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: S4/9/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1812
4
5 By: Representative Gramlich
6 By: Senator J. Boyd
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDENT WHO TAKES AND PASSES A
10 GED TEST; TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
11 AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO THE
12 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO
13 TAKES A GED TEST AND RECEIVES A GED; TO AMEND THE
14 SCORE REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSAGE OF THE GED TEST; AND
15 FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
16
17
18 Subtitle
19 TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL
20 SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; TO
21 CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO ATTENDANCE
22 REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A
23 GED TEST; AND TO AMEND THE SCORE
24 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GED TEST.
25
26 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
27
28 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2913(a)(2)(D), concerning criteria
29 considered by the State Board of Education for determining the level of
30 support to be provided to a public school district, is amended to read as
31 follows:
32 (D) Other criteria the state board determines appropriate,
33 including without limitation:
34 (i) Feeder pattern performance;
35 (ii)(a) Graduation rates.
36 (b) However, for purposes of this section, a
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As Engrossed: S4/9/25 HB1812
1 student who passes a GED test shall not be counted as a dropout when
2 calculating a public school district's five-year graduation rate;
3 (iii) Growth calculations; and
4 (iv) Other indicators of school success.
5
6 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 6-18-201(a)(2), concerning exceptions to
7 the requirement that each child of a certain age shall enroll in and attend a
8 school, is amended to read as follows:
9 (2) A child who has received a GED or a high school diploma or
10 its equivalent as determined by the State Board of Education is not subject
11 to the attendance requirement under this section;
12
13 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 6-18-201(a)(4), concerning exceptions to
14 the requirement that each child of a certain age shall enroll in and attend a
15 school, is amended to read as follows:
16 (4) A child sixteen (16) years of age or older who is enrolled
17 in an adult education program under subsection (b) of this section or in the
18 Arkansas National Guard Youth Challenge Program is not subject to the
19 attendance requirement under this section.
20
21 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code � 6-18-201(c)(1), concerning a student
22 enrolled in a private, parochial, or home school who wishes to enroll in an
23 adult education program or take the GED test, are amended to read as follows:
24 (c) Students sixteen (16) years of age or seventeen (17) years of age
25 enrolled in a private, parochial, or home school who desire to enroll in an
26 adult education program shall meet the following requirements:
27 (1)(A) Students shall apply for enrollment to the adult
28 education program.
29 (B) A student enrolled in a private or parochial school
30 shall provide:
31 (i) Provide a letter from the principal or
32 administrator of the private or parochial school to verify enrollment; and
33 shall
34 (ii) Achieve a score 8.5 grade level or above as
35 determined by the Adult Education Section on either the Test for Adult Basic
36 Education or a minimum score of four hundred fifty (450) on each section and
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As Engrossed: S4/9/25 HB1812
1 a minimum composite score of four hundred ninety (490) on the GED practice
2 test.
3 (C) A student that is home schooled shall provide a
4 notarized copy of the notice of intent to home school provided to the
5 superintendent of the local school district as required by � 6-15-503;
6
7 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code � 6-18-201(d), concerning a student enrolled
8 in a private, parochial, or home school who wishes to take the GED test, is
9 amended to read as follows:
10 (d) Students age sixteen (16) or above enrolled in a public, private,
11 parochial, or home school who desire to take the GED test shall meet the
12 following requirements:
13 (1) A public school student shall not be required to obtain
14 permission or approval from any official in a the public school district in
15 which he or she is enrolled before being allowed to take the test;
16 (2) A student enrolled in a private or parochial school shall
17 provide a letter from the principal or administrator of the private or
18 parochial school to verify enrollment;
19 (3) A student enrolled in a home school shall provide a
20 notarized copy of the notice of intent to home school provided to the
21 superintendent of the local school district as required by � 6-15-503; and
22 (4) A student enrolled in a public, private, parochial, or home
23 school must achieve at least the minimum official GED practice test scores.
24
25 /s/Gramlich
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3 04-09-2025 14:12:08 TNL279Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.