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 1689
4
5 By: Representatives M. Shepherd, Eubanks
6 By: Senator D. Wallace
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO REQUIRE A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL TO GRANT
10 ACCESS TO ITS FACILITIES TO OFFICIAL RECRUITING
11 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MILITARY; TO REQUIRE CERTAIN
12 STATE-SUPPORTED POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS TO GRANT
13 ACCESS TO ITS FACILITIES TO OFFICIAL RECRUITING
14 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MILITARY; AND FOR OTHER
15 PURPOSES.
16
17
18 Subtitle
19 TO REQUIRE A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL TO GRANT
20 ACCESS TO ITS FACILITIES TO MILITARY
21 RECRUITERS; AND TO REQUIRE CERTAIN
22 STATE-SUPPORTED POSTSECONDARY
23 INSTITUTIONS TO GRANT ACCESS TO ITS
24 FACILITIES TO MILITARY RECRUITERS.
25
26 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
27
28 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 6-13-626 is amended to read as follows:
29 6-13-626. Access of military recruiters to school facilities and
30 records -- Definitions.
31 (a) If the board of directors of a school district permits access to
32 the school grounds, facilities, and records by any person or group of persons
33 whose purpose is to make students aware of occupational and educational
34 options and opportunities, the A public school district board of directors
35 shall also permit such grant access on the same basis within each high school
36 in its district to official recruiting representatives of the military forces
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1 recruiters of the state and the United States to enable those official
2 recruiting representatives to inform students of educational and career
3 opportunities available in the military.
4 (b) If a public high school does not grant access within the public
5 high school to prospective employers, institutions of higher education,
6 career entities, educational entities, and occupational entities, then the
7 public high school shall grant only limited access within the public high
8 school to military forces recruiters only to the extent to allow the military
9 forces recruiters to engage with students in grades ten through twelve (10-
10 12) in an in-person setting during normal school hours and at events that are
11 open to the public and outside of normal school hours.
12 (c) A military forces recruiter shall be permitted to engage with all
13 students in a public high school regardless of academic standing, class
14 enrollment, career aspirations, or participation in extracurricular
15 activities.
16 (d)(1) Each public high school shall provide an equal opportunity for
17 a military forces recruiter to present in person to students in grades ten
18 through twelve (10-12).
19 (2)(A) A military forces recruiter shall not be restricted by a
20 public school district to specific events, locations, or time periods unless
21 the restrictions to specific events, locations, or time periods apply to
22 prospective employers, institutions of higher education, career entities,
23 educational entities, and occupational entities.
24 (B) However, a restriction under subdivision (d)(2)(A) of
25 this section shall not prevent access of military forces recruiters to public
26 high schools as defined by this section.
27 (e)(1) A military forces recruiter shall be permitted to distribute
28 and collect information, administer surveys, and receive student contact
29 details in the same manner and under the same conditions as prospective
30 employers, institutions of higher education, career entities, educational
31 entities, and occupational entities.
32 (2) A public high school shall not impose additional privacy or
33 administrative barriers or parental consent requirements on a military forces
34 recruiter that are not imposed on prospective employers, institutions of
35 higher education, career entities, educational entities, and occupational
36 entities.
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1 (f) The Secretary of the Department of the Military shall:
2 (1) Collect information from Arkansas National Guard recruiters
3 regarding compliance with this section by public school districts; and
4 (2) Prepare and submit an annual compliance report to the
5 Secretary of the Department of Education based on information collected under
6 subdivision (f)(1) of this section that shall:
7 (A) Identify each public school district found to be in
8 violation of this section; and
9 (B) Explain the basis for determining a public school
10 district is in violation of this section.
11 (g)(1) Each public high school shall inform all students in grades ten
12 through twelve (10-12) of opportunities to receive direct military forces
13 recruiter engagement and information about educational and career
14 opportunities available in the military forces.
15 (2) The information required under subdivision (g)(1) of this
16 section shall be provided electronically and through a student advisory or
17 homeroom session or class period.
18 (h) As used in this section:
19 (1) "Access" means the ability of military forces recruiters to:
20 (A) Engage with all students in grades ten through twelve
21 (10-12) in an in-person setting during normal school hours and at events that
22 are open to the public and outside of normal school hours;
23 (B) Present career and educational opportunities to
24 students in the same manner and under the same conditions as prospective
25 employers, institutions of higher education, career entities, educational
26 entities, and occupational entities; and
27 (C) Collect and distribute information, sign up students
28 for further engagement, and schedule follow-up meetings to the same extent as
29 prospective employers, institutions of higher education, career entities,
30 educational entities, and occupational entities; and
31 (2) "Military forces" means the Arkansas National Guard, United
32 States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States
33 Air Force, United States Space Force, United States Coast Guard, and the
34 federal reserve components of each of the federal bodies.
35
36 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 50, Subchapter 1, is amended
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1 to add an additional section to read as follows:
2 6-50-107. Access of military forces recruiter to career and precollege
3 academies and secondary career and technical centers -- Definition.
4 (a) A state-supported career academy, precollege academy, secondary
5 career center, or technical center shall permit access to official recruiting
6 representatives of the military forces to enable those representatives to
7 inform students enrolled in the state-supported career academy, precollege
8 academy, secondary career center, or technical center of educational and
9 career opportunities available in the military forces.
10 (b) As used in this section, "military forces" means the Arkansas
11 National Guard, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States
12 Navy, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, United States Coast
13 Guard, and the federal reserve components of each of the federal bodies.
14
15 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 61, Subchapter 1, is amended
16 to add an additional section to read as follows:
17 6-61-144. Access of military recruiter to postsecondary institution
18 facilities -- Definition.
19 (a) A state-supported institution of higher education shall permit
20 access to official recruiting representatives of the military forces to
21 enable those representatives to inform students enrolled in the state-
22 supported institution of higher education of educational and career
23 opportunities available in the military.
24 (b) As used in this section, "military forces" means the Arkansas
25 National Guard, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States
26 Navy, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, United States Coast
27 Guard, and the federal reserve components of each of the federal bodies.
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4 03/05/2025 7:39:08 AM TNL161Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.