Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 708 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H3/6/25 H3/17/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1582 3
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By: Representatives McAlindon, Rose, Underwood 5
By: Senator J. English 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES 9
LAW; TO REQUIRE THE STATE-MAINTAINED JOB BOARD TO 10
MATCH AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A JOB; TO ENCOURAGE AN 11
INDIVIDUAL TO APPLY FOR A JOB AS PART OF HIS OR HER 12
WORK SEARCH CONTACTS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
TO REQUIRE CERTAIN ACTIONS AND ENCOURAGE 17
CERTAIN ACTIONS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE 18
ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS UNDER THE DIVISION 19
OF WORKFORCE SERVICES LAW. 20
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 11 -10-507(a)(2), concerning the 24
registration and reporting requirement for eligibility for benefits under the 25
Division of Workforce Services Law, is amended to read as follows: 26
(2) Registration and Reporting. He or she has registered for 27
work at and thereafter continued to report to a Division of Workforce 28
Services office in accordance with such rules as the director may prescribe , 29
and has created an account on the state -maintained job board listing his or 30
her work experience, credentials or licenses held or earned, and any relevant 31
job information. The director, by rule, may waive or alter either or both of 32
the requirements of this subdivision (a)(2) as to individuals attached to 33
regular jobs and as to such other types of cases or situations with respect 34
to which he or she finds that compliance with these requirements would be 35
oppressive or would be inconsistent with the purpose of this chapter. 36 As Engrossed: H3/6/25 H3/17/25 HB1582
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However, no such rules shall conflict with § 11 -10-501; 1
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 11 -10-507(b), concerning required work 3
search contacts under the Division of Workforce Services Law, is amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(b)(1)(A) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(3) of this section, the 6
division shall require at least five (5) work search contacts per week in 7
which an individual submits a claim for benefits. 8
(B) An individual submitting a claim for benefits shall 9
report to the division the five (5) work search contacts made during the week 10
required under subdivision (b)(1)(A) of this section as part of the weekly 11
certification process. 12
(2)(A)(i) The state-maintained job board shall match open jobs 13
posted on the state-maintained job board with an individual submitting a 14
claim for benefits. 15
(ii) As used in this section, "match" means that the 16
qualifications of the individual correspond to at least seventy -five percent 17
(75%) of the requirements of the open job, as calculated by the state -18
maintained job board. 19
(B)(i) An individual who matches with five (5) or more 20
open jobs on the state -maintained job board is encouraged to apply to the top 21
ranked five (5) open jobs to meet the requirements of his or her work search 22
contacts under subdivision (b)(1) of this section. 23
(ii) An individual who matches with fewer than five 24
(5) open jobs is encouraged to apply to those matching open jobs as well as 25
any other open jobs on the state -maintained job board to meet the 26
requirements of his or her work search contacts under subdivision (b)(1) of 27
this section. 28
(3) If an individual fails to complete and report the number of 29
work search contacts required under subdivision (b)(1) of this section during 30
a week in which he or she submits a claim for benefits, the individual is not 31
eligible for benefits for that week. 32
(3)(4) The division shall audit at least one hundred (100) of 33
all weekly work search reports for work search verification each week. 34
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SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This act is effective on and after January 36 As Engrossed: H3/6/25 H3/17/25 HB1582
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1, 2026. 1
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/s/McAlindon 3
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APPROVED: 4/16/25 6
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