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1 State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H3/31/25 S4/8/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1810
4
5 By: Representative Joey Carr
6 By: Senator J. English
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE
10 CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND THE
11 ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF; TO TRANSFER THE
12 ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND THE ARKANSAS SCHOOL
13 FOR THE DEAF TO THE ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND
14 BLIND; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER
15 PURPOSES.
16
17
18 Subtitle
19 TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE
20 CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE
21 BLIND AND THE ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE
22 DEAF; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
23
24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
25
26 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 5-14-132(a)(3), concerning the definition
27 of "public school" as it relates to registered offenders who are prohibited
28 from entering school campuses, are amended to read as follows:
29 (3) "Public school" means any school in this state that is:
30 (A) A public school operated by a public school district;
31 (B) A charter school established under the Public School
32 Funding Act of 2003, � 6-20-2301 et seq.;
33 (C) A state-funded prekindergarten program operated by a
34 public school or an education service cooperative;
35 (D) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind;
36 (E) The Arkansas School for the Deaf;
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1 (F) The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the
2 Arts;
3 (G)(F) An educational facility of the Division of Youth
4 Services or contracting with the Division of Youth Services; or
5 (H)(G) An educational facility of the Division of
6 Developmental Disabilities Services.
7
8 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 6-10-121(a)(2), concerning the definition
9 of "public school" as it relates to required tornado and earthquake safety
10 drills, is amended to read as follows:
11 (2) "Public school" includes the Arkansas School for
12 Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
13 Blind, the Arkansas School for the Blind, and juvenile detention centers.
14
15 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 6-15-1402(g), concerning the requirement
16 that the Arkansas School for the Blind and Arkansas School for the Deaf
17 submit certain items to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
18 under the School Performance Report Act, is amended to read as follows:
19 (g) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas School
20 for the Deaf shall submit to the division:
21 (1) The results of the appropriately adopted student achievement
22 tests for the students enrolled at these schools; and
23 (2) A list of other schools' programs to which these schools can
24 be compared.
25
26 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2913(b)(1), concerning alternate
27 processes of determining the levels of support provided to public schools
28 serving specific populations, is amended to read as follows:
29 (b)(1) The state board may adopt, by rule, an alternate process of
30 determining the level of support to be provided to public schools or school
31 districts serving specific student populations, including without limitation:
32 (A) A public school that is designated solely as an
33 alternative learning environment;
34 (B) An open-enrollment public charter school whose mission
35 and enrollment are primarily focused on students who have dropped out of
36 school or are identified as at risk of dropping out of school;
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1 (C) A conversion public charter school whose mission and
2 enrollment are primarily focused on students who have dropped out of school
3 or are identified as at risk of dropping out of school;
4 (D) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind;
5 (E) The Arkansas School for the Deaf; and
6 (F)(E) A public school or system of education that
7 primarily serves adjudicated youth.
8
9 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code � 6-17-1113(a)(1)(P), concerning the entities
10 covered by the School Worker Defense Program, is amended to read as follows:
11 (P) Each employee of the following who is required to hold
12 an educator license issued by the division:
13 (i) A public school district;
14 (ii) The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences,
15 and the Arts; and
16 (iii) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind;
17 and
18 (iv) The Arkansas School for the Blind;
19
20 SECTION 6. Arkansas Code � 6-17-1113(a)(1)(R) and (S), concerning the
21 entities covered by the School Worker Defense Program, are amended to read as
22 follows:
23 (R) Each teacher's aide and each student teacher:
24 (i) In a public school district;
25 (ii) In a public charter school;
26 (iii) In the Arkansas School for Mathematics,
27 Sciences, and the Arts; and
28 (iv) In the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind;
29 and
30 (v) In the Arkansas School for the Blind; and
31 (S) Each member of the dormitory staff of:
32 (i) The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences,
33 and the Arts; and
34 (ii) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind; and
35 (iii) The Arkansas School for the Blind.
36
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1 SECTION 7. Arkansas Code � 6-21-105 is amended to read as follows:
2 6-21-105. Braille and large print textbooks.
3 (a) It is declared to be the duty of the Arkansas School for the Deaf
4 and Blind to provide braille and large print textbooks for blind and visually
5 impaired students attending public schools in this state.
6 (b) The superintendents of school districts shall make application to
7 the Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind for
8 textbooks of braille and large print when students in school districts
9 qualify for such books and the requested textbooks are required for other
10 students in the district.
11 (c)(1) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind may use funds from
12 the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind Fund Account for costs associated
13 with providing braille and large print textbooks as authorized under this
14 section.
15 (2) If funding allows and a need is present, the Arkansas School
16 for the Deaf and Blind may use funds from the Arkansas School for the Deaf
17 and Blind Fund Account to purchase electronic textbooks, adaptive technology,
18 and library media.
19 (d)(1) The State Board of Education shall make reasonable rules
20 regarding moneys appropriated for the purchase of braille and large print
21 textbooks.
22 (2) The state board may negotiate directly with publishers of
23 braille and large print textbooks for the purchase of braille and large print
24 textbooks.
25
26 SECTION 8. Arkansas Code � 6-28-104(8)(B), concerning the definition
27 of "public school" under the Arkansas Military Child School Transitions Act
28 of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
29 (B) "Public school" includes without limitation:
30 (i) Alternative learning environments;
31 (ii) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind;
32 (iii) The Arkansas School for the Deaf; and
33 (iv)(iii) The Arkansas School for Mathematics,
34 Sciences, and the Arts;
35
36 SECTION 9. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 43, Subchapter 1 is amended
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1 to read as follows:
2 6-43-101. Board of trustees.
3 (a) There is created an honorary a board constituting the Board of
4 Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the
5 Deaf and Blind.
6 (b)(1) The board shall consist of five (5) members appointed by the
7 Governor, subject to the confirmation of the Senate.
8 (2) The Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the
9 Senate, shall appoint the members of the board.
10 (3) The Secretary of State shall furnish a certificate to each
11 board member within ten (10) days following appointment, whereupon the
12 appointee shall notify the Governor and the Secretary of State in writing of
13 his or her acceptance of the appointment within thirty (30) days, and if the
14 appointee fails to give notice of his or her acceptance within the time
15 required, then the appointment shall be declared void and another appointment
16 shall be made.
17 (c)(1) Members of the board appointed by the Governor under the
18 provisions of this section, in addition to possessing shall:
19 (A) Possess the qualifications of an elector, shall
20 reside; and
21 (B) Reside in the State of Arkansas.
22 (2)(A) The Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State,
23 Auditor of State, Treasurer of State, Commissioner of State Lands, Supreme
24 Court Justices, and the directing head of any state department, state agency,
25 or state institution shall be ineligible for membership on the board provided
26 for in this section during the time for which he or she was elected or
27 appointed.
28 (B) No individual may be a member of more than one (1) of
29 the boards the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
30 Blind created under the provisions of this section and another board created
31 under � 25-17-201 at the same time.
32 (3) There shall be at all times one (1) member of the board who
33 is a deaf person who fluently utilizes deaf sign language.
34 (d)(1) The term of office for each member shall commence on January 15
35 and shall end on January 14 of the fifth year following the year in which the
36 regular term commenced.
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1 (2)(A) The Governor shall submit to the Senate for approval the
2 names of all appointments made by him or her to fill expired terms within ten
3 (10) days following the appointment.
4 (B) The members appointed by the Governor to fill
5 vacancies caused by the expiration of the terms of members may qualify and
6 hold office until the appointments are rejected by the Senate.
