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 A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1648
4
5 By: Representative S. Meeks
6
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING MUNICIPAL FIRE
10 DEPARTMENTS; TO ALLOW A MEMBER OF A MUNICIPAL FIRE
11 DEPARTMENT BOMB SQUAD TO MAKE ARRESTS UNDER CERTAIN
12 CIRCUMSTANCES; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER
13 PURPOSES.
14
15
16 Subtitle
17 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING MUNICIPAL
18 FIRE DEPARTMENTS; TO ALLOW A MEMBER OF A
19 MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT BOMB SQUAD TO
20 MAKE ARRESTS UNDER CERTAIN
21 CIRCUMSTANCES; AND TO DECLARE AN
22 EMERGENCY.
23
24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
25
26 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 14, Chapter 53, is amended to add an
27 additional section to read as follows:
28 14-53-115. Bomb squad member ---- Authority to make arrests.
29 (a) A member of a municipal fire department bomb squad meeting the
30 requirements of this section may make arrests for violations:
31 (1) Of explosives-related incidents or offenses; or
32 (2) When assisting a law enforcement agency in the state.
33 (b) A member of a municipal fire department bomb squad may make
34 arrests under this section if he or she:
35 (1) Has successfully completed the part-time law enforcement
36 officer course of study approved by the Arkansas Commission on Law
*SSS093* 03/03/2025 2:04:05 PM SSS093
HB1648
1 Enforcement Standards and Training and required for specialized police
2 personnel; and
3 (2) Is acting in his or her official capacity as a member of a
4 municipal fire department bomb squad.
5 (c) A member of a municipal fire department bomb squad who meets the
6 requirements under subsection (a) of this section shall make arrests in
7 accordance with � 16-81-101 et seq.
8
9 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 16-81-106(f), concerning the authority to
10 make arrests, is amended to read as follows:
11 (f) As used in this section, "certified law enforcement officer"
12 includes a:
13 (1) A full-time game warden of the Arkansas State Game and Fish
14 Commission so long as the game warden shall not exercise his or her authority
15 to the extent that any federal funds would be jeopardized; and
16 (2) A member of a municipal fire department bomb squad who meets
17 the requirements under � 14-53-115.
18
19 SECTION 3. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
20 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that a municipal fire department
21 bomb squad member does not have the authority to arrest a perpetrator he or
22 she may encounter in the course of his or her duty; that providing this
23 authority to a municipal fire department bomb squad member is likely to
24 prevent an imminent explosives hazard; and that this act is immediately
25 necessary because residents of this state may be at risk during an
26 explosives-related incident or offense, which threatens the public peace,
27 health, and safety of residents of this state. Therefore, an emergency is
28 declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the
29 preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective
30 on:
31 (1) The date of its approval by the Governor;
32 (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor,
33 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the
34 bill; or
35 (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is
36 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.
2 03/03/2025 2:04:05 PM SSS093Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.