| 3 | 2 | | *CEB161* 03/03/2025 1:16:54 PM CEB161 |
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| 4 | 3 | | State of Arkansas 1 |
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| 5 | 4 | | 95th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 6 | 5 | | Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1644 3 |
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| 7 | 6 | | 4 |
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| 8 | 7 | | By: Representative Dalby 5 |
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| 9 | 8 | | By: Senator A. Clark 6 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 7 |
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| 11 | 10 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 12 | 11 | | AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE COMPENSATION 9 |
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| 13 | 12 | | OF A RETIRED JUDGE APPOINTED AS A SPECIAL JUDGE; TO 10 |
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| 14 | 13 | | CLARIFY THAT A RETIRED JUDGE MAY SERVE AS A SPECIAL 11 |
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| 15 | 14 | | JUDGE IMMEDIATELY UPON RETIREMENT; TO DECLARE AN 12 |
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| 16 | 15 | | EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13 |
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| 17 | 16 | | 14 |
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| 18 | 17 | | 15 |
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| 19 | 18 | | Subtitle 16 |
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| 20 | 19 | | CONCERNING THE COMPENSATION OF A RETIRED 17 |
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| 21 | 20 | | JUDGE APPOINTED AS A SPECIAL JUDGE; TO 18 |
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| 22 | 21 | | CLARIFY THAT A RETIRED JUDGE MAY SERVE 19 |
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| 23 | 22 | | AS A SPECIAL JUDGE IMMEDIATELY UPON 20 |
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| 24 | 23 | | RETIREMENT; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 21 |
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| 25 | 24 | | 22 |
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| 26 | 25 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 23 |
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| 27 | 26 | | 24 |
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| 28 | 27 | | SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative intent. 25 |
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| 29 | 28 | | The General Assembly intends: 26 |
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| 30 | 29 | | (1) To clarify the ability of a retired judge to serve as a 27 |
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| 31 | 30 | | special judge immediately upon retirement, as provided by Arkansas 28 |
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| 32 | 31 | | Constitution, Amendment 80, § 13, and other law; and 29 |
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| 33 | 32 | | (2) For this act to apply retroactively to January 1, 2025. 30 |
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| 34 | 33 | | 31 |
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| 35 | 34 | | SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 16 -10-902, concerning the compensation of a 32 |
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| 36 | 35 | | retired judge appointed as a special judge, is amended to add an additional 33 |
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| 37 | 36 | | subsection to read as follows: 34 |
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| 38 | 37 | | (c) A retired judge may serve as a special judge immediately upon 35 |
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| 39 | 38 | | leaving office. 36 HB1644 |
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| 40 | 39 | | |
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| 41 | 40 | | 2 03/03/2025 1:16:54 PM CEB161 |
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| 42 | 41 | | 1 |
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| 43 | 42 | | SECTION 3. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 2 |
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| 44 | 43 | | General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the number of requests for 3 |
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| 45 | 44 | | special judges is currently higher than the number of retired judges 4 |
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| 46 | 45 | | available to be appointed; that there is a need to clarify that a retired 5 |
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| 47 | 46 | | judge may be appointed as a special judge immediately upon leaving office; 6 |
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| 48 | 47 | | and that this act is immediately necessary to ensure the timely 7 |
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| 49 | 48 | | administration of justice. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and 8 |
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| 50 | 49 | | this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public 9 |
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| 51 | 50 | | peace, health, and safety shall become effective on: 10 |
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| 52 | 51 | | (1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 11 |
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| 53 | 52 | | (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 12 |
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| 54 | 53 | | the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 13 |
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| 55 | 54 | | bill; or 14 |
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| 56 | 55 | | (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 15 |
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| 57 | 56 | | overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 16 |
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| 58 | 57 | | 17 |
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| 59 | 58 | | 18 |
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