Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1663 3
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By: Representative K. Brown 5
By: Senator J. English 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO PROHIBIT AN AWARD OF ALIMONY OR TERMINATE 9
ALIMONY FOR A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE 10
COMMITTED AN ACT OF DOMESTIC ABUSE UNDER THE DOMESTIC 11
ABUSE ACT OF 1991 WHEN THE VICTIM WOULD BE THE PAYOR 12
OF ALIMONY; TO PROHIBIT AN AWARD OF ALIMONY OR 13
TERMINATE ALIMONY OR A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN FOUND TO 14
HAVE COMMITTED AN OFFENSE OF DOMESTIC BATTERING OR 15
ASSAULT ON A FAMILY OR HOUSEHOLD MEMBER WHEN THE 16
VICTIM WOULD BE THE PAYOR OF ALIMONY; AND FOR OTHER 17
PURPOSES. 18
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Subtitle 21
TO PROHIBIT AN AWARD OF ALIMONY OR 22
TERMINATE ALIMONY FOR A PERSON WHO HAS 23
BEEN FOUND TO HAVE COMMITTED AN ACT OF 24
CIVIL OR CRIMINAL DOMESTIC ABUSE WHEN 25
THE VICTIM WOULD BE THE PAYOR OF 26
ALIMONY. 27
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 29
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 12, Subchapter 3, is amended 31
to add an additional section to read as follows: 32
9-12-326. Prohibition or termination of alimony in cases of domestic 33
abuse or other domestic offenses. 34
(a)(1) If a petitioner for alimony was found to have committed an act 35
of domestic abuse in a matter brought under the Domestic Abuse Act of 1991, § 36 HB1663
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9-15-101 et seq., and the victim of the act of domestic abuse is the 1
respondent in the divorce or alimony petition, the court shall deny the 2
petitioner an award of alimony. 3
(2)(A) If a person currently receiving an award of alimony is 4
subsequently found to have committed an act of domestic abuse in a matter 5
brought under the Domestic Abuse Act of 1991, § 9 -15-101 et seq., and the 6
victim of the act of domestic abuse is the payor of alimony, the court may 7
terminate the award of alimony from the date of the finding of domestic 8
abuse. 9
(B) A finding that a person currently receiving an award 10
of alimony has subsequently committed an act of domestic abuse in a matter 11
brought under the Domestic Abuse Act of 1991, § 9 -15-101 et seq., shall be 12
considered a significant and material change in circumstances under § 9 -12-13
312(a)(7) when the victim of the act of domestic abuse is the payor of 14
alimony. 15
(b)(1) The court shall deny a petitioner for alimony an award of 16
alimony if the petitioner was convicted of any of the following offenses and 17
the victim of the offense is the respondent in the divorce or alimony 18
petition: 19
(A) Domestic battering in the first degree, § 5 -26-303; 20
(B) Domestic battering in the second degree, § 5 -26-304; 21
(C) Domestic battering in the third degree, § 5 -26-305; 22
(D) Aggravated assault on a family or household member, § 23
5-26-306; 24
(E) First degree assault on family or household member, § 25
5-26-307; 26
(F) Second degree assault on a family or household member, 27
§ 5-26-308; or 28
(G) Third degree assault on a family or household member, 29
§ 5-26-309. 30
(2)(A) If a person currently receiving an award of alimony is 31
subsequently convicted of any of the offenses listed in subdivision (b)(1) of 32
this section and the victim of the offense is the payor of alimony, the court 33
may terminate the award of alimony from the date of the person's conviction. 34
(B) A finding that a person currently receiving an award 35
of alimony has been subsequently convicted of any of the offenses listed in 36 HB1663
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subdivision (b)(1) of this section shall be considered a significant and 1
material change in circumstances under § 9 -12-312(a)(7) when the victim of 2
the offense is the payor of alimony. 3
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