Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 837 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1898 3
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By: Representative Painter 5
By: Senator Crowell 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DIVISIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF 9
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION; TO COMBINE THE EXISTING 10
REGULATORY AND ENFORCEMENT FUNCTIONS RELATED TO 11
TOBACCO, MEDICAL MARIJUANA, AND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE 12
CONTROL IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND 13
ADMINISTRATION; TO CREATE THE REGULATORY DIVISION AND 14
THE REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT DIVISION WITHIN THE 15
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION; TO COMBINE 16
THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL ENFORCEMENT DIVISION 17
AND THE ARKANSAS TOBACCO CONTROL ENFORCEMENT DIVISION 18
INTO THE REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT DIVISION; TO ALLOW 19
FOR PERSONNEL OF THE REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT DIVISION 20
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TO BE 21
DESIGNATED AS AGENTS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY; 22
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 23
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Subtitle 26
TO CREATE THE REGULATORY DIVISION AND 27
THE REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT DIVISION IN 28
THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND 29
ADMINISTRATION; AND TO ALLOW PERSONNEL 30
OF THE REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT DIVISION 31
TO BE DESIGNATED AS AGENTS. 32
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 34
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 25, Chapter 8, Subchapter 1, is amended 36 HB1898
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to add additional sections to read as follows: 1
25-8-111. Regulatory Division of the Department of Finance and 2
Administration — Regulatory Administrator. 3
(a) The Regulatory Division is created within the Department of 4
Finance and Administration. 5
(b) The Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration 6
shall appoint a Regulatory Administrator to oversee the Regulatory Division 7
of the Department of Finance and Administration. 8
(c) The administrator shall: 9
(1) Serve at the pleasure of the secretary; 10
(2) Report to the secretary; and 11
(3) Maintain oversight of: 12
(A) The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division; 13
(B) Arkansas Tobacco Control; 14
(C) The Arkansas Racing Commission; and 15
(D) The Regulatory Enforcement Division of the Department 16
of Finance and Administration. 17
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25-8-112. Regulatory Enforcement Division. 19
(a) The Regulatory Enforcement Division is created within the 20
Regulatory Division of the Department of Finance and Administration. 21
(b) The Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration 22
shall appoint an Enforcement Director to oversee the Regulatory Enforcement 23
Division of the Department of Finance and Administration. 24
(c) The director shall: 25
(1) Serve at the pleasure of the secretary; and 26
(2) Report to the Regulatory Administrator of the Regulatory 27
Division of the Department of Finance and Administration. 28
(d) The Regulatory Enforcement Division of the Department of Finance 29
and Administration is designated as a law enforcement agency. 30
(e) The director shall assign personnel as agents of the Regulatory 31
Enforcement Division of the Department of Finance and Administration to 32
conduct investigations related to the violation of: 33
(1) State law governing: 34
(A) Tobacco; 35
(B) Alcohol; 36 HB1898
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(C) Medical marijuana; or 1
(D) Gambling or the promotion of gambling; and 2
(2) Rules promulgated by the: 3
(A) Alcoholic Beverage Control Board; 4
(B) Medical Marijuana Commission; or 5
(C) Tobacco Control Board. 6
(f) Personnel assigned as agents of the Regulatory Enforcement 7
Division of the Department of Finance and Administration under subsection (e) 8
of this section shall: 9
(1) Present findings to the relevant board regarding the 10
investigation of a violation of rules promulgated by the entities listed in 11
subdivision (e)(2) of this section; 12
(2) Be considered full -time law enforcement officers by the 13
Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training under § 12 -9-14
101 et seq.; and 15
(3) Have statewide law enforcement authority. 16
(g) The director may refer any investigation authorized under this 17
section to a prosecuting attorney or a law enforcement agency. 18
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APPROVED: 4/17/25 21
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