent child:
22 (a) Is at least eighteen (18) years of age and
23 not older than twenty-two (22) years of age;
24 (b) Immediately enrolls as a full-time student
25 at an accredited secondary school, college, university, or vocational-
26 technical school after returning from active military duty or active military
27 training; and
28 (c) Submits documentation of his or her
29 enrollment at an accredited secondary school, college, university, or
30 vocational-technical school to the system.
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32 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 24-7-710(g), concerning eligibility to
33 receive a dependent child annuity under the Arkansas Teacher Retirement
34 System, is amended to read as follows:
35 (g)(1) A dependent child annuity shall be payable to each surviving
36 child of a retiree who dies after returning to work if the child qualifies as
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1 a dependent child and is eligible for a dependent child annuity under this
2 section and the rules and resolutions of the system or a disability retiree
3 if the surviving child:
4 (A) Is eligible for a dependent child annuity under this
5 section and the rules of the system; and
6 (B) Has not been designated as an option beneficiary of
7 the retiree who dies after returning to work or the disability retiree.
8 (2) The provisions of this section that are applicable to the
9 child of an active member shall be used to determine:
10 (A) Whether the child of a retiree who dies after
11 returning to work or the child of a disability retiree qualifies as a
12 dependent child who is eligible for a dependent child annuity;
13 (B) When the dependent child annuity is payable to the
14 child of a retiree who dies after returning to work or the child of a
15 disability retiree; and
16 (C) The amount of the dependent child annuity payable to
17 the child of a retiree who dies after returning to work or the child of a
18 disability retiree.
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20 SECTION 3. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
21 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the operations of a state
22 public retirement system are complex; that the Arkansas Teacher Retirement
23 System must be able to meet the needs of its members as anticipated by the
24 General Assembly; that certain provisions of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement
25 System Act, � 24-7-201 et seq., need immediate revision and updating to
26 address administrative complexities caused by these provisions and to bring
27 these provisions into conformance with sound public pension policy and
28 actuarial requirements; that the revisions and updates are of great
29 importance to members of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System and to other
30 citizens of the State of Arkansas; that as the Arkansas Teacher Retirement
31 System operates on a fiscal year of July 1 to June 30, a July 1, 2025,
32 effective date is necessary in order to allow the provisions within this act
33 to begin on the first day of the fiscal year and to allow for a structured
34 and proper administration of the procedures referenced in this act; that the
35 updates and revisions to the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System Act are of
36 great importance and necessary for protecting member benefits and clarifying
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1 the reporting and contribution requirements of employers participating in the
2 Arkansas Teacher Retirement System; and that this act is necessary in order
3 to maintain an orderly system of benefits for the members of the Arkansas
4 Teacher Retirement System. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and
5 this act being necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health,
6 and safety, shall become effective on July 1, 2025.
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4 01/16/2025 9:31:17 AM LJH001Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.