An act TO PROHIBIT THE POSSESSION OF TOBACCO, TOBACCO 10 PRODUCTS, AND E-CIGARETTES BY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS 11 AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas              As Engrossed: H2/27/25
2 95th General Assembly
                                       A Bill

3 Regular Session, 2025                                            HOUSE BILL 1192

4

5 By: Representative Pilkington

6

7

8                                For An Act To Be Entitled

9       AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE POSSESSION OF TOBACCO, TOBACCO

10      PRODUCTS, AND E-CIGARETTES BY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS

11      AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS; TO REQUIRE THE PARENT OR LEGAL

12      GUARDIAN OF A STUDENT WHO IS FOUND USING, POSSESSING,

13      OR SMOKING TOBACCO, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, OR E-CIGARETTES

14      AT A PUBLIC SCHOOL TO PAY A FINE; AND FOR OTHER

15      PURPOSES.

16

17

18                                     Subtitle

19                       TO PROHIBIT THE POSSESSION OF TOBACCO,

20                       TOBACCO PRODUCTS, AND E-CIGARETTES BY

21                       STUDENTS; AND TO REQUIRE THE PARENT OF A

22                       STUDENT WHO USES, POSSESSES, OR SMOKES

23                       TOBACCO, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, OR E-

24                       CIGARETTES TO PAY A FINE.

25

26 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

27

28      SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 6-21-609(b), concerning the prohibition

29 against smoking tobacco, the use of tobacco or tobacco products, or the use

30 of e-cigarettes at a public school, is amended to read as follows:

31      (b)(1) Smoking tobacco, the use of tobacco or tobacco products, or the

32 use of e-cigarettes is prohibited:

33                       (1)(A) In or on real property owned or leased by a public

34 school district, including a or an open-enrollment public charter school; or

35 and

36                       (2)(B) In or on personal property, including without

    *TNL035*                                                     02-27-2025 11:01:57 TNL035
    As Engrossed: H2/27/25                                                  HB1192

1 limitation school buses, owned or leased by a public school district,

2 including a or an open-enrollment public charter school.

3            (2) The use or possession of tobacco or tobacco products by a

4 public school student or the use or possession of e-cigarettes by a public

5 school student is prohibited:

6            (A) In or on real property owned or leased by a public

7 school district or an open-enrollment public charter school; and

8            (B) In or on personal property, including without

9 limitation school buses, owned or leased by a public school district or an

10 open-enrollment public charter school.

11

12      SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 6-21-609, concerning the prohibition

13 against smoking, the use of tobacco or tobacco products, or the use of e-

14 cigarettes, is amended to add an additional subsection to read as follows:

15      (e)(1) The parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis

16 to a student who is found by the public school district or open-enrollment

17 public charter school to have violated this section shall be subject to the

18 following fines upon the student being found guilty of having violated this

19 section:

20           (A) One hundred dollars ($100) for the first offense;

21           (B) Five hundred dollars ($500) for the second offense;

22 and

23           (C) One thousand dollars ($1,000) for a third or

24 subsequent offense.

25           (2) Any fines collected under subdivision (e)(1) of this section

26 shall be paid to the police department of the town or city in which the

27 public school district or open-enrollment public charter school is located.

28           (3) However, this subsection shall not apply to a student who is

29 in the custody of the Division of Children and Family Services or the

30 Division of Youth Services.

31

32                               /s/Pilkington

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