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: H2/20/25 S3/3/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1369
4
5 By: Representative Ray
6 By: Senator J. Dotson
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MAXIMUM
10 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMIT BY THE ARKANSAS ETHICS
11 COMMISSION; AMENDING PORTIONS OF LAW RESULTING FROM
12 INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1990 AND INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1996;
13 DECLARING AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
14
15
16 Subtitle
17 CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
18 MAXIMUM CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMIT BY
19 THE ARKANSAS ETHICS COMMISSION; AMENDING
20 PORTIONS OF LAW RESULTING FROM INITIATED
21 ACTS; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
22
23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
24
25 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 7-6-203(a)(1)(A), concerning campaign
26 contribution limitations and resulting from Initiated Act 1 of 1990 and
27 Initiated Act 1 of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
28 (a)(1)(A) It shall be unlawful for any candidate for any public office
29 or for any person acting on the candidate's behalf to accept campaign
30 contributions in excess of the maximum campaign contribution level limit
31 established by rule of the Arkansas Ethics Commission under subsection (i) of
32 this section per election from:
33 (i) An individual;
34 (ii) A political party that meets the definition of a
35 political party under � 7-1-101;
36 (iii) A political party that meets the requirements
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1 of � 7-7-205;
2 (iv) A county political party committee;
3 (v) A legislative caucus committee; or
4 (vi) An approved political action committee.
5
6 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 7-6-203(b)(1)(A), concerning campaign
7 contribution limitations and resulting from Initiated Act 1 of 1990 and
8 Initiated Act 1 of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
9 (b)(1)(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to make a contribution
10 to a candidate for any public office or to any person acting on the
11 candidate's behalf, which in the aggregate amount exceeds the maximum
12 campaign contribution limit established by rule of the Arkansas Ethics
13 Commission per election.
14
15 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 7-6-203(i), concerning the establishment of
16 the maximum campaign contribution limit, is amended to read as follows:
17 (i)(1) The Arkansas Ethics Commission shall establish the maximum
18 campaign contribution limit by rule as follows:
19 (1)(A) The adjusted maximum campaign contribution limit
20 shall be calculated from a base amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000) as of
21 January 1, 2015;
22 (2)(B)(i) The contribution limits maximum campaign
23 contribution limit shall be adjusted at the beginning of each odd-numbered
24 year in an amount equal to the percentage certified to the Federal Election
25 Commission by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics United States
26 Secretary of Labor under 52 U.S.C. � 30116(c) as existing on January 1, 2015:
27 2025.
28 (ii) The adjustment under subdivision (i)(1)(B)(i)
29 of this section shall occur as soon as practicable following the
30 certification to the Federal Election Commission by the United States
31 Secretary of Labor, but no later than the later of:
32 (a) Thirty (30) days following the
33 certification; or
34 (b) The next regularly scheduled meeting of
35 the Arkansas Ethics Commission.
36 (3)(C) If the amount of the maximum campaign contribution
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1 limit after adjustment under subdivision (i)(2)(i)(1)(B) of this section is
2 not a multiple of one hundred dollars ($100), the Arkansas Ethics Commission
3 shall round the amount to the nearest multiple of one hundred dollars ($100);
4 and.
5 (4)(2)(A) The Arkansas Ethics Commission shall promulgate rules
6 identifying the adjusted contribution limit under this subsection:
7 (i) Publish the maximum campaign contribution limit
8 established under subdivision (i)(1) of this section on the official website
9 of the Arkansas Ethics Commission and in any other location or format deemed
10 necessary by the Arkansas Ethics Commission; and
11 (ii) Make the maximum campaign contribution limit
12 established under subdivision (i)(1) of this section available to the
13 Secretary of State, elected public officials, candidates, committees under
14 this subchapter, and the public.
15 (B) The maximum campaign contribution limit established under
16 subdivision (i)(1) of this section shall be:
17 (i) Effective upon being published upon the official
18 website of the Arkansas Ethics Commission; and
19 (ii) Retroactive to the date of the certification to
20 the Federal Election Commission by the United States Secretary of Labor under
21 subdivision (i)(1)(B)(i) of this section.
22 (C) The maximum campaign contribution limit established under
23 subdivision (i)(1) of this section:
24 (i) Is not a rule under �� 10-3-309 and 25-15-202;
25 and
26 (ii) Shall not be promulgated under the Arkansas
27 Administrative Procedure Act, � 25-15-201 et seq.
28
29 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code � 10-3-309(b)(1)(B), concerning the review
30 and approval of state agency rules, is amended to add an additional
31 subdivision to read as follows:
32 (vi) An adjustment to the maximum campaign
33 contribution limit under � 7-6-203(i).
34
35 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code � 25-15-202(9)(B), concerning the definition
36 of "rule" in the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act, is amended to add an
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1 additional subdivision to read as follows:
2 (ix) An adjustment to the maximum campaign
3 contribution limit under � 7-6-203(i).
4
5 SECTION 6. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
6 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that standardizing the laws related
7 to campaign finance contributes significantly to the public peace, health,
8 and safety of the citizens of the State of Arkansas; that the public peace,
9 health, and safety is negatively affected by unclear campaign finance laws
10 which lead to unintentional violations of the law and inhibit the ability of
11 citizens to exercise their right to political expression; that this act
12 preserves the public peace, health, and safety by ensuring that political
13 donors, political candidates, and elected officials are free from unintended
14 limits of their political expression by providing a more efficient and
15 transparent manner of establishing the state's maximum campaign contribution
16 limit; and that this act also preserves the public peace, health, and safety
17 by eliminating unnecessary rulemaking processes, thereby avoiding the use of
18 public funds in that rulemaking that can be allocated to other pressing needs
19 of the state. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and this act
20 being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health,
21 and safety shall become effective on:
22 (1) The date of its approval by the Governor;
23 (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor,
24 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the
25 bill; or
26 (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is
27 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.
28
29 /s/Ray
30
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4 03-03-2025 13:50:58 MBM125Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.