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 1689 3
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By: Representatives M. Shepherd, Eubanks 5
By: Senator D. Wallace 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO REQUIRE A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL TO GRANT 9
ACCESS TO ITS FACILITIES TO OFFICIAL RECRUITING 10
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MILITARY; TO REQUIRE CERTAIN 11
STATE-SUPPORTED POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS TO GRANT 12
ACCESS TO ITS FACILITIES TO OFFICIAL RECRUITING 13
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MILITARY; AND FOR OTHER 14
PURPOSES. 15
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Subtitle 18
TO REQUIRE A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL TO GRANT 19
ACCESS TO ITS FACILITIES TO MILITARY 20
RECRUITERS; AND TO REQUIRE CERTAIN 21
STATE-SUPPORTED POSTSECONDARY 22
INSTITUTIONS TO GRANT ACCESS TO ITS 23
FACILITIES TO MILITARY RECRUITERS. 24
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 26
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 6 -13-626 is amended to read as follows: 28
6-13-626. Access of military recruiters to school facilities and 29
records — Definitions. 30
(a) If the board of directors of a school district permits access to 31
the school grounds, facilities, and records by any person or group of persons 32
whose purpose is to make students aware of occupational and educational 33
options and opportunities, the A public school district board of directors 34
shall also permit such grant access on the same basis within each high school 35
in its district to official recruiting representatives of the military forces 36 HB1689
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recruiters of the state and the United States to enable those official 1
recruiting representatives to inform students of educational and career 2
opportunities available in the military. 3
(b) If a public high school does not grant access within the public 4
high school to prospective employers, institutions of higher education, 5
career entities, educational entities, and occupational entities, then the 6
public high school shall grant only limited access within the public high 7
school to military forces recruiters only to the extent to allow the military 8
forces recruiters to engage with students in grades ten through twelve (10 -9
12) in an in-person setting during normal school hours and at events that are 10
open to the public and outside of normal school hours. 11
(c) A military forces recruiter shall be permitted to engage with all 12
students in a public high school regardless of academic standing, class 13
enrollment, career aspirations, or participation in extracurricular 14
activities. 15
(d)(1) Each public high school shall provide an equal opportunity for 16
a military forces recruiter to present in person to students in grades ten 17
through twelve (10-12). 18
(2)(A) A military forces recruiter shall not be restricted by a 19
public school district to specific events, locations, or time periods unless 20
the restrictions to specific events, locations, or time periods apply to 21
prospective employers, institutions of higher education, career entities, 22
educational entities, and occupational entities. 23
(B) However, a restriction under subdivision (d)(2)(A) of 24
this section shall not prevent access of military forces recruiters to public 25
high schools as defined by this section. 26
(e)(1) A military forces recruiter shall be permitted to distribute 27
and collect information, administer surveys, and receive student contact 28
details in the same manner and under the same conditions as prospective 29
employers, institutions of higher education, career entities, educational 30
entities, and occupational entities. 31
(2) A public high school shall not impose additional privacy or 32
administrative barriers or parental consent requirements on a military forces 33
recruiter that are not imposed on prospective employers, institutions of 34
higher education, career entities, educational entities, and occupational 35
entities. 36 HB1689
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(f) The Secretary of the Department of the Military shall: 1
(1) Collect information from Arkansas National Guard recruiters 2
regarding compliance with this section by public school districts; and 3
(2) Prepare and submit an annual compliance report to the 4
Secretary of the Department of Education based on information collected under 5
subdivision (f)(1) of this section that shall: 6
(A) Identify each public school district found to be in 7
violation of this section; and 8
(B) Explain the basis for determining a public school 9
district is in violation of this section. 10
(g)(1) Each public high school shall inform all students in grades ten 11
through twelve (10-12) of opportunities to receive direct military forces 12
recruiter engagement and information about educational and career 13
opportunities available in the military forces. 14
(2) The information required under subdivision (g)(1) of this 15
section shall be provided electronically and through a student advisory or 16
homeroom session or class period. 17
(h) As used in this section: 18
(1) "Access" means the ability of military forces recruiters to: 19
(A) Engage with all students in grades ten through twelve 20
(10-12) in an in-person setting during normal school hours and at events that 21
are open to the public and outside of normal school hours; 22
(B) Present career and educational opportunities to 23
students in the same manner and under the same conditions as prospective 24
employers, institutions of higher education, career entities, educational 25
entities, and occupational entities; and 26
(C) Collect and distribute information, sign up students 27
for further engagement, and schedule follow -up meetings to the same extent as 28
prospective employers, institutions of higher education, career entities, 29
educational entities, and occupational entities; and 30
(2) "Military forces" means the Arkansas National Guard, United 31
States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States 32
Air Force, United States Space Force, United States Coast Guard, and the 33
federal reserve components of each of the federal bodies. 34
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 50, Subchapter 1, is amended 36 HB1689
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to add an additional section to read as follows: 1
6-50-107. Access of military forces recruiter to career and precollege 2
academies and secondary career and technical centers — Definition. 3
(a) A state-supported career academy, precollege academy, secondary 4
career center, or technical center shall permit access to official recruiting 5
representatives of the military forces to enable those representatives to 6
inform students enrolled in the state -supported career academy, precollege 7
academy, secondary career center, or technical center of educational and 8
career opportunities available in the military forces. 9
(b) As used in this section, "military forces" means the Arkansas 10
National Guard, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States 11
Navy, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, United States Coast 12
Guard, and the federal reserve components of each of the federal bodies. 13
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 61, Subchapter 1, is amended 15
to add an additional section to read as follows: 16
6-61-144. Access of military recruiter to postsecondary institution 17
facilities — Definition. 18
(a) A state-supported institution of higher education shall permit 19
access to official recruiting representatives of the military forces to 20
enable those representatives to inform students enrolled in the state -21
supported institution of higher education of educational and career 22
opportunities available in the military. 23
(b) As used in this section, "military forces" means the Arkansas 24
National Guard, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States 25
Navy, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, United States Coast 26
Guard, and the federal reserve components of each of the federal bodies. 27
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