7 (e) Any vacancies arising in the membership of the board for any
8 reason other than the expiration of the regular terms for which the members
9 were appointed shall be filled by the appointment of the Governor, subject to
10 the approval by a majority of the remaining members of the board, and shall
11 be thereafter effective until the expiration of the regular terms.
12 (f)(1) Before entering upon his or her respective duties, each board
13 member shall take and subscribe and file in the office of the Secretary of
14 State an oath to support the United States Constitution and the Arkansas
15 Constitution and to faithfully perform the duties of the office upon which he
16 or she is about to enter and that he or she will not be or become interested,
17 directly or indirectly, in any contract made by the board.
18 (2)(A) Any violation of the oath shall be a Class B misdemeanor.
19 (B) Any contract entered into in violation of the oath
20 shall be void.
21 (g) The board shall meet at least monthly and shall fix a regular date
22 for the monthly meeting.
23 (h) Each member of the board may receive expense reimbursement in
24 accordance with � 25-16-901 et seq.
25 (i)(1) The Governor shall have the power to remove any member of the
26 board before the expiration of his or her term for cause only, after notice
27 and hearing.
28 (2) The removal shall become effective only when approved in
29 writing by a majority of the total number of the board, but the member
30 removed or his or her successor shall have no right to vote on the question
31 of removal.
32 (3) The removal action shall be filed with the Secretary of
33 State, together with a complete record of the proceedings at the hearing.
34 (4)(A) An appeal may be taken to the Pulaski County Circuit
35 Court by the Governor or the member ordered removed, and the appeal shall be
36 tried de novo on the record of the hearing before the Governor.
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1 (B) An appeal may be taken from the circuit court to the
2 Supreme Court, which shall likewise be tried de novo.
3
4 6-43-102. Powers and duties of board.
5 (a) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
6 Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf created in � 6-43-101 is charged
7 with the management and control of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind
8 and the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
9 (b) The board shall have the power, authority, and duties formerly
10 conferred by law on the board it succeeds including those set forth below:
11 (1) The board shall exercise such powers of supervision and
12 control as are not specifically reserved to superintendents the
13 Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind; and.
14 (2) The board, in consultation with the Secretary of the
15 Department of Education, shall fix the salaries of officers and employees not
16 already fixed by law.
17 (c) The board may adopt policies for the governance of the school as
18 deemed necessary and in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of
19 Education.
20 (d) The board shall:
21 (1) Keep a record of all board proceedings; and
22 (2) Adopt formal operating procedures.
23 (e) The superintendent, general business manager, and teachers of the
24 school shall not be eligible for the board while employed by the school.
25
26 6-43-103. Superintendents Superintendent.
27 (a) There is established the position of the Superintendent of the
28 Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind.
29 (b) The immediate conduct and management of the Arkansas School for
30 the Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf, school employees,
31 and students enrolled in the school shall be entrusted to superintendents the
32 superintendent.
33 (b)(c)(1)(A) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Deaf
34 and Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf, in consultation with the
35 Secretary of the Department of Education, shall select the superintendents of
36 the institutions committed to its care a superintendent from the candidates
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1 recommended by the secretary.
2 (B) The superintendent shall be selected based on his or
3 her previous training and qualifications relevant to the education of
4 students enrolled in the school.
5 (2)(A) The board may recommend to the secretary termination,
6 suspension, or other discipline permitted by law of the superintendent.
7 (B) The secretary may terminate, suspend, or otherwise
8 discipline the superintendent in accordance with applicable policies and
9 laws.
10 (c)(1) Each of the superintendents shall be required to give bond in a
11 sum fixed by the board, payable to the State of Arkansas, for the faithful
12 discharge of his or her duties and the proper accounting for all moneys and
13 property coming into his or her possession as such officer.
14 (2) The bonds shall be made by any surety company authorized to
15 do business in Arkansas, approved by the Governor, filed in the office of the
16 Secretary of State, and paid for by the state out of current expenses
17 appropriated by the respective institutions.
18 (d) The superintendents of the schools shall be required to give their
19 entire time to the management and operation of their respective institutions
20 and shall be selected because of their previous training and fitness to care
21 for the schools entrusted to their care.
22 (d) The board may, in consultation with the secretary, require the
23 superintendent or other school officials to reside on the school campus.
24 (e) The superintendent shall:
25 (1) Have a superintendent license; and
26 (2) Be responsible for the management and operation of the
27 school.
28
29 6-43-104. Employees generally.
30 (a) The superintendents shall have power to superintendent may select
31 and engage all employees of the schools at salaries fixed by the Board of
32 Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas
33 School for the Deaf in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of
34 Education in accordance with state law, reporting the same for approval to
35 the board Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind at
36 the next regular meeting thereof of the board.
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1 (b) The superintendents shall have the power to remove employees of
2 the respective schools and may remove any employee at any time in their
3 discretion for cause, but, in case of removal, the superintendent shall
4 report the removal and the ground therefor to the board and the secretary
5 Each employee of the school, as a state employee, shall be subject to and
6 receive the benefits of the provisions of Title 21 of the Arkansas Code,
7 including without limitation policies and procedures established for the
8 implementation of all provisions that are applicable to state employees.
9 (c) A teacher for a student with sensory impairments is eligible for a
10 salary differential after he or she becomes certified by the Department of
11 Education in teaching students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or
12 hard of hearing.
13
14 6-43-105. Attendance -- Enforcement.
15 (a) Every parent, guardian, or other person having control of any
16 minor over eight (8) years of age who is defective in hearing or sight to the
17 extent that he or she cannot be benefited by instruction in the public
18 schools shall be required to send such a minor to the The Arkansas School for
19 the Deaf and Blind or the Arkansas School for the Blind shall maintain
20 student records as required by law and rules applicable to public school
21 districts.
22 (b) The minor shall continue to attend the schools for a term of at
23 least thirty-two (32) weeks each year until he or she has completed the
24 course of instruction prescribed for the schools by the Board of Trustees of
25 the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas School for the
26 Deaf or any other body or person designated by law to have control of the
27 schools, respectively, or until he or she has been discharged by the
28 superintendent of the school may adopt a student attendance policy necessary
29 to ensure compliance with the purpose and function of the school.
30 (c) The deaf or blind minor shall be exempt from attendance at the
31 schools for any of the following reasons:
32 (1) Instruction by a private tutor or in another school approved
33 by the board or any other body or person designated by law to have control of
34 the schools for a time equal to that required by subsection (b) of this
35 section;
36 (2) Physical incapacity for school work; or
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1 (3) Any other reason deemed good and sufficient by the
2 superintendent of the school with the approval of the board.
3 (d)(1) Failure for a period of one (1) week within the school year to
4 send such a minor to school shall constitute an offense.
5 (2) However, the time necessary for such a minor to travel from
6 his or her home to Little Rock shall not be counted as time absent from
7 school.
8 (e) Any person who induces or attempts to induce such deaf or blind
9 minor to absent himself or herself from school or who employs or harbors such
10 a minor unlawfully while the schools are in session shall be guilty of a
11 violation and upon conviction shall be fined not less than twenty dollars
12 ($20.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each offense.
13 (f) It shall be the duty of county boards, or the boards' designees,
14 school attendance officers, prosecuting attorneys, and any special attendance
15 officers appointed by the Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Arkansas
16 School for the Blind as well as all peace officers to enforce the provisions
17 of this section.
18 (g) Any parent, guardian, or other person in charge of such a minor or
19 minors who fails or refuses to comply with the requirements of this section
20 shall be guilty of a violation and upon conviction shall be fined not less
21 than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each
22 offense.
23
24 6-43-106. Deaf and blind children -- Out-of-state facilities.
