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: H3/10/25 S3/17/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1633
4
5 By: Representatives Brooks, Evans, M. Shepherd, Hawk, McGruder
6 By: Senators Hester, J. English
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR
10 HOMESCHOOLED STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN
11 INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ATHLETIC
12 ACTIVITIES AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS; TO
13 AMEND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS WHO
14 TRANSFER SCHOOLS UNDER THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY
15 PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT TO PARTICIPATE IN
16 EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES; TO AMEND ELIGIBILITY
17 REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER SCHOOLS UNDER
18 THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015 TO PARTICIPATE
19 IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES; TO DECLARE AN
20 EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
21
22
23 Subtitle
24 TO AMEND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR
25 PARTICIPATING IN EXTRACURRICULAR
26 ACTIVITIES FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS WHO
27 TRANSFER SCHOOLS; AND TO DECLARE AN
28 EMERGENCY.
29
30 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
31
32 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 6-15-509(c)(1)(B)(iii), concerning the
33 requirements of a homeschooled student to participate in an interscholastic
34 activity at a public school, is amended to read as follows:
35 (iii)(a) A homeschooled student may begin
36 participating in an interscholastic activity that is an athletic activity at
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1 a public school other than his or her resident school immediately upon being
2 approved to participate if the homeschooled student is approved to
3 participate by July 1June 1 of the school year for which the homeschooled
4 student will be enrolled in grade seven (7), eight (8), nine (9), or ten
5 (10).
6 (b) If a homeschooled student is not approved
7 to participate in an interscholastic activity that is a varsity athletic
8 activity by June 1 of the school year for which he or she will be enrolled in
9 grade seven (7), eight (8), nine (9), or ten (10), then the homeschooled
10 student shall not be eligible to participate in the interscholastic activity
11 that is a varsity athletic activity at an Arkansas Activities Association
12 member school for up to three hundred sixty-five (365) days.
13
14 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 6-15-509(h), concerning eligibility of
15 homeschooled students to participate in certain interscholastic activities at
16 a public school district upon withdrawing from an Arkansas Activities
17 Association member school, is amended to read as follows:
18 (h)(1)(A) A student who withdraws from an Arkansas Activities
19 Association member school and enrolls in a home school shall immediately be
20 eligible to participate in any interscholastic activity at a the homeschooled
21 student's resident public school district if the homeschooled student is
22 approved to participate by June 1 of the school year for which the
23 homeschooled student will be enrolled in grade seven (7), eight (8), nine
24 (9), or ten (10).
25 (B)(i) However, a homeschooled student shall not be
26 eligible to participate in an interscholastic activity that is a varsity
27 sport athletic activity in the homeschooled student's resident public school
28 district if he or she withdrew from an interscholastic activity that is a
29 varsity sport athletic activity at the resident public school district during
30 the previous three hundred sixty-five (365) days.
31 (ii) A homeschooled student who is not eligible to
32 participate in an interscholastic activity under this subsection may
33 participate in tryouts, practices, classes, or other endeavors associated
34 with the interscholastic activity.
35 (2) A homeschooled student who has not withdrawn from an
36 Arkansas Activities Association member school may begin participating in an
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1 interscholastic activity in a the homeschooled student's resident public
2 school district immediately upon being approved to participate by the
3 resident public school district if the homeschooled student is approved to
4 participate by June 1 of the school year for which the homeschooled student
5 will be enrolled in grade seven (7), eight (8), nine (9), or ten (10).
6
7 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 6-15-510(e) and (f), concerning eligibility
8 of homeschooled students to participate in certain interscholastic activities
9 at a private school upon withdrawing from an Arkansas Activities Association
10 member school, are amended to read as follows:
11 (e)(1)(A) A student who withdraws from an Arkansas Activities
12 Association member school to be homeschooled shall be immediately eligible to
13 participate in any interscholastic activity in a private school.
14 (B) However, a homeschooled student shall not be eligible
15 to participate in an interscholastic activity that is a varsity sport
16 athletic activity in the a private school if he or she withdrew from an
17 interscholastic activity that is a varsity sport athletic activity at an
18 Arkansas Activities Association member school during the previous three
19 hundred sixty-five (365) days.
20 (2) A student who has not withdrawn from an Arkansas Activities
21 Association member school to become homeschooled may begin participating in
22 an interscholastic activity in a private school immediately upon being
23 approved to participate if the homeschooled student is approved to
24 participate by the private school by June 1 of the school year for which the
25 homeschooled student will be enrolled in grade seven (7), eight (8), nine
26 (9), or ten (10).
27 (f)(1) A homeschooled student approved under subsection (b) of this
28 section to participate in interscholastic activities at a private school may
29 begin participating in an interscholastic activity that is an athletic
30 activity immediately upon being if the homeschooled student is approved to
31 participate by July 1 the private school by June 1 of the school year for
32 which the homeschooled student will be participating in the interscholastic
33 activity and enrolled in grade seven (7), eight (8), nine (9), or ten (10).
34 (2) A homeschooled student approved under subsection (b) of this
35 section may immediately participate in rehearsals, tryouts, practices,
36 auditions, classes, or other endeavors associated with the interscholastic
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1 activity that is an athletic activity if the homeschooled student meets the
2 requirements under subdivision (f)(1) of this section.
3 (3) If an interscholastic activity is not an athletic activity,
4 a homeschooled student approved under subsection (b) of this section to
5 participate in interscholastic activities at a private school may begin
6 participating in the interscholastic activities that are not athletic
7 activities immediately upon being approved to participate.
