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1 State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S3/13/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 403
4
5 By: Senators C. Tucker, Crowell
6 By: Representative Beaty Jr.
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO CREATE THE 2030 ARKANSAS COMPLETE COUNT
10 COMMITTEE; TO PLAN AND CONDUCT STATEWIDE EDUCATIONAL
11 AND OUTREACH INITIATIVES TO INCREASE COMMUNITY
12 AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION IN THE 2030 FEDERAL
13 DECENNIAL CENSUS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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15
16 Subtitle
17 TO CREATE THE THE 2030 ARKANSAS COMPLETE
18 COUNT COMMITTEE; AND TO PLAN AND CONDUCT
19 STATEWIDE EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH
20 INITIATIVES TO INCREASE COMMUNITY
21 AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION IN THE 2030
22 FEDERAL DECENNIAL CENSUS.
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24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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26 SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE. Legislative intent.
27 The General Assembly finds that:
28 (1) The United States Bureau of the Census is required by the
29 United States Constitution to conduct a federal decennial census;
30 (2) The federal decennial census provides a historic opportunity
31 to help shape the foundation of our society and plays an active role in
32 American democracy;
33 (3) An accurate federal decennial census is essential for the
34 redistricting of state legislative and congressional district boundaries;
35 (4) Important federal and state appropriation decisions are made
36 based in part on federal decennial census data;
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1 (5) Accurate federal decennial census information is critical to
2 planning for the growth, development, and social needs of Arkansas;
3 (6) The United States Bureau of the Census announced in 2022
4 that Arkansas had the highest undercount rate of the 2020 Federal Decennial
5 Census at five and four hundredths percent (5.04%);
6 (7) Arkansas was one (1) of six (6) states considered by the
7 United States Bureau of the Census to have a statistically significant
8 undercount during the 2020 Federal Decennial Census;
9 (8) Over three hundred (300) federal programs rely on federal
10 decennial census data to allocate funds;
11 (9) The George Washington Institute of Public Policy estimates
12 that fifty-five (55) large federal spending programs allocated nearly ten
13 billion dollars ($10,000,000,000) to Arkansas in the fiscal year 2016 based
14 on data derived from the 2010 Federal Decennial Census;
15 (10) Arkansas is estimated to lose five billion two hundred
16 fifty million dollars ($5,250,000,000) in federal funds by the end of the
17 2030 because of the 2020 Federal Decennial Census undercount rate;
18 (11) The 2020 Federal Decennial Census undercount rate of
19 children in Arkansas between the ages of zero (0) and four (4) was five and
20 fourteen hundredths percent (5.14%); and
21 (12) An undercount of young children results in fewer federal
22 funds allocated to Arkansas programs important to young children such as the
23 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
24 (WIC).
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26 SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE. 2030 Arkansas Complete
27 Count Committee -- Creation -- Members -- Proceedings -- Duties.
28 (a) There is created the 2030 Arkansas Complete Count Committee.
29 (b) The committee shall consist of the following thirty (30) members:
30 (1) One (1) staff member of the office of the Governor to be
31 appointed by the Governor;
32 (2) Two (2) members appointed from the state at large by the
33 Speaker of the House of Representatives;
34 (3) Two (2) members appointed from the state at large by the
35 President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
36 (4) The Secretary of the Department of Commerce or his or her
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As Engrossed: S3/13/25 SB403
1 designee;
2 (5) The Secretary of the Department of Labor and Licensing or
3 his or her designee;
4 (6) The Secretary of the Department of Finance and
5 Administration or his or her designee;
6 (7) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services or his or
7 her designee;
8 (8) The Secretary of the Department of Health or his or her
9 designee;
10 (9) The Secretary of the Department of Education or his or her
11 designee;
12 (10) The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs or his
13 or her designee;
14 (11) One (1) member who is a representative from the Arkansas
15 State Chamber of Commerce to be appointed by the Governor;
16 (12) Three (3) members who are representatives of city and
17 county governments to be appointed by the Governor;
18 (13) Two (2) members who are representatives of local community
19 action agencies to be appointed by the Governor;
20 (14) One (1) member who is a representative of an area agency on
21 aging to be appointed by the Governor;
22 (15) Two (2) members who are representatives of the faith
23 community to be appointed by the Governor;
24 (16) One (1) faculty member from a state-funded institution of
25 higher education with a doctorate degree in demography, population studies,
26 statistics, social sciences, or a related field to be appointed by the
27 Governor;
28 (17) One (1) member from the state at large to be appointed by
29 the Governor; and
30 (18) Seven (7) members appointed by the Governor from nonprofit
31 organizations representing or serving historically undercounted populations
32 in the federal decennial census such as young children.
33 (c) Vacancies on the committee due to death, resignation, or other
34 causes shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired portion of the term
35 in the same manner as is provided in this section for initial appointments.
36 (d) Members of the committee shall serve without pay.
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1 (e)(1) The Governor shall designate one (1) member of the committee as
2 chair.
3 (2) The chair shall call the first meeting of the committee.
4 (3) The first meeting shall occur within ninety (90) days of the
5 effective date of this act.
6 (4) The committee may conduct a meeting through electronic
7 means, including without limitation by:
8 (A) Telephone;
9 (B) Video conference; or
10 (C) Video broadcast.
11 (5)(A) The committee shall meet at least one (1) time every
12 other month.
13 (B) Additional meetings may be held upon the call of the
14 chair.
15 (f) The committee shall establish rules of procedure for meetings.
16 (g)(1) Fifteen (15) members of the committee shall constitute a quorum
17 for the transaction of business.
18 (2) The affirmative vote of a majority of members present is
19 required to adopt a motion or committee action.
20 (h) The committee shall advise and assist state agencies and private
21 nonprofit organizations to obtain the most accurate and complete population
22 count for the 2030 Federal Decennial Census.
23 (i) The committee shall:
24 (1) Work with the office of the Governor and the United States
25 Bureau of the Census to form strategies and techniques to increase the state
26 response rate for the 2030 Federal Decennial Census;
27 (2) Work with state agencies to plan and implement statewide
28 educational and outreach initiatives for the federal decennial census;
29 (3) Analyze the potential causes of the state undercount in the
30 2020 Federal Decennial Census to plan for the 2030 Federal Decennial Census;
31 (4) Request input from nonprofit entities and business leaders
32 on how the state can partner with the private sector for the purpose of
33 federal decennial census outreach;
34 (5) Collect information from state agencies concerning:
35 (A) An opportunity to integrate federal decennial census
36 outreach into current state agency activities; and
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1 (B) The estimated funding necessary to add federal
2 decennial census outreach to current state agency activities; and
3 (6) Recommend appropriations for 2030 Federal Decennial Census
4 outreach.
5 (j) The committee shall provide a written report of findings and
6 recommendations concerning 2030 Federal Decennial Census outreach to the
7 Governor and the Legislative Council on or before September 1, 2026.
8 (k) The committee shall continue to meet until September 1, 2030, to:
9 (1) Assess the progress of federal decennial census outreach;
10 and
11 (2) Develop outreach recommendations for the 2040 Federal
12 Decennial Census.
13 (l) The committee shall provide a written report of findings and
14 recommendations concerning 2040 Federal Decennial Census outreach to the
15 Governor and the Legislative Council on or before September 1, 2030.
16 (m) The committee shall expire on September 30, 2030.
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18 /s/C. Tucker
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5 03-13-2025 14:03:16 LGL078Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.