25 (a) The Arkansas School for the Blind is authorized to expend
26 available funds for the purpose of sending children under twenty-one (21)
27 years of age, who are deaf as well as blind and for which there are no
28 facilities for education in this state, to any school, institution, or other
29 place outside the State of Arkansas providing a qualified program of
30 education for such children.
31 (b) The funds may be spent for room, board, tuition, transportation,
32 and other items which are necessarily relevant to the education of such
33 children.
34 (c) In interpreting and carrying out the provisions of this section,
35 the words "deaf-blind children", wherever used, will be construed to include
36 any child whose combination of disabilities of deafness and blindness would
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1 prevent him or her from profiting satisfactorily from educational programs
2 now provided for the blind child or the deaf child by the State of Arkansas.
3 (d) The school is authorized to determine if such children should be
4 sent to such out-of-state facilities.
5 (e) The school is authorized to promulgate such rules as it deems
6 necessary and proper for carrying out the purposes and intent of this
7 section.
8
9 6-43-107. Application for admission -- Certificate of residence.
10 Whenever application is made for the admission of any blind or Deaf,
11 deaf, or Hard of Hearing person into the Arkansas School for the Blind or the
12 Arkansas School for the Deaf, as a beneficiary of the privileges thereof, the
13 application shall be accompanied by the certificate of the county judge that
14 the person is a legal resident of the county of the State of Arkansas in
15 which it is claimed that he or she resides.
16 (a) All students between the ages of three (3) and twenty-one (21) who
17 are blind or visually impaired or who are deaf or hard of hearing and who
18 reside in the State of Arkansas shall be eligible to apply and be referred
19 for admission to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind at no cost to the
20 student or the parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis to
21 the student.
22 (b) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
23 Blind may adopt an admission policy, including requirements for admission to
24 the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind, that is necessary to ensure
25 compliance with the purpose and function of the Arkansas School for the Deaf
26 and Blind.
27 (c)(1) A public school district, an open-enrollment public charter
28 school, an education service cooperative, or an early childhood facility that
29 receives state or federal funds shall at least annually at an individualized
30 education program meeting share information with a parent, legal guardian, or
31 person standing in loco parentis to a student regarding services available
32 from the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and whether the Arkansas
33 School for the Deaf and Blind is the appropriate placement for a student if
34 the student:
35 (A) Is between the ages of three (3) and twenty-one (21);
36 (B) Qualifies under the Individuals with Disabilities
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1 Education Act, 20 U.S.C. � 1400 et seq., as it existed on January 1, 2025;
2 and
3 (C) Is blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing.
4 (2) If the individualized education program team determines that
5 the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind is the appropriate placement for a
6 student, a referral on behalf of the student shall be made to the Arkansas
7 School for the Deaf and Blind.
8 (3)(A) If the individualized education program team does not
9 determine that the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind is the appropriate
10 placement for a student, the parent, legal guardian, or person standing in
11 loco parentis to the student may submit an application for admission to the
12 Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind in accordance with Arkansas School for
13 the Deaf and Blind policy.
14 (B) A student who is accepted for admission to the
15 Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind under subdivision (c)(3)(A) of this
16 section shall unenroll from the school in which he or she is currently
17 enrolled and the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind shall become
18 responsible for all requirements under the student's individualized education
19 program.
20 (d) An eligible student from outside the state may be admitted to the
21 Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind upon the payment of tuition and fees
22 in accordance with Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind policy.
23 (e) A student who is older than twenty-one (21) years of age who is
24 blind or visually impaired or who is deaf or hard of hearing may attend the
25 Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind in order to access career and
26 technical programs made available by the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
27 Blind in accordance with Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind policy.
28
29 6-43-108. Removal of pupils Discharge of student.
30 (a)(1) Whenever it shall be deemed necessary by the proper officers of
31 either the Arkansas School for the Blind or the Arkansas School for the Deaf,
32 in accordance with the bylaws and rules thereof, to have pupils removed,
33 either temporarily on account of ill health or the vacation of the Arkansas
34 School for the Blind or the Arkansas School for the Deaf, or permanently on
35 account of having completed their course of instruction or having been found
36 disqualified, from any cause, for a longer continuance in the Arkansas School
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1 for the Blind or the Arkansas School for the Deaf, the parents, or guardians,
2 if they have any, of such pupils shall promptly remove them upon the
3 requirement of the officers The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for
4 the Deaf and Blind may dismiss a student for disciplinary violations upon
5 recommendation by the superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
6 Blind and in accordance with school policy and the Individuals with
7 Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. � 1400 et seq., as it existed on
8 January 1, 2025.
9 (2) In case they shall not be thus provided for, it shall be the
10 duty of the superintendent or principal of such institution to cause them to
11 be so removed to their houses or delivered to the proper officers of the
12 counties in which they may reside.
13 (b)(1) The expense of removal shall be refunded to each institution in
14 the same manner as is provided in � 6-43-109.
15 (2) The county sheriff may collect it in the same manner as is
16 provided in � 6-43-109.
17
18 6-43-109. Clothing and traveling expenses -- Generally.
19 (a) When such persons, upon proper application, are admitted as pupils
20 of either the Arkansas School for the Blind or the Arkansas School for the
21 Deaf, it shall be the duty of their parents, guardians, or other friends to
22 suitably provide them with clothing at the time of their entrance into the
23 Arkansas School for the Blind or the Arkansas School for the Deaf, and during
24 their continuance therein, and to defray their traveling expenses to and from
25 the institution, not only at the time of their first entrance and final
26 departure but at any other time when it shall become necessary for them to
27 leave or return to the Arkansas School for the Blind or the Arkansas School
28 for the Deaf.
29 (b)(1)(A) In all cases in which suitable clothing and means for
30 defraying traveling expenses are not otherwise supplied to the pupils of the
31 schools, suitable clothing and means of defraying travel expenses shall be
32 provided by the superintendent or principal of the respective schools, who
33 shall make out and file with the Auditor of State accounts for the clothing
34 and travel expenses, separate in each case, against the respective counties
35 from which such pupils are sent, in an amount not exceeding forty dollars
36 ($40.00) per annum for any one (1) pupil.
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1 (B) The accounts shall be severally signed by the proper
2 superintendent or principal.
3 (2) The Auditor of State shall draw his or her warrant on the
4 Treasurer of State for the amounts, which shall be paid out of any money in
5 the State Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
6 (3) However, the amount drawn by either institution for the
7 aforesaid purposes per year shall not exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000).
8 (4) Each account thus certified shall be charged to the county
9 from which the pupil named therein was sent.
10 (5)(A) The Auditor of State shall forward a certified copy of
11 each account so filed with him or her to the sheriff of the proper county,
12 who shall proceed to collect the account in the name of the State of
13 Arkansas, as other debts are collected, and the money so collected shall be
14 paid over to the Treasurer of State, who shall give receipts therefor as in
15 case of other moneys paid into the State Treasury.
16 (B) However, if the sheriff shall be unable to collect the
17 amount of any bill from the parents or estate of any pupil, then the bill
18 shall be refunded to the state out of the county treasury.
19
20 6-43-110. Clothing and travel expenses -- Warrants.
21 (a) It shall be the duty of the sheriffs of this state to receive from
22 the county clerks all warrants ordered by their respective county courts by
23 virtue of � 6-43-109(b)(5) and present them to the county treasurer for
24 payment.
25 (b)(1) The county treasurer of the proper county shall pay the
26 warrants on presentation from any money on hand and appropriated for pauper
27 purposes.
28 (2) However, if there is no money in the county treasurer's
29 hands from which to pay off the warrants, he or she shall endorse the fact on
30 the warrants, date and sign the endorsement, and return them to the sheriff.
