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: S4/3/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 488
4
5 By: Senator Irvin
6 By: Representative Dalby
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY; TO
10 AMEND DEFINITIONS UNDER THE ARKANSAS JUVENILE CODE OF
11 1989; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING WHEN A JUVENILE IS
12 CONSIDERED TO BE ADJUDICATED DELINQUENT; AND FOR
13 OTHER PURPOSES.
14
15
16 Subtitle
17 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING WHEN A
18 JUVENILE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ADJUDICATED
19 DELINQUENT.
20
21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
22
23 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 9-27-303(15), concerning the definition of
24 "delinquent juvenile" under the Arkansas Juvenile Code of 1989, is amended to
25 read as follows:
26 (15) "Delinquent juvenile" means:
27 (A) A a juvenile who was ten (10) years of age old or
28 older at the time the juvenile who:
29 (i)(A) Has committed Committed an act, other than a
30 traffic offense or game and fish violation, that, if the act had been
31 committed by an adult, would subject the adult to prosecution for a felony,
32 misdemeanor, or violation under the applicable criminal laws of this state;
33 (ii)(B) Has violated Violated � 5-73-119; or,
34 (iii) Has violated � 5-71-217(d)(2), cyberbullying of
35 a school employee or another criminal law or status offense that can only be
36 committed by a juvenile under the laws of this state; or
*LJH204* 04-03-2025 09:36:00 LJH204
As Engrossed: S4/3/25 SB488
1 (B)(C) Any juvenile charged with capital murder, � 5-10-
2 101, or murder in the first degree, � 5-10-102, subject Committed an offense
3 which later results in to an extended juvenile jurisdiction designation;
4
5 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 9-27-303(33), concerning the definition of
6 "juvenile" under the Arkansas Juvenile Code of 1989, is amended to read as
7 follows:
8 (33) "Juvenile" means an individual who is:
9 (A) From Is from birth to eighteen (18) years of age,
10 whether married or single; or
11 (B) Was under eighteen (18) years of age at the time a
12 delinquent offense occurred but has since reached the age of majority; or
13 (C) Adjudicated Was adjudicated delinquent, a juvenile
14 member of a family in need of services, or dependent or dependent-neglected
15 by the juvenile division of circuit court prior to eighteen (18) years of age
16 and for whom the juvenile division of circuit court retains jurisdiction;
17
18 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 9-28-206 is amended to read as follows:
19 9-28-206. Disposition of delinquent juvenile.
20 (a) When a circuit court or any other court having jurisdiction of a
21 juvenile under eighteen (18) years of age finds a delinquent juvenile
22 committed a to be delinquent act while under eighteen (18) years of age as
23 defined by the laws of this state, the court may commit the juvenile to the
24 Division of Youth Services for an indeterminate period not to exceed the
25 twenty-first birthday of the juvenile.
26 (b) No court may commit a juvenile found solely in criminal contempt
27 to the division Division of Youth Services.
28
29 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code � 9-28-208(a)(1), concerning what shall be
30 included in an order of commitment to the Division of Youth Services, is
31 amended to read as follows:
32 (a)(1) An order of commitment to the Division of Youth Services shall
33 state that the juvenile is found to be adjudicated a delinquent juvenile and
34 shall state information regarding the underlying facts of the adjudication.
35
36 /s/Irvin
2 04-03-2025 09:36:00 LJH204Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.