An act TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIP TO THE 10 SEVENTEENTH DISTRICT OF THE STATE DISTRICT COURT 11 SYSTEM, the official text

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 1978

4

5 By: Representative Gazaway

6 By: Senator B. Johnson

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8                             For An Act To Be Entitled

9               AN ACT TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIP TO THE

10              SEVENTEENTH DISTRICT OF THE STATE DISTRICT COURT

11              SYSTEM; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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14                               Subtitle

15                        TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIP TO THE

16                        SEVENTEENTH DISTRICT OF THE STATE

17                        DISTRICT COURT SYSTEM.

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

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21  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 16-17-1113(i), concerning the Seventeenth

22 District composed of the counties of Clay and Greene, is amended to read as

23 follows:

24  (i)(1) The Seventeenth District is composed of the counties of Clay

25 and Greene.

26              (2) The Seventeenth District has five (5) departments as

27 follows:

28                        (A) One (1) located in Paragould;

29                        (B) One (1) located in Marmaduke;

30                        (C) One (1) located in Corning;

31                        (D) One (1) located in Piggott; and

32                        (E) One (1) located in Rector.

33              (3) The Seventeenth District is served by one (1) two (2) state

34 district court judge judges.

35              (4) The Seventeenth District judge is judges are elected

36 districtwide.

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                                                                           HB1978

1           (5) The Seventeenth District court has districtwide

2 jurisdiction.

3           (6)(A) One (1) of the state district court judges under this

4 section shall have salary and benefits paid as provided under � 16-17-1106.

5                  (B) In lieu of � 16-17-1106, one (1) of the state district

6 court judges under this section shall have salary and benefits paid as

7 follows:

8                  (i) The state shall pay the salary and benefits of

9 the state district court judge;

10                 (ii) The funds necessary to cover the salary and

11 benefits of the state district court judge, including without limitation

12 retirement benefits, shall be divided between the City of Paragould, Greene

13 County, and Clay County, with the City of Paragould paying one-half (1/2) of

14 seventy-five percent (75%) of the salary and benefits, Greene County paying

15 one-half (1/2) of seventy-five percent (75%) of the salary and benefits, and

16 Clay County paying twenty-five percent (25%) of the salary and benefits; and

17                 (iii) On or before January 15 of each year, the sum

18 under subdivision (i)(6)(B)(ii) of this section to fund the salary and

19 benefits of the state district court judge shall be remitted to the

20 Administration of Justice Funds Section for deposit into the Constitutional

21 Officers Fund.

22

23  SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW STATE DISTRICT COURT

24 JUDGESHIP. The new state district court judgeship created by this act shall

25 become effective January 1, 2027, and shall be placed on the ballot to be

26 elected at the 2026 nonpartisan judicial election.

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