Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 453 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H3/10/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1574 3
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By: Representative Vaught 5
By: Senator K. Hammer 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PAID CANVASSERS; 9
TO REQUIRE DOMICILE IN ARKANSAS; AND FOR OTHER 10
PURPOSES. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PAID 15
CANVASSERS; AND TO REQUIRE DOMICILE IN 16
ARKANSAS. 17
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -9-103(a), concerning residence of 21
canvassers, is amended to add an additional subdivision to read as follows: 22
(7) A person shall not act as a paid canvasser unless he or she 23
is: 24
(A) A resident of this state; and 25
(B) Domiciled in the state if acting as a paid canvasser 26
for a statewide initiative petition or statewide referendum petition. 27
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -9-103(d), concerning the signing of 29
petitions, is amended to read as follows: 30
(d)(1) A person acting as a sponsor or an agent of a sponsor shall not 31
knowingly hire a person as a paid canvasser who: 32
(A) Is not a resident of this state; and 33
(B) Is not domiciled in the state if acting as a paid 34
canvasser for a statewide initiative petition or statewide referendum 35
petition. 36 As Engrossed: H3/10/25 HB1574
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(2) A person who fails to comply with subdivision (d)(1) of this 1
section is guilty of a violation and upon conviction shall be fined two 2
thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each paid canvasser hired in 3
violation of subdivision (d)(1) of this section. 4
(e) When the official charged with verifying the signatures has 5
reasonable grounds to believe that one (1) or more signatures on a petition 6
is forged, the official shall report the suspected forgery and basis for 7
suspecting forgery to: 8
(1) The Division of Arkansas State Police, in the case of a 9
statewide petition; or 10
(2) The prosecuting attorney of the county, in the case of a 11
local petition. 12
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SECTION 3. DO NOT CODIFY. Severability. 14
If any provision of this act or the application of this act to any 15
person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other 16
provisions or applications of this act which can be given effect without the 17
invalid provision or application, and to this end, the provisions of this act 18
are declared severable. 19
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SECTION 4. DO NOT CODIFY. The Supreme Court has interpreted domicile to 21
require "actual residence plus the intent to remain in a particular place". 22
Leathers v. Womack, 341 Ark. 609, 618 (2000). An individual may have only one 23
(1) domicile, and circumstances must present "a bona fide intention of making 24
it a fixed and permanent place of abode". Id. at. 619. 25
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/s/Vaught 27
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APPROVED: 4/3/25 30
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