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 As Engrossed: S3/12/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1348
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5 By: Representatives Warren, K. Moore
6 By: Senator K. Hammer
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SURVIVOR BENEFITS
10 FOR THE DEPENDENT CHILD OF A MEMBER OF THE ARKANSAS
11 PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM OR A MEMBER OF
12 THE STATE POLICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM; TO DECLARE AN
13 EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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15
16 Subtitle
17 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SURVIVOR
18 BENEFITS FOR THE DEPENDENT CHILD OF A
19 MEMBER OF THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES'
20 RETIREMENT SYSTEM OR A MEMBER OF THE
21 STATE POLICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM; AND TO
22 DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
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24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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26 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 24-4-608(d)(2), regarding benefits for a
27 deceased member's surviving child in the Arkansas Public Employees'
28 Retirement System, is amended to read as follows:
29 (2)(A) A child is considered a dependent child as used in
30 subdivision (d)(1) of this section and for purposes of receiving a child
31 survivor's annuity until the child's death, marriage, or attainment of
32 eighteen (18) twenty-three (23) years of age, whichever occurs first.
33 (B)(i) However, the age-eighteen maximum shall be extended
34 as long as the child continues uninterruptedly being a full-time student at
35 an accredited secondary school, college, or university, but in no event
36 beyond his or her attainment of twenty-three (23) years of age.
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1 (ii) In addition, the age-eighteen The twenty-three maximum age
2 shall be extended for any child who has been deemed physically or mentally
3 incompetent by an Arkansas court of competent jurisdiction or by the Board of
4 Trustees of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System, for as long as
5 the incompetency exists.
6
7 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 24-6-216(d), regarding benefits for a
8 deceased retiree's surviving child in the State Police Retirement System Tier
9 One benefit plan, is amended to read as follows:
10 (d)(1)(A) A child shall be a dependent child until his or her death,
11 his or her marriage, or his or her attainment of eighteen (18) twenty-three
12 (23) years of age, whichever occurs first.
13 (B)(i) However, the age-eighteen maximum shall be extended
14 as long as the child is continuously enrolled as a full-time student at an
15 accredited secondary school or accredited postsecondary institution of higher
16 education, but in no event beyond his or her attainment of twenty-three (23)
17 years of age.
18 (ii) The eighteen-year twenty-three-year maximum age
19 shall also be extended for any child who has been deemed physically or
20 mentally incompetent by a court with jurisdiction over the individual or by
21 the Board of Trustees of the State Police Retirement System, for as long as
22 the incompetency exists.
23 (2) Once a child ceases to be dependent, his or her annuity
24 shall terminate and there shall be a redetermination of the amount payable to
25 any remaining dependent children.
26 (3) The board is authorized to establish through rules a means
27 of verification of enrollment in a secondary school or postsecondary
28 institution of higher education by a surviving dependent child under this
29 section for purposes of pension benefits.
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31 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 24-6-217(e)(1)(A) and (B), regarding
32 benefits for a deceased member's surviving child before retirement in the
33 State Police Retirement System, are amended to read as follows:
34 (e)(1)(A) A child is a dependent child for purposes of receiving a
35 survivor's annuity until the child's death, marriage, or attainment of
36 eighteen (18) twenty-three (23) years of age, whichever occurs first.
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1 (B)(i) However, the age-eighteen maximum shall be extended
2 as long as the child is continuously enrolled as a full-time student at an
3 accredited secondary school or accredited postsecondary institution of higher
4 education, but in no event beyond his or her attainment of twenty-three (23)
5 years of age.
6 (ii) The age-eighteen The twenty-three maximum age
7 shall also be extended for any child who has been deemed physically or
8 mentally incompetent by a court with jurisdiction over the individual or by
9 the Board of Trustees of the State Police Retirement System, for as long as
10 the incompetency exists.
11
12 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code � 24-6-411(d)(3), regarding benefits for a
13 deceased member's surviving child in the State Police Retirement System Tier
14 Two Benefit Plan, is amended to read as follows:
15 (d)(3)(A) A child is considered a dependent child as used in
16 subdivision (d)(1) of this section and for purposes of receiving a survivor's
17 annuity until the child's death, marriage, or attainment of eighteen (18)
18 twenty-three (23) years of age, whichever occurs first.
19 (B)(i) However, the age-eighteen maximum shall be extended
20 as long as the child continues uninterruptedly being a full-time student at
21 an accredited secondary school, college, or university but in no event beyond
22 his or her attainment of twenty-three (23) years of age.
23 (ii) The age-eighteen twenty-three maximum age shall
24 be extended for any child who has been deemed physically or mentally
25 incompetent by an Arkansas court of competent jurisdiction or by the Board of
26 Trustees of the State Police Retirement System for as long as the
27 incompetency exists.
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29 SECTION 5. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
30 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that certain provisions of the law
31 related to the extension of benefits to surviving children of members of the
32 Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Police Retirement
33 System are in need of revision and updating to streamline the provision of
34 support for beneficiaries; that the respective retirement systems operate on
35 a fiscal calendar year of July 1 to June 30; that having a July 1, 2025,
36 effective date is necessary to allow the provisions within this act to begin
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As Engrossed: S3/12/25 HB1348
1 on the first day of the fiscal year to provide proper administration of the
2 procedures herein; that such revisions and updating are of great importance
3 for actuarial purposes and to protect the benefits to members of the Arkansas
4 Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Police Retirement System;
5 and that this act is immediately necessary in order to maintain an orderly
6 system of benefits for the members of the Arkansas Public Employees'
7 Retirement System and the State Police Retirement System. Therefore, an
8 emergency is declared to exist and this act being necessary for the
9 preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective
10 on July 1, 2025.
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12 /s/Warren
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4 03-12-2025 14:04:29 LJH118Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.