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: H3/6/25 H3/17/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1582
4
5 By: Representatives McAlindon, Rose, Underwood
6 By: Senator J. English
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES
10 LAW; TO REQUIRE THE STATE-MAINTAINED JOB BOARD TO
11 MATCH AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A JOB; TO ENCOURAGE AN
12 INDIVIDUAL TO APPLY FOR A JOB AS PART OF HIS OR HER
13 WORK SEARCH CONTACTS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
14
15
16 Subtitle
17 TO REQUIRE CERTAIN ACTIONS AND ENCOURAGE
18 CERTAIN ACTIONS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE
19 ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS UNDER THE DIVISION
20 OF WORKFORCE SERVICES LAW.
21
22 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
23
24 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 11-10-507(a)(2), concerning the
25 registration and reporting requirement for eligibility for benefits under the
26 Division of Workforce Services Law, is amended to read as follows:
27 (2) Registration and Reporting. He or she has registered for
28 work at and thereafter continued to report to a Division of Workforce
29 Services office in accordance with such rules as the director may prescribe,
30 and has created an account on the state-maintained job board listing his or
31 her work experience, credentials or licenses held or earned, and any relevant
32 job information. The director, by rule, may waive or alter either or both of
33 the requirements of this subdivision (a)(2) as to individuals attached to
34 regular jobs and as to such other types of cases or situations with respect
35 to which he or she finds that compliance with these requirements would be
36 oppressive or would be inconsistent with the purpose of this chapter.
*CRH064* 03-17-2025 12:14:07 CRH064
As Engrossed: H3/6/25 H3/17/25 HB1582
1 However, no such rules shall conflict with � 11-10-501;
2
3 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 11-10-507(b), concerning required work
4 search contacts under the Division of Workforce Services Law, is amended to
5 read as follows:
6 (b)(1)(A) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(3) of this section, the
7 division shall require at least five (5) work search contacts per week in
8 which an individual submits a claim for benefits.
9 (B) An individual submitting a claim for benefits shall
10 report to the division the five (5) work search contacts made during the week
11 required under subdivision (b)(1)(A) of this section as part of the weekly
12 certification process.
13 (2)(A)(i) The state-maintained job board shall match open jobs
14 posted on the state-maintained job board with an individual submitting a
15 claim for benefits.
16 (ii) As used in this section, "match" means that the
17 qualifications of the individual correspond to at least seventy-five percent
18 (75%) of the requirements of the open job, as calculated by the state-
19 maintained job board.
20 (B)(i) An individual who matches with five (5) or more
21 open jobs on the state-maintained job board is encouraged to apply to the top
22 ranked five (5) open jobs to meet the requirements of his or her work search
23 contacts under subdivision (b)(1) of this section.
24 (ii) An individual who matches with fewer than five
25 (5) open jobs is encouraged to apply to those matching open jobs as well as
26 any other open jobs on the state-maintained job board to meet the
27 requirements of his or her work search contacts under subdivision (b)(1) of
28 this section.
29 (3) If an individual fails to complete and report the number of
30 work search contacts required under subdivision (b)(1) of this section during
31 a week in which he or she submits a claim for benefits, the individual is not
32 eligible for benefits for that week.
33 (3)(4) The division shall audit at least one hundred (100) of
34 all weekly work search reports for work search verification each week.
35
36 SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This act is effective on and after January
2 03-17-2025 12:14:07 CRH064
As Engrossed: H3/6/25 H3/17/25 HB1582
03-17-2025 12:14:07 CRH064
1 1, 2026. /s/McAlindon
2 3
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.