Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 504 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H3/12/25 H3/31/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1733 3
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By: Representatives Joey Carr, Tosh 5
By: Senator Caldwell 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS 9
CODE CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS BETTER CHANCE PROGRAM 10
ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE 15
ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS 16
BETTER CHANCE PROGRAM ACT. 17
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
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SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings and intent. 21
(a) The General Assembly finds that: 22
(1) Preschool is an essential resource and component in the 23
State of Arkansas that is necessary to prepare young children to adequately 24
participate in a learning environment in elementary education; 25
(2) Currently, the Arkansas Better Chance Program and Arkansas 26
Better Chance for School Success Program have twenty -three thousand (23,000) 27
available preschool slots between the two programs; 28
(3) It is in the best interest of Arkansas's families and 29
childcare providers to combine the Arkansas Better Chance Program and 30
Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program to promote efficiency in 31
the use and administration of the programs; and 32
(4) The qualifications for eligibility to participate in the 33
Arkansas Better Chance Program and Arkansas Better Chance for School Success 34
Program should be established by the Division of Elementary and Secondary 35
Education and should be the same qualifications for eligibility to 36 As Engrossed: H3/12/25 H3/31/25 HB1733
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participate in the Arkansas Better Chance Program for the 2024 -2025 school 1
year. 2
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure a greater 3
opportunity for a more efficient utilization of current slots and resources 4
available in both the Arkansas Better Chance Program and Arkansas Better 5
Chance for School Success Program for Arkansas families and childcare 6
providers. 7
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6 -45-104(a)(2), concerning the requirement 9
of a local school to work with the Division of Elementary and Secondary 10
Education to develop an Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program in 11
certain circumstances, is amended to read as follows: 12
(2) A local school is required to work with the Division of 13
Elementary and Secondary Education and its local community to establish, 14
promote, and assist in the development of a program under the Arkansas Better 15
Chance for School Success Program to serve all children in the school as 16
provided in § 6-45-108 § 6-45-105, if the school is located in a school 17
district classified as in need of Level 5 — Intensive support. 18
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 6-45-105 is amended to read as follows: 20
6-45-105. Establishment of Arkansas Better Chance Program — Arkansas 21
Better Chance for School Success Program . 22
(a)(1)(A) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall 23
establish the Arkansas Better Chance Program to assist in the establishment 24
and funding of the appropriate early childhood programs for children from 25
birth through five (5) years of age. 26
(B) Within the Arkansas Better Chance Program there is 27
established the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program for 28
providing appropriate early care and education programs for children three 29
(3) years of age and four (4) years of age as identified under § 6 -45-108(a) 30
from birth through five (5) years of age . 31
(C) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education 32
shall establish the same criteria and qualifications for eligibility to 33
participate in the Arkansas Better Chance Program and the Arkansas Better 34
Chance for School Success Program. 35
(D) A child from birth through five (5) years of age who 36 As Engrossed: H3/12/25 H3/31/25 HB1733
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meets at least one (1) of the qualifications established by the Division of 1
Elementary and Secondary Education for the Arkansas Better Chance Program or 2
the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program shall be eligible to 3
participate in the Arkansas Better Chance Program or the Arkansas Better 4
Chance for School Success Program. 5
(2)(A) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall 6
award grants or contracts to appropriate early childhood programs 7
selected by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in accordance 8
with specified programmatic standards. 9
(B)(i) These standards will shall be developed by the 10
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, with the advice and 11
assistance of the Arkansas Early Childhood Commission. 12
(ii) Standards for funding the Home Instruction for 13
Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) U.S.A. will shall be developed in 14
conjunction with the Arkansas HIPPY Advisory Board. 15
(C) The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool 16
Youngsters (HIPPY) U.S.A. regional technical assistance and training center 17
shall be defined and funded as an integral part of the Home Instruction for 18
Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) U.S.A. to provide necessary training, 19
technical assistance, and program support to program sites in Arkansas. 20
(b) The programmatic standards and other rules necessary for the 21
implementation of the Arkansas Better Chance Program and the Arkansas Better 22
Chance for School Success Program shall be adopted by the State Board of 23
Education in accordance with the provisions of the Arkansas Administrative 24
Procedure Act, § 25-15-201 et seq. 25
(c)(1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education may expend a 26
maximum of two percent (2%) of available funds to administer the Arkansas 27
Better Chance Program and the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success 28
Program and to monitor Arkansas Better Chance Program and Arkansas Better 29
Chance for School Success Program grantees to ensure compliance with 30
programmatic standards. 31
(2) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education may 32
contract with the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education to 33
administer the Arkansas Better Chance Program and the Arkansas Better Chance 34
for School Success Program . 35
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SECTION 4. Arkansas Code § 6 -45-108 is repealed. 1
6-45-108. Criteria for determining need. 2
(a)(1) All children three (3) years of age and four (4) years of age 3
who are members of a family with a gross family income not exceeding two 4
hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible to 5
attend an Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program if there is an 6
Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program available in the school 7
district where the child resides and if there is available space for the 8
child to attend the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program. 9
(2) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and the 10
Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education may develop a fee 11
schedule and establish eligibility based on family income for children who 12
are not eligible under subdivision (a)(1) of this section, but priority 13
enrollment shall be allowed to children eligible under subdivision (a)(1) of 14
this section. 15
(b) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and the 16
Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education shall review various 17
criteria for identifying and targeting the areas of the state with the 18
greatest need for early childhood programs. 19
(c) The State Board of Education, with the advice and assistance of 20
the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, shall adopt the 21
appropriate criteria for identifying Arkansas children with the greatest need 22
to participate in Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program -funded 23
early childhood programs. 24
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/s/Joey Carr 26
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APPROVED: 4/10/25 29
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