31 (c)(1) The Treasurer of State is authorized to receive from the
32 several sheriffs and collectors of the state any and all such warrants as may
33 be ordered and issued in payment for clothing and expenses of indigent pupils
34 in the Arkansas School for the Blind or the Arkansas School for the Deaf by
35 the county courts of the counties that are or may be liable for such
36 expenses.
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1 (2) The warrants shall be drawn in favor of the state, shall
2 state on their face the name of the pupil or inmate whose expenses are
3 thereby refunded, and shall be endorsed as required by subsection (b) of this
4 section.
5 (d) The Treasurer of State is authorized to apply such county warrants
6 so received in payment of the Auditor of State's warrants drawn in favor of
7 the counties for funds received from sales or redemption of lands in lieu of
8 any currency in his or her hands from the source belonging to the respective
9 counties whose warrants he or she holds, replacing the county warrants with
10 the currency.
11 (e) The State Board of Finance may biennially in October make such
12 disposition of the county warrants so received and not converted into par
13 funds, as provided in subsection (d) of this section, as shall in the
14 judgment of the board be for the best interest of the state and shall order
15 the proper adjustment of the account of the county warrants on the books of
16 the Treasurer of State and Auditor of State.
17
18 6-43-111. Funeral expenses.
19 In case of the death of any pupil at the Arkansas School for the Blind
20 or the Arkansas School for the Deaf, when funeral expenses are not otherwise
21 provided for, an account thereof shall be made out, certified to, collected,
22 and applied as provided in � 6-43-109.
23
24 6-43-112. Transportation of students Student transportation.
25 (a) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Arkansas School for the
26 Blind are hereby authorized to may transport students to and from school in
27 chartered vehicles that are licensed to do business in the State of Arkansas
28 and which meet minimum safety standards established by the United States
29 Department of Transportation.
30 (b) The school may spend general revenue funds to provide
31 transportation services, including without limitation transportation via bus,
32 motor vehicle, or airline if traveling out of state.
33
34 6-43-113. Compensation limitation.
35 (a) No employee drawing a salary or other form of compensation from
36 the Arkansas School for the Blind or the Arkansas School for the Deaf shall
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1 be paid an additional salary or receive additional compensation, other than
2 reimbursement for actual expenses, from that agency, nor from any other
3 agency or institution of higher education, except from the superintendent's
4 written certification to and approval by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the
5 State that the work performed by the employee for the other position does not
6 interfere with the proper and required performance of the employee's primary
7 duties and that the combined salary payments from both positions will not
8 exceed the maximum annual salary for whichever of the two (2) positions has
9 the higher authorized maximum annual salary.
10 (b) Any employee knowingly violating the provisions of this section
11 shall be subject to immediate termination and shall be barred from employment
12 by any agency or institution of the State of Arkansas for a period of not
13 less than three (3) years or until the employee shall repay to the State of
14 Arkansas any sums received by the employee in violation of this section,
15 together with interest at a rate of ten percent (10%) per annum.
16
17 6-43-114. Applicability of � 21-8-304.
18 Section 21-8-304 relating to nepotism, ethics, or conflicts of interest
19 which that are applicable to state agencies and state employees generally
20 shall hereafter be applicable to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind
21 and the Arkansas School for the Deaf and to the Board of Trustees of the
22 Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf
23 and employees of those institutions.
24
25 6-43-115. [Repealed.]
26
27 6-43-116. Special allowance.
28 (a) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas School
29 for the Deaf may make special allowances available to any employee who
30 performs one (1) of the following duties outside his or her normal working
31 hours in addition to his or her normal duties:
32 (1) Teaching adult education classes, parent training, or
33 student tutorial services on weekends or evenings;
34 (2) Coaching one (1) or more sports or activities;
35 (3) Sponsoring a club or organization that involves additional
36 hours outside the normal working day; or
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1 (4) Interpretive services; or
2 (5) Other duties related to school-sponsored activities or
3 leadership teams with approval from the superintendent and the Secretary of
4 the Department of Education.
5 (b) Compensation for additional duties may not exceed three thousand
6 five hundred dollars ($3,500) five thousand dollars ($5,000) per school term
7 for any one (1) employee during each fiscal year.
8 (c) Compensation provided for under this section shall not be
9 construed as exceeding the maximum salary authorized for the employee's
10 position.
11
12 6-43-117. Dual position occupancy.
13 The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
14 Arkansas School for the Deaf shall employ and maintain a separate
15 superintendent and secondary principal as authorized by law for each school.
16 In no event shall any one (1) person employed as a superintendent or
17 principal for either school occupy more than one (1) position at one (1)
18 time.
19
20 6-43-118. Teacher salary increase.
21 If public schools receive funds from the General Assembly to raise the
22 salaries of teachers employed in public school districts and open-enrollment
23 public charter schools, the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and the
24 Arkansas School for the Deaf shall be included increase teacher salaries
25 accordingly.
26
27 SECTION 10. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 43, Subchapter 1, is
28 amended to add additional sections to read as follows:
29 6-43-119. Qualifications of teachers.
30 A teacher employed by the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind shall
31 be subject to teaching license requirements in law and rules promulgated by
32 the State Board of Education.
33
34 6-43-120. Student-made objects sale.
35 Unless otherwise approved by the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas
36 School for the Deaf and Blind, any funds resulting from the sale of objects
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1 made by students at the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind shall be
2 placed in an appropriated cash fund to be used for student-related school
3 purposes as determined by the superintendent.
4
5 6-43-121. Student housing.
6 (a) No individual, student enrolled in the Arkansas School for the
7 Deaf and Blind, or individual employed by the school shall be boarded,
8 lodged, or in any manner provided for during the vacation of the school
9 unless the superintendent grants prior written approval for purposes of
10 participating in a school event, an event occurring on the school's campus,
11 or due to an emergency circumstance as defined by school policy.
12 (b) No individual, student enrolled in the school, or individual
13 employed by the school shall be lodged, boarded, or permitted to remain at
14 the school at the expense of the state unless specifically authorized under
15 this subchapter.
16 (c) The school shall make available lodging and boarding for eligible
17 students in accordance with school policy.
18
19 SECTION 11. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 43, Subchapter 2, is
20 repealed.
21 6-43-201. Board of trustees -- Eligibility.
22 The superintendent, general business manager, and teachers of the
23 Arkansas School for the Blind shall not be eligible for the office of trustee
24 for the school.
25
26 6-43-202. Records of board's proceedings.
27 The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
28 Arkansas School for the Deaf shall keep a full and correct account of their
29 proceedings in books to be provided for such purpose.
30
31 6-43-203. Rules.
32 The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
33 Arkansas School for the Deaf shall make all rules necessary for the
34 government of the Arkansas School for the Blind not otherwise provided by
35 law, and it shall incorporate the rules in the next report it makes after the
36 promulgation of the rules to the General Assembly.
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1
2 6-43-204. General control of property and institutional affairs.
3 The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
4 Arkansas School for the Deaf is invested with the general control and
5 direction of the property and affairs of the school, with power to direct
6 such purchases as, under the advice of the superintendent, may be deemed
7 necessary for the comfort, health, and educational advancement of the blind.
8
9 6-43-205. Real and personal property.
10 (a) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
11 Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf may take and hold in trust for the
12 use of the school any lands conveyed or devised, and any money or other
13 personal property given or bequeathed, to be applied to the benefit of the
14 Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind.
15 (b)(1) All property that has been or may be acquired by appropriation
16 from the state, or in any other manner, for the use and benefit of the
17 school, shall be held and deemed to be the property of the state for such use
18 and purposes.
