Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
*SSS093* 03/03/2025 2:04:05 PM SSS093
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1648 3
4
By: Representative S. Meeks 5
6
7
For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING MUNICIPAL FIRE 9
DEPARTMENTS; TO ALLOW A MEMBER OF A MUNICIPAL FIRE 10
DEPARTMENT BOMB SQUAD TO MAKE ARRESTS UNDER CERTAIN 11
CIRCUMSTANCES; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER 12
PURPOSES. 13
14
15
Subtitle 16
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING MUNICIPAL 17
FIRE DEPARTMENTS; TO ALLOW A MEMBER OF A 18
MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT BOMB SQUAD TO 19
MAKE ARRESTS UNDER CERTAIN 20
CIRCUMSTANCES; AND TO DECLARE AN 21
EMERGENCY. 22
23
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 24
25
SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 14, Chapter 53, is amended to add an 26
additional section to read as follows: 27
14-53-115. Bomb squad member —— Authority to make arrests. 28
(a) A member of a municipal fire department bomb squad meeting the 29
requirements of this section may make arrests for violations: 30
(1) Of explosives-related incidents or offenses; or 31
(2) When assisting a law enforcement agency in the state. 32
(b) A member of a municipal fire department bomb squad may make 33
arrests under this section if he or she: 34
(1) Has successfully completed the part -time law enforcement 35
officer course of study approved by the Arkansas Commission on Law 36 HB1648
2 03/03/2025 2:04:05 PM SSS093
Enforcement Standards and Training and required for specialized police 1
personnel; and 2
(2) Is acting in his or her official capacity as a member of a 3
municipal fire department bomb squad. 4
(c) A member of a municipal fire department bomb squad who meets the 5
requirements under subsection (a) of this section shall make arrests in 6
accordance with § 16 -81-101 et seq. 7
8
SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 16 -81-106(f), concerning the authority to 9
make arrests, is amended to read as follows: 10
(f) As used in this section, “certified law enforcement officer” 11
includes a: 12
(1) A full-time game warden of the Arkansas State Game and Fish 13
Commission so long as the game warden shall not exercise his or her authority 14
to the extent that any federal funds would be jeopardized ; and 15
(2) A member of a municipal fire department bomb squad who meets 16
the requirements under § 14 -53-115. 17
18
SECTION 3. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 19
General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that a municipal fire department 20
bomb squad member does not have the authority to arrest a perpetrator he or 21
she may encounter in the course of his or her duty; that providing this 22
authority to a municipal fire department bomb squad member is likely to 23
prevent an imminent explosives hazard; and that this act is immediately 24
necessary because residents of this state may be at risk during an 25
explosives-related incident or offense, which threatens the public peace, 26
health, and safety of residents of this state. Therefore, an emergency is 27
declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the 28
preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective 29
on: 30
(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 31
(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 32
the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 33
bill; or 34
(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 35
overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 36