An act TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HIGHER EDUCATION, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas              As Engrossed: H3/20/25
2 95th General Assembly
                                       A Bill

3 Regular Session, 2025                                            HOUSE BILL 1833

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5 By: Representatives M. Shepherd, Achor, F. Allen, Brooks, M. Brown, Cavenaugh, Clowney, A. Collins,

6 Eaves, Evans, Gramlich, Hawk, L. Johnson, Maddox, Perry, Pilkington, Torres, Tosh, Underwood,

7 Warren

8 By: Senators B. Davis, J. Boyd, Hester, G. Leding

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10                       For An Act To Be Entitled

11              AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HIGHER EDUCATION;

12              TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ADMISSIONS AT THE

13              UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE; AND FOR

14              OTHER PURPOSES.

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17                               Subtitle

18                       TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE

19                       ADMISSIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

20                       COLLEGE OF MEDICINE.

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22 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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24        SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 6-64-406(b), concerning the allocation of

25 enrollment positions at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine for

26 the freshman medical class among congressional districts, is amended to read

27 as follows:

28        (b)(1)(A) The board shall allocate the first seventy percent (70%) of

29 the first one hundred fifty (150) enrollment positions for the freshman

30 medical class among Arkansas congressional districts, using the population of

31 each congressional district as determined by the last federal decennial

32 census to determine that district's proportion of the freshman positions so

33 allocated and shall assign those apportioned enrollment positions for each

34 district to those applicants who are legal residents in that particular

35 congressional district twenty-five (25) positions to each congressional

36 district.

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    As Engrossed: H3/20/25                                                  HB1833

1                     (B) The board shall give additional consideration to rural

2 applicants from medically underserved areas in an effort to address health

3 disparities If there are not twenty-five (25) applicants from a congressional

4 district who meet published admissions standards and accept an offer of

5 acceptance, the remaining positions for that congressional district first

6 shall be filled by qualified applicants who are Arkansas residents and then

7 by applicants that are most likely to complete the program and reside in

8 Arkansas.

9              (2)(A) The next fifteen percent (15%) of the first one hundred

10 fifty (150) freshman enrollment positions shall be allocated to the state at

11 large and assigned to applicants who are legal residents of any place within

12 Arkansas An additional twenty-five (25) positions shall be allocated to

13 applicants who are Arkansas residents.

14                    (B) However, in allocating the fifteen percent (15%) to

15 the state at large, the board may allocate not to exceed one-third () of the

16 fifteen percent (15%) of the first one hundred fifty (150) freshman

17 enrollment positions to applicants who do not actually reside in the state

18 but who were born and reared and attended public schools in Arkansas and who

19 in addition thereto shall meet two (2) or more of the following criteria:

20                          (i) Applicant is a registered voter in Arkansas;

21                          (ii) Applicant holds a current valid Arkansas

22 driver's license;

23                          (iii) Applicant or parents of applicant are Arkansas

24 taxpayers;

25                          (iv) Parent of applicant resides in or is employed

26 in Arkansas; and

27                          (v) Applicant meets other related criteria as may be

28 prescribed by the board If there are not twenty-five (25) applicants who are

29 Arkansas residents who meet published admissions standards and accept an

30 offer of acceptance, then the remaining positions first shall be filled by

31 qualified applicants who have ties to Arkansas and then by applicants who are

32 most likely to complete the program and reside in Arkansas.

33             (3) The remaining fifteen percent (15%) of the first one hundred

34 fifty (150) freshman enrollment positions may be assigned either to legal

35 residents or to nonresidents, however, any qualified legal resident shall

36 have a preference in securing an assignment to a position when compared to a

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    As Engrossed: H3/20/25                                                 HB1833

1 nonresident, and the total number of nonresidents assigned positions shall

2 not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the first one hundred fifty (150)

3 freshman enrollment positions assigned for any school year Positions in

4 excess of the positions provided under subdivisions (b)(1) and (2) of this

5 section may be filled by applicants at large.

6   (4) The board may provide for an alteration in the percentages

7 set forth in this subsection only if the adherence to these percentages would

8 endanger the accredited rating of the University of Arkansas College of

9 Medicine as determined by the standards of the Association of American

10 Medical Colleges.

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12                          /s/M. Shepherd

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