19 (2) All real estate purchased shall be deeded to the State of
20 Arkansas, and, after recording the deed conveying the real estate in the
21 proper recorder's office, the deed shall be filed in the office of the
22 Secretary of State.
23 (c) All property pertaining to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
24 Blind shall be exempt from taxation.
25
26 6-43-206. Materials and supplies.
27 No trustee shall be allowed to furnish material for building purposes;
28 nor shall they be, either directly or indirectly, personally interested in
29 the purchase of any article of merchandise or other supplies for the use of
30 such institution.
31
32 6-43-207. Approval of building expenditures.
33 No expenditures for building purposes shall be made for the benefit of
34 the Arkansas School for the Blind unless the expenditure shall be recommended
35 by the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
36 Arkansas School for the Deaf.
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1
2 6-43-208. Superintendent.
3 (a) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
4 Arkansas School for the Deaf shall have the power to elect a Superintendent
5 of the Arkansas School for the Blind, who shall receive an annual
6 compensation to be fixed by the board of trustees. This amount shall be
7 reported to the General Assembly.
8 (b) The superintendent shall be permitted to accept and use free
9 transportation on any railroad in this state without incurring the penalty
10 incurred in � 23-4-803 [repealed].
11
12 6-43-209. General business manager.
13 (a) The general business manager, before entering upon the duties of
14 his or her office, shall give bond to the state in penalty and with surety,
15 to be approved by the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind
16 and the Arkansas School for the Deaf, conditioned for the faithful
17 performance of his or her official duties. The bond is to be filed in the
18 office of the Auditor of State.
19 (b) The general business manager shall discharge his or her various
20 duties under the direction of the Superintendent of the Arkansas School for
21 the Blind, who shall examine all statements prepared by the general business
22 manager, whether for past or contemplated expenditures, and the board of
23 trustees shall receive no statement of expenditures from the general business
24 manager unless the approval of the superintendent is endorsed thereon.
25
26 6-43-210. Performance of duties by employees.
27 (a) The teachers, officers, and employees shall perform such other
28 duties as the Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind may direct,
29 and when their services are not needed, they shall be discharged.
30 (b) However, if the teachers, officers, and employees are unjustly
31 discharged, they shall be entitled to a fair and impartial hearing before the
32 Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas
33 School for the Deaf.
34
35 6-43-211. Qualifications of teachers.
36 No teacher shall be employed in the Arkansas School for the Blind
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1 unless the teacher holds a current teacher's license issued by the State
2 Board of Education.
3
4 6-43-212. Employment of operatives to make repairs and cultivate
5 grounds.
6 The Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind may employ such
7 operatives as are necessary for the proper management of the school, the
8 repair of buildings, and cultivation of adjacent grounds belonging thereto,
9 and the superintendent shall report the same to the Board of Trustees of the
10 Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf at its
11 next meeting.
12
13 6-43-213. Salaries.
14 (a)(1) The salary of any person connected with the Arkansas School for
15 the Blind shall not be increased during the period for which he or she has
16 been elected or employed.
17 (2) When any increase of salary is granted by the Board of
18 Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the
19 Deaf by this subsection, the increase shall take effect and be in force at
20 the beginning of the next school term after the increase is granted.
21 (b) Teachers for the sensory impaired shall be eligible for an
22 additional step increase after being certified in teaching the vision
23 impaired, Deaf, deaf, or Hard of Hearing by the Department of Education.
24 (c) The Arkansas School for the Blind is hereby authorized to pay
25 employees hired in the position of teacher for the sensory impaired for the
26 yearly school term the maximum annual salary rate established for each
27 position.
28
29 6-43-214. Admissions.
30 (a) All blind persons of suitable character and capacity between three
31 (3) and twenty-one (21) years of age, residing in the state shall be entitled
32 to the benefits of the Arkansas School for the Blind free of charge.
33 (b) Pupils from outside the state may be admitted to the privileges of
34 the institution upon the payment of such sums as the Board of Trustees of the
35 Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf may
36 consider sufficient to defray expenses.
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1 (c) If, in the opinion of the board of trustees, any blind person over
2 twenty-one (21) years of age may be benefited by being received into the
3 institution for a limited time to learn a trade or receive instruction, they
4 may, by unanimous vote, and with approval of the Superintendent of the
5 Arkansas School for the Blind, admit such person.
6
7 6-43-215. Expulsions.
8 The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
9 Arkansas School for the Deaf may expel from the Arkansas School for the Blind
10 any pupil whose longer continuance in the school would be injurious to the
11 school.
12
13 6-43-216. Use of buildings during vacation period.
14 (a) No person, teacher, party, servant, or employee shall be boarded,
15 lodged, or in any manner whatever provided for during the vacation of the
16 Arkansas School for the Blind, neither shall any party or person at any time
17 be lodged, boarded, or permitted to remain at the school at the expense of
18 the state not specifically designated and provided for in this subchapter.
19 (b) However, this section shall not apply to those employees and
20 pupils who have no homes and are required to remain at the school during
21 vacation.
22
23 6-43-217. Sale of articles made by students.
24 The funds arising from the sale of articles made at the Arkansas School
25 for the Blind by student labor shall be used as a contingency fund by the
26 Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind, under the direction of
27 the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas
28 School for the Deaf, for the purpose of paying for postage, freight,
29 expressage, telegraph and telephone tolls, emergencies, medicines, and such
30 other purposes as the board of trustees may direct, and the superintendent
31 shall submit an itemized statement of receipts and expenditures from this
32 fund to the board of trustees at its monthly meetings.
33
34 6-43-218. Financial aid to graduates attending postsecondary
35 educational institutions.
36 (a)(1) Any graduate of the Arkansas School for the Blind who is a
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1 resident of this state and who is a regularly enrolled student in any
2 university, college, conservatory of music, or technical institution may,
3 under the direction of the Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the
4 Blind and subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas
5 School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf, receive aid for
6 the purpose of defraying his or her necessary expenses, including a reader,
7 while in attendance at such university, college, conservatory of music, or
8 technical institution.
9 (2) However, not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750)
10 shall be so expended on account of any one (1) such person during any fiscal
11 year.
12 (b) No person shall become a beneficiary under the provisions of this
13 section until it shall appear to the satisfaction of the superintendent,
14 after investigation, that the person has no sufficient separate estate to
15 provide for his or her education and that the parents of the person, if
16 living, are unable to provide for such higher education.
17 (c) No person shall receive the benefits of this section for more than
18 four (4) years.
19
20 6-43-219. Sacred Scriptures and copy of United States Constitution
21 presented to blind pupils.
22 The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
23 Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Superintendent of the Arkansas School
24 for the Blind are authorized to present to each pupil who shall have finished
25 the course in the Arkansas School for the Blind and who shall be honorably
26 discharged from the school, having learned to read by touch, a copy of the
27 Sacred Scriptures and a copy of the United States Constitution in braille.
28
29 6-43-220. Records of purchasing agent.
30 (a)(1) The purchasing agent shall keep a full and complete record of
31 all contracts made and entered into for all articles bought for the Arkansas
32 School for the Blind and all bids accepted and rejected.
33 (2) The record shall show all contracts in full, price paid for
34 all items, quantity of each item, and from whom purchased.
35 (b) The purchasing agent shall keep a copy and record of all building
36 contracts of whatsoever nature and kind.
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1
2 6-43-221. Report of school officers.
3 The officers of the Arkansas School for the Blind shall make reports to
4 the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas
5 School for the Deaf as it may from time to time require.
6
7 6-43-222. Record of allowances -- Statement of expenditures.
