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: S3/12/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 148
4
5 By: Senator J. English
6 By: Representative Achor
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE ARKANSAS
10 TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM; TO ESTABLISH THE CREATING
11 AN INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKERS
12 ACT OF 2025; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
13
14
15 Subtitle
16 TO ESTABLISH THE CREATING AN INVESTMENT
17 OPPORTUNITY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKERS
18 ACT OF 2025.
19
20 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
21
22 SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative intent.
23 It is the intent of the General Assembly to:
24 (1) Provide a voluntary mechanism for early childhood workers to
25 participate in the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System; and
26 (2) Require no expenditure of state funds for matching of any
27 contributions for early childhood workers who are not otherwise eligible for
28 participation in the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System.
29
30 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 24-7-202(21), concerning the definition of
31 "employment with a school" as it applies to the Arkansas Teacher Retirement
32 System, is amended to add an additional subdivision to read as follows:
33 (H) Employment of an early childhood worker as defined by
34 � 24-7-212(b), with a licensed childcare facility that provides teaching,
35 early childcare education, or supervision for a child enrolled in a licensed
36 childcare facility under the Childcare Licensing Act, � 20-78-201 et seq.;"
*LJH108* 03-12-2025 10:10:15 LJH108
As Engrossed: S3/12/25 SB148
1
2 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 24, Chapter 7, Subchapter 2, is amended
3 to add an additional section to read as follows:
4 24-7-212. Creating an Investment Opportunity for Early Childhood
5 Workers Act of 2025 -- Definition.
6 (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Creating an
7 Investment Opportunity for Early Childhood Workers Act of 2025."
8 (b) As used in this section, "early childhood worker" means a person
9 who is:
10 (1) Providing teaching, early childcare education, or
11 supervision for a child enrolled in a licensed childcare facility under the
12 Childcare Facility Licensing Act, � 20-78-201 et seq.;
13 (2) Employed by a childcare provider that is licensed and
14 regulated by the Department of Education as an appropriate early childhood
15 program as defined under � 6-45-103; and
16 (3) Employed by a childcare provider that receives state or
17 federal child care funding from the Department of Education under � 6-87-101.
18 (c)(1) A single nonprofit fiscal agent that is approved by the Board
19 of Trustees of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System may act as a pass-
20 through fiscal agent to facilitate the voluntary participation of an early
21 childhood worker in the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System.
22 (2) The board shall authorize participation consistent with �
23 24-7-202(21)(F)(i) and � 24-7-202(21)(F)(ii).
24 (3) Membership in the system is not mandatory for an employee of
25 a facility regardless of whether the board authorizes participation under
26 subdivision (c)(2) of this section.
27 (d) An early childhood worker shall not be entitled to:
28 (1) Contribution from state funds; or
29 (2) Matching from the state or the system.
30 (e) The board shall promulgate rules for the implementation of this
31 section.
32
33
34 /s/J. English
35
36
2 03-12-2025 10:10:15 LJH108Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.