8
9 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 1, is amended
10 to add an additional section to read as follows:
11 6-18-116. Student transfer to nonpublic school -- Participation in
12 extracurricular activity.
13 (a) A student who transfers to a nonpublic school and is enrolled in
14 the nonpublic school by June 1 of the school year for which the transfer
15 student will be enrolled in grade seven (7), eight (8), nine (9), or ten (10)
16 shall be immediately eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity
17 that is an athletic activity.
18 (b) If a transfer student is not enrolled in a nonpublic school by
19 June 1 of the school year for which he or she will be enrolled in grade seven
20 (7), eight (8), nine (9), or ten (10), then the transfer student shall not be
21 eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity that is a varsity
22 athletic activity for up to three hundred sixty-five (365) days.
23 (c)(1) A student who transfers to a nonpublic school under this
24 section shall complete a Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form as
25 created by the Arkansas Activities Association.
26 (2) A Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form shall be
27 completed and filed with the:
28 (A) Nonpublic school to which the student transfers under
29 this section; and
30 (B) Arkansas Activities Association.
31 (3) Before a student is eligible to participate in an
32 extracurricular activity at the nonpublic school to which he or she transfers
33 under this section, the Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form
34 submitted by the student as required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section
35 shall be signed by:
36 (A) Either the:
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1 (i) Superintendent of the public school district
2 from which the student is transferring, if the student is transferring from a
3 public school district; or
4 (ii) Director of the nonpublic school from which the
5 student is transferring, if the student is transferring from another
6 nonpublic school;
7 (B) The director of the nonpublic school to which the
8 student transfers; and
9 (C) The parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco
10 parentis to the student.
11 (4) The individuals under subdivision (c)(3)(A) and (B) of this
12 section shall sign the Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form unless
13 there is demonstrable evidence:
14 (A) Of recruiting by the receiving nonpublic school
15 personnel; or
16 (B) The student is transferring to the nonpublic school
17 solely for athletic purposes.
18 (5) A Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form shall be used
19 only for eligibility determination of a student who transfers to a nonpublic
20 school under this section and is enrolled in the nonpublic school by June 1
21 before the student enters grades seven through ten (7-10).
22
23 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code � 6-18-227(m)(2)(D), concerning the
24 requirement that a student transferring schools under the Arkansas
25 Opportunity Public School Choice Act complete a Changing Schools/Athletic
26 Participation form under certain circumstances, is amended to read as
27 follows:
28 (D)(i) A Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form
29 shall be used only for eligibility determination of a student who transfers
30 to another public school or nonresident school district under this section
31 and is enrolled in the receiving school district by July 1 June 1 before the
32 student enters grades seven through twelve (7-12) seven through ten (7-10).
33 (ii)(a) A student who transfers to another public
34 school or nonresident school district under this section and is enrolled in
35 the receiving school or receiving school district by June 1 of the school
36 year for which the transfer student will be enrolled in grade seven (7),
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1 eight (8), nine (9), or ten (10) shall be immediately eligible to participate
2 in an extracurricular activity that is an athletic activity.
3 (b) If a transfer student is not enrolled in a
4 receiving school or receiving school district by June 1 of the school year
5 for which he or she will be enrolled in grade seven (7), eight (8), nine (9),
6 or ten (10), then the transfer student shall not be eligible to participate
7 in an extracurricular activity that is a varsity athletic activity for up to
8 three hundred sixty-five (365) days.
9
10 SECTION 6. Arkansas Code � 6-18-1904(f)(2)(D), concerning the
11 requirement that a student transferring schools under the Public School
12 Choice Act of 2015 complete a Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form
13 under certain circumstances, is amended to read as follows:
14 (D)(i) A Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form
15 shall be used only for eligibility determination of a student who transfers
16 to another public school or nonresident school district under this subchapter
17 and is enrolled in the receiving school district by July 1June 1 before the
18 student enters grades seven through twelve (7-12) seven through ten (7-10).
19 (ii)(a) A student who transfers to another public
20 school or nonresident school district under this section and is enrolled in
21 the receiving school or receiving school district by June 1 of the school
22 year for which the transfer student will be enrolled in grade seven (7),
23 eight (8), nine (9), or ten (10) shall be immediately eligible to participate
24 in an extracurricular activity that is an athletic activity.
25 (b) If a transfer student is not enrolled in a
26 receiving school or receiving school district by June 1 of the school year
27 for which he or she will be enrolled in grade seven (7), eight (8), nine (9),
28 or ten (10), then the transfer student shall not be eligible to participate
29 in an extracurricular activity that is a varsity athletic activity for up to
30 three hundred sixty-five (365) days.
31
32 SECTION 7. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
33 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that student transfers from public
34 schools greatly impact public school budgets; that student transfers from
35 public schools also impact public schools' abilities to appropriately plan
36 for the upcoming school year, including ensuring staffing needs are met; that
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1 if public schools face unexpected student transfers in large numbers, it will
2 be increasingly difficult for the public schools to appropriately plan and
3 accommodate student needs for the upcoming school year; that both schools and
4 students need time to determine participation in and eligibility for
5 extracurricular activities, particularly for athletic activities; and that
6 this act is immediately necessary to give students time to assess school
7 choice options and select the school that best fits their needs while also
8 providing public schools with enough time to appropriately plan and budget
9 for the upcoming school year. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist,
10 and this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public
11 peace, health, and safety shall become effective on:
12 (1) The date of its approval by the Governor;
13 (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor,
14 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the
15 bill; or
16 (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is
17 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.
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19 /s/Brooks
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7 03-17-2025 10:17:16 TNL239Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.