8 (a) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
9 Arkansas School for the Deaf shall keep a book in which they shall record all
10 allowances and make an entry of the proceedings had thereon.
11 (b)(1) The general business manager shall report to the board of
12 trustees a detailed statement, under oath, of all the expenditures he or she
13 may have made for the preceding three (3) months, to whom made, and for what
14 purpose, to the truth of which he or she shall take and subscribe an oath.
15 (2) The report shall be accompanied by proper vouchers.
16
17 6-43-223. Reports -- Publication.
18 (a) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
19 Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Superintendent of the Arkansas School
20 for the Blind shall make a full and complete report, to be submitted to the
21 Governor and the General Assembly, not later than January 15 of each year the
22 General Assembly is in regular session.
23 (b) These reports shall deal with improvements made during the
24 previous two (2) fiscal years, together with the suggestions and
25 recommendations covering the Arkansas School for the Blind for the next two-
26 year period.
27 (c) The report of the board of trustees shall cover the preceding
28 school year.
29 (d)(1) The board of trustees and the superintendent shall each make
30 detailed reports biennially to the General Assembly of their proceedings, the
31 condition of the school, the number of pupils, and other facts connected with
32 the institution, including the exact receipts and expenditures of the board
33 of trustees.
34 (2) The superintendent shall report to the board of trustees
35 before each regular session of the General Assembly a detailed statement of
36 the number of pupils admitted and discharged, their place of residence and
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1 supposed cause of blindness, the amount of money expended and for what
2 purpose, and the probable sum necessary to defray the current expenses of the
3 institution until the next regular session of the General Assembly, which
4 report shall be embodied in that of the board of trustees.
5 (e)(1) The reports shall be made and printed together not later than
6 January 15 of each year the General Assembly is in regular session.
7 (2) There shall be, of each biennial report of the board of
8 trustees to the General Assembly, one thousand five hundred (1,500) copies
9 printed, one thousand (1,000) for the use of the General Assembly and five
10 hundred (500) for the school.
11
12 SECTION 12. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 43, Subchapter 3, is
13 repealed.
14 6-43-301. Establishment.
15 An institute of learning is established in the State of Arkansas for
16 the education of Deaf, deaf, or Hard of Hearing persons of the state, by and
17 under the name and title of the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
18
19 6-43-302. Real and personal property.
20 (a) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
21 Arkansas School for the Deaf may take and hold in trust for the state to the
22 use of the Arkansas School for the Deaf any lands conveyed or devised and any
23 money or other personal property given or bequeathed, to be applied to the
24 use and benefit of the school.
25 (b) All property pertaining to the Arkansas School for the Deaf shall
26 be exempt from taxation.
27
28 6-43-303. Rent, construction, or repair of facilities.
29 The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
30 Arkansas School for the Deaf shall have power to make all contracts for the
31 rent or construction and repair of any building and appurtenances belonging
32 to or used by the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
33
34 6-43-304. Action for trespass or other wrongs brought by state.
35 For all damages for trespass and other wrongs upon the buildings or any
36 other property, personal or real, belonging to the Arkansas School for the
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1 Deaf, actions may be maintained in the name of the state, and all damages
2 received in such actions shall be appropriated to the repair of the injured
3 property.
4
5 6-43-305. Teachers generally.
6 (a) The Arkansas School for the Deaf is hereby authorized to pay
7 employees hired in the position of teacher for the sensory impaired or senior
8 audiologist for the yearly school term the maximum annual salary rate
9 established for each position.
10 (b) Teachers for the sensory impaired shall be eligible for an
11 additional step increase after being certified in teaching the vision
12 impaired, Deaf, deaf, or Hard of Hearing by the Division of Elementary and
13 Secondary Education.
14
15 6-43-306. Duties of teachers and employees.
16 (a) The teachers, officers, and employees shall perform such other
17 duties as the Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Deaf may direct,
18 and, when their services are not needed, they shall be discharged.
19 (b) However, if the teachers, officers, and employees are unjustly
20 discharged, they shall be entitled to a fair and impartial hearing before the
21 Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas
22 School for the Deaf and to be represented by counsel if they desire.
23
24 6-43-307. Limitations on salary increases.
25 The salary of any person connected with the Arkansas School for the
26 Deaf shall be as determined by law.
27
28 6-43-308. Custodian of funds -- Payment of bills, warrants, etc.
29 (a) The Treasurer of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the
30 Department of Education, shall have the custody of all moneys, notes,
31 securities, and other obligations belonging to the Arkansas School for the
32 Deaf and shall be responsible for them under his or her bond and oath as the
33 Treasurer of State.
34 (b) The Treasurer of State, in consultation with the secretary, shall
35 pay all the expenses of the school out of the funds appropriated for the use
36 of the school, upon warrants drawn by the Auditor of State in favor of the
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1 Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas
2 School for the Deaf, who shall issue his or her warrants upon orders signed
3 by the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind
4 and the Arkansas School for the Deaf and at least two (2) members of the
5 board of trustees, except as herein otherwise provided.
6
7 6-43-309. Accounts and records -- Reports.
8 (a) The accounts and records of the Arkansas School for the Deaf shall
9 be so kept by the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and
10 the Arkansas School for the Deaf and the superintendent as to show the:
11 (1) Kind, quality, cost, and of whom bought, of each article
12 purchased for use thereof;
13 (2) Condition of the school;
14 (3) Specific amount of the receipts and expenditures;
15 (4) Number, name, and date of admission of each pupil;
16 (5) Age, cause of deafness, and length of time under instruction
17 of each pupil, of beneficiaries of each pupil, and all other pupils received
18 into the school; and
19 (6) Number and salaries of officers and employees.
20 (b) This information shall be embodied in a report made to the
21 Governor on or before the convening of the General Assembly at each regular
22 session, and shall be presented to that body by the Governor with his or her
23 message.
24
25 6-43-310. Records of secretary and purchasing agent.
26 (a)(1) The secretary and purchasing agent shall keep a full and
27 complete record of all contracts made and entered into for the purchase of
28 all articles bought for the Arkansas School for the Deaf and all bids
29 accepted and rejected.
30 (2) The record shall show all contracts in full, price paid per
31 item, for all items and quantity of each item, and from whom purchased.
32 (b) The secretary and purchasing agent shall keep a copy and a record
33 copy of all building contracts of whatsoever nature or kind.
34
35 6-43-311. Biennial reports.
36 (a) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the
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1 Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Superintendent of the Arkansas School
2 for the Deaf shall make a full and complete report to be submitted to the
3 Governor, which shall be printed together and presented to the General
4 Assembly not later than January 16 of each year the General Assembly is in
5 regular session.
6 (b) The report of the board of trustees shall cover the two (2)
7 preceding calendar years, and the report of the superintendent shall cover
8 the two (2) preceding school years.
9 (c) These reports shall deal with the improvements made during the
10 biennial period covered by them, together with the suggestions and
11 recommendations concerning the Arkansas School for the Deaf for the next
12 biennium.
13
14 6-43-312 -- 6-43-314. [Repealed.]
15
16 6-43-315. List of applications in numerical order.
17 The Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Deaf is required to
18 keep a list of all applications for admission in their numerical order.
19
20 6-43-316. Length of time students may remain.
21 (a) Any Deaf, deaf, or Hard of Hearing person who may be admitted into
22 the school and supported as a beneficiary at the expense of the state shall
23 be permitted to remain in the school for thirteen (13) years unless, in the
24 judgment of the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and
25 the Arkansas School for the Deaf, he or she shall be sooner discharged.
