An act CONCERNING A REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE 10 ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CONCERNING 11 CONTRACTS AWARDED TO BUSINESSES IN OPERATION LESS 12 THAN FIVE YEARS, the official text

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

1 State of Arkansas                              A Bill
2 95th General Assembly

3 Regular Session, 2025                                            HOUSE BILL 1374

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5 By: Representatives Pilkington, J. Richardson

6 By: Senator K. Hammer

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8                         For An Act To Be Entitled

9               AN ACT CONCERNING A REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE

10              ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CONCERNING

11              CONTRACTS AWARDED TO BUSINESSES IN OPERATION LESS

12              THAN FIVE YEARS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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15                                               Subtitle

16                       CONCERNING A REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR OF

17                       THE ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

18                       COMMISSION CONCERNING CONTRACTS AWARDED

19                       TO BUSINESSES IN OPERATION LESS THAN

20                       FIVE YEARS.

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

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24  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 4, Subchapter 2, is amended

25 to add an additional section to read as follows:

26  15-4-221. Report concerning contracts awarded to businesses in

27 operation less than five years.

28  (a) By January 1 of each year, the Director of the Arkansas Economic

29 Development Commission shall file an annual report that includes without

30 limitation:

31              (1) The number and total dollar amount of state contracts

32 awarded to businesses that have been in operation for less than five (5)

33 years, including a breakdown by demographic segments and geographic areas

34 throughout the state;

35              (2) The percentage of the total number of state contracts

36 awarded to businesses that have been in operation for less than five (5)

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                                                                    HB1374

1 years compared to the total number of state contracts awarded;

2   (3) The percentage of the total dollar amount of state contracts

3 awarded to businesses that have been in operation for less than five (5)

4 years compared to the total dollar amount of state contracts awarded; and

5   (4) Recommendations on improving access to state contracts for

6 Arkansas businesses that have been in operation for less than five (5) years,

7 including without limitation businesses in statistically underrepresented

8 demographic segments and geographic areas of Arkansas.

9   (b) The annual report under subsection (a) of this section shall be

10 filed with the:

11  (1) Governor;

12  (2) House Committee on Insurance and Commerce; and

13  (3) Senate Committee on Insurance and Commerce.

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15  SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE. The first annual

16 report under � 15-4-221 is due by January 1, 2027.

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