26 (b)(1) The board is empowered to extend the term of such pupils as may
27 be recommended by the superintendent from time to time beyond the original
28 period of thirteen (13) years, either for further instruction with a view to
29 entering college, or for perfecting themselves in their trades.
30 (2) However, no more than twenty (20) pupils shall be so
31 recommended in one (1) year, nor any one (1) for more than three (3) years'
32 extension.
33
34 6-43-317. Boarding and lodging.
35 (a)(1) It shall be the duty of the Superintendent of the Arkansas
36 School for the Deaf to furnish, or cause to be furnished, suitable and proper
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1 boarding and lodging, as well as suitable instruction, for all Deaf, deaf, or
2 Hard of Hearing persons received as beneficiaries.
3 (2) He or she shall receive into the school other Deaf, deaf, or
4 Hard of Hearing persons according to such rules as the Board of Trustees of
5 the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf may
6 prescribe.
7 (b)(1) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and
8 the Arkansas School for the Deaf may require the superintendent or other
9 school official to reside at the institution.
10 (2) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind
11 and the Arkansas School for the Deaf may provide other benefits to the
12 superintendent out of the operation funds of the respective school.
13 (c) No person shall lodge or board in the school who is not a pupil
14 thereof, except its officers and their families.
15
16 6-43-318. Aid to deaf students at college.
17 When the county judge of any county has certified that a deaf pupil is
18 indigent, the provisions of � 6-43-109 shall be extended to the pupil while
19 the pupil is a student of a college.
20
21 6-43-319. Cruel or severe punishment forbidden.
22 There shall be no cruel or severe punishment inflicted upon the pupils
23 of the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
24
25 6-43-320. Shift differential.
26 For the Arkansas School for the Deaf, shift work must begin not earlier
27 than 2:30 p.m. and end no later than 8:00 a.m. the following day.
28
29 6-43-321. Maintenance, transportation, and security for Arkansas School
30 for the Blind.
31 (a) The Arkansas School for the Deaf shall be responsible for
32 providing maintenance, transportation, and security for the Arkansas School
33 for the Blind.
34 (b) The Arkansas School for the Deaf is authorized to spend general
35 revenue funds to provide for these services.
36
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1 SECTION 13. Arkansas Code � 19-4-906(a)(3)(032) and (033), concerning
2 passenger motor vehicle limits, are amended to read as follows:
3 (032) Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind 8 22
4 (033) Arkansas School for the Deaf 14
5
6 SECTION 14. Arkansas Code � 19-5-304(5) and (6), concerning the School
7 for the Blind Fund Account and School for the Deaf Fund Account within the
8 Education Fund, is amended to read as follows:
9 (5) Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind Fund Account.
10 (A) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind Fund
11 Account shall be used for the maintenance, operation, and improvement
12 required by the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind in carrying out those
13 powers, functions, and duties as set out in � 6-43-101 et seq. and � 6-43-201
14 et seq.
15 (B) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind Fund
16 Account shall consist of those general revenues as may be provided by law and
17 nonrevenue income derived from services provided by the Arkansas School for
18 the Deaf and Blind and any other nonfederal grant funds provided by law.
19 (C) Federal reimbursement funds received on account of
20 vocational education programs conducted by the Arkansas School for the Deaf
21 and Blind shall not be deposited into the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
22 Blind Fund Account;
23 (6) School for the Deaf Fund Account.
24 (A) The School for the Deaf Fund Account shall be used for
25 the maintenance, operation, and improvement required by the Arkansas School
26 for the Deaf in carrying out the powers, functions, and duties as set out in
27 � 6-43-301 et seq. or other duties imposed by law upon the Arkansas School
28 for the Deaf, which were transferred to the Department of Education by �� 6-
29 11-101, 6-11-102, and 25-6-102.
30 (B) The School for the Deaf Fund Account shall consist of
31 those general revenues as may be provided by law and nonrevenue income
32 derived from services provided by the Arkansas School for the Deaf and any
33 other nonfederal grant funds provided by law.
34 (C) Federal reimbursement funds received on account of
35 vocational education programs conducted by the Arkansas School for the Deaf
36 shall not be deposited into the School for the Deaf Fund Account;
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1
2 SECTION 15. Arkansas Code � 19-5-402(6) and (7) under the Education
3 Fund, Allocation A, concerning maximum allocations of revenues for upcoming
4 fiscal years, are amended to read as follows:
5 (6) School for the Deaf and Blind Fund Account $8,218,836 $20,031,769
6 (7) School for the Deaf Fund Account $ 11,812,933
7
8 SECTION 16. Arkansas Code � 21-8-402(5)(B)(ix), concerning the
9 definition of "gift" as it relates to the Disclosure Act for Lobbyists and
10 State and Local Officials, is amended to read as follows:
11 (ix) A monetary or other award presented to an
12 employee of a public school district, the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
13 Blind, the Arkansas School for the Deaf, the Arkansas School for Mathematics,
14 Sciences, and the Arts, a university, a college, a technical college, a
15 technical institute, a comprehensive life-long learning center, or a
16 community college in recognition of the employee's contribution to education;
17
18 SECTION 17. Arkansas Code � 21-8-402(7)(B), concerning the definition
19 of "income" or "compensation" as it relates to the Disclosure Act for
20 Lobbyists and State and Local Officials, is amended to read as follows:
21 (B) The term "compensation" does not include anything of
22 value presented to an employee of a public school district, the Arkansas
23 School for the Deaf and Blind, the Arkansas School for the Deaf, the Arkansas
24 School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, a university, a college, a
25 technical college, a technical institute, a comprehensive life-long learning
26 center, or a community college in recognition of the employee's contribution
27 to education;
28
29 SECTION 18. Arkansas Code � 21-8-701(d)(10), concerning individuals
30 required to file a statement of financial interest under the Disclosure Act
31 for Lobbyists and State and Local Officials, is amended to read as follows:
32 (10) Each monetary or other award of more than one hundred
33 dollars ($100) received by the public servant or candidate in his or her
34 capacity as an employee of a public school district, the Arkansas School for
35 the Deaf and Blind, the Arkansas School for the Deaf, the Arkansas School for
36 Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, a university, a college, a technical
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1 college, a technical institute, a comprehensive life-long learning center, or
2 a community college in recognition of his or her contribution to education;
3
4 SECTION 19. Arkansas Code � 25-11-205 is amended to read as follows:
5 25-11-205. Board of the Division of State Services for the Deaf and
6 Blind.
7 (a) There is created a board to be known as the Board of the Division
8 of State Services for the Deaf and Blind, to be constituted as follows:
9 (1)(A) The board shall be composed of seven (7) members
10 appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.
11 (B)(i) One (1) member shall be appointed by the Governor
12 after consulting each of the following:
13 (a) The National Federation of the Blind of
14 Arkansas;
15 (b) The Arkansas Council of the Blind, Inc.;
16 (c) The Arkansas Lions Clubs Council of
17 Governors, which shall be a member of a member club of the Lions Clubs
18 International within Multiple District Seven for Arkansas;
19 (d) The Arkansas Association for Education and
20 Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired; and
21 (e) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and
22 Blind.
23 (ii) Appointments made by the Governor under
24 subdivision (a)(1)(B)(i) of this section shall be subject to confirmation by
25 the Senate.
26 (C) The Governor shall appoint two (2) at-large members.
27 (D) One (1) or more of the members of the board shall be
28 at least fifty-five (55) years of age.
29 (E) At least four (4) members of the board shall be blind
30 as defined in � 25-11-202.
31 (2) Any board member whose term has expired shall continue to
32 serve as a member of the board until the member's successor is appointed and
33 qualified;
34 (3) All board members shall be appointed for terms of four (4)
35 years, and no person may serve more than two (2) consecutive full terms; and
36 (4) All vacancies which occur for any reason shall be filled by
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1 appointment by the Governor, and any interim appointments shall be limited to
2 the unexpired term of the position vacated. Any person appointed to fill a
3 vacancy shall meet the qualifications for appointment held by his or her
4 predecessor on the board.
5 (b) The President of World Services for the Blind, the Superintendent
6 of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind, one (1) representative
7 appointed by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind
8 and Visually Impaired of Arkansas, one (1) representative appointed by the
9 Blinded Veterans Association of Arkansas, and one (1) representative
10 appointed by the Arkansas Association of Blind Business Managers shall serve
11 as ex officio nonvoting members of the board. Additional ex officio nonvoting
12 members may be appointed by the Governor at the request of a majority of the
13 board.
14 (c) Each member or ex officio member appointed to the board, before
15 entering upon the duties of office, shall take the oath prescribed by the
16 Arkansas Constitution for state officers and shall file the oath in the
17 office of the Secretary of State, who shall thereupon issue to the member a
18 certificate of appointment.
19 (d) Upon recommendation of a majority of the regular board members,
20 the Governor may remove any member of the board at any time for misconduct,
21 incompetency, neglect of duty, or any other good cause as may be determined
22 by the board.
23 (e) The board members shall not receive compensation for performance
24 of their duties. However, they may receive expense reimbursement in
25 accordance with � 25-16-901 et seq.
26 (f) After the members of the board have been duly appointed and are
27 serving, the board shall choose a chair from among the regular members as
28 presiding officer, who shall serve for a term of two (2) years. The board
29 shall also elect from among its regular members a vice chair and a secretary,
30 who shall serve for a term of one (1) year.
31 (g) The board shall meet at least quarterly at those times and places
32 as it may determine from time to time.
33 (h)(1) The board shall employ a commissioner, subject to the approval
34 of the Governor, qualified by experience to administer and implement the
35 policies and directives of the board.
36 (2) The commissioner Commissioner of the Board of the Division
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1 of State Services for the Deaf and Blind shall report to the Secretary of the
2 Department of Commerce.
3 (3) The board may employ or appoint any additional personnel
4 necessary to carry out the functions, duties, and responsibilities entrusted
5 to the Division of State Services for the Deaf and Blind in accordance with
6 the requirements of law and within the limits of available appropriations.
7
8 SECTION 20. Arkansas Code � 25-16-904(19), concerning a stipend for
9 membership on the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and
10 the Arkansas School for the Deaf, is amended to read as follows:
11 (19) Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and
12 Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf;
13
14 SECTION 21. Arkansas Code � 25-17-201(1), concerning an honorary board
15 for the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf,
16 is amended to read as follows:
17 (1) A board of five (5) members constituting the Board of
18 Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas
19 School for the Deaf;
20
21 SECTION 22. Arkansas Code � 26-51-2503 is amended to read as follows:
22 26-51-2503. Contribution to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind
23 and the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
24 (a)(1) The Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and
25 Administration shall include on the Arkansas individual income tax forms,
26 including those forms on which a husband and wife file separately on the same
27 form, and on all corporate income tax forms, a designation as follows:
28 "(A) If you are entitled to a refund, check if you wish to
29 designate [ ] $1, [ ] $5, [ ] $10, [ ] _______ (write in amount)
30 or [ ] all refund due of your tax refund for the Arkansas School for the
31 Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf. Your refund will be
32 reduced by this amount.
33 (B) If you owe an additional amount, check if you wish to
34 contribute an additional [ ] $1, [ ] $5, [ ] $10, [ ] _______
35 (write in amount) for the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and the
36 Arkansas School for the Deaf. If you wish to make a contribution to the
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1 schools, you must enclose a separate check for the amount of your
2 contribution payable to the Department of Finance and Administration."
3 (2) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas
4 School for the Deaf check-off program on state income tax returns shall be
5 effective beginning with the returns for the 2001 income year and each income
6 year thereafter.
7 (3) The Secretary of the Department of Finance and
8 Administration may promulgate all rules and all income tax forms, returns,
9 and schedules necessary to implement this section.
10 (b) The Department of Finance and Administration shall quarterly
11 certify to the Treasurer of State the amount contributed to the Arkansas
12 School for the Deaf and Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf through
13 this state income tax check-off during the quarter, and the Treasurer of
14 State shall deduct from the Individual Income Tax Withholding Fund the amount
15 so certified.
16 (c) The Treasurer of State shall credit fifty percent (50%) of the
17 amount certified each quarter to the School for the Blind Fund Account and
18 fifty percent (50%) to the School for the Deaf Fund Account.
19
20 SECTION 23. DO NOT CODIFY. Transfer of the Arkansas School for the
21 Blind to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind.
22 (a) The Arkansas School for the Blind is transferred, and its
23 authority, duties, functions, records, contracts, personnel, property, and
24 unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds,
25 including the functions of budgeting or purchasing of the Arkansas School for
26 the Blind, are transferred to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind.
27 (b) The Arkansas School for the Blind's statutory powers, duties, and
28 functions, including functions of budgeting or purchasing, records,
29 contracts, personnel, property, and unexpended balances of appropriations,
30 allocations, and other funds are transferred to the Arkansas School for the
31 Deaf and Blind.
32 (c)(1) The transfer of the Arkansas School for the Blind does not
33 affect the orders, rules, directives, registration, licensing, or standards
34 made or promulgated by the Arkansas School for the Blind before the effective
35 date of this act.
36 (2) The orders, rules, directives, registration, licensing, or
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1 standards of the Arkansas School for the Blind shall continue to be in effect
2 until they are amended or repealed under authority provided under this act.
3
4 SECTION 24. DO NOT CODIFY. Transfer of the Arkansas School for the
5 Deaf to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind.
6 (a) The Arkansas School for the Deaf is transferred, and its
7 authority, duties, functions, records, contracts, personnel, property, and
8 unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds,
9 including the functions of budgeting or purchasing of the Arkansas School for
10 the Deaf, are transferred to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind.
11 (b) The Arkansas School for the Deaf's statutory powers, duties, and
12 functions, including functions of budgeting or purchasing, records,
13 contracts, personnel, property, and unexpended balances of appropriations,
14 allocations, and other funds are transferred to the Arkansas School for the
15 Deaf and Blind.
16 (c)(1) The transfer of the Arkansas School for the Deaf does not
17 affect the orders, rules, directives, registration, licensing, or standards
18 made or promulgated by the Arkansas School for the Deaf before the effective
19 date of this act.
20 (2) The orders, rules, directives, registration, licensing, or
21 standards of the Arkansas School for the Deaf shall continue to be in effect
22 until they are amended or repealed under authority provided under this act.
23
24 SECTION 25. EFFECTIVE DATE. Section 22 of this act is effective for
25 tax years beginning on or after January 2, 2025.
26
27 SECTION 26. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
28 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the merger of the Arkansas
29 School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf under this act
30 cannot occur during the middle of a school year; that if this act did go into
31 effect during the middle of a school year, there would be significant
32 disruptions in funding and confusion among administration, staff, students,
33 and parents of students; and that this act is immediately necessary to ensure
34 that the necessary changes to implement the merger of the Arkansas School for
35 the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf are made before the 2025-2026
36 school year and to guarantee funds for the newly created Arkansas School for
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1 the Deaf and Blind are correctly appropriated in advance of the upcoming 2026
2 fiscal year. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and this act
3 being necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety
4 shall become effective on July 1, 2025.
5
6 /s/Joey Carr
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37 04-08-2025 10:51:40 TNL340Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.