Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 145 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S1/22/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 50 3
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By: Senators J. Boyd, J. English 5
By: Representative Wing 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO REQUIRE A LEGISLATIVE STUDY OF WORKFORCE 9
AND SOCIAL SERVICES REFORM; TO REQUIRE THE 10
CONSIDERATION OF ANY LEGISLATIVE CHANGES NECESSARY TO 11
ADDRESS ISSUES IDENTIFIED DURING THE STUDY OF 12
WORKFORCE AND SOCIAL SERVICES REFORM; AND FOR OTHER 13
PURPOSES. 14
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Subtitle 17
TO REQUIRE A LEGISLATIVE STUDY OF 18
WORKFORCE AND SOCIAL SERVICES REFORM; 19
AND TO REQUIRE CONSIDERATION OF 20
LEGISLATION NECESSARY TO ADDRESS ISSUES 21
IDENTIFIED DURING THE STUDY. 22
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 24
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SECTION 1. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative study of 26
workforce and social services reform — Findings — Scope — Requirements. 27
(a) The General Assembly finds that: 28
(1) Arkansas needs an educated and skilled workforce for 29
employment in diverse occupations and industries; 30
(2) The Arkansas workforce is increasingly in need of access to 31
higher quality education and training programs aligned to the growing 32
technological competencies required in occupations; 33
(3) Arkansas's public workforce system is a maze of confusing 34
programs and is not meeting the challenges faced by employers and workers; 35
(4) Arkansas does not have a centralized location that includes 36 As Engrossed: S1/22/25 SB50
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a clearinghouse of the available public assistance programs, how to access 1
them, and eligibility requirements; 2
(5) The United States Congress is considering the 3
reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. § 4
3101 et seq., and new opportunities to grant states the ability to pilot 5
comprehensive innovation demonstration programs; and 6
(6) Research has shown that an integrated system of workforce 7
and social services more effectively supports the most vulnerable citizens in 8
escaping poverty through targeted support and work to achieve dignity and 9
self-sufficiency, which will not only lift individuals but also strengthen 10
Arkansas's economy. 11
(b)(1) The Hospital, Medicaid, and Developmental Disabilities Study 12
Subcommittee of the Legislative Council shall meet to conduct a study of 13
issues related to the reform of the state's workforce and social services. 14
(2) Meetings for the purpose of conducting the study required 15
under this section shall be held at least one (1) time every three (3) months 16
but may occur more often at the call of the cochairs of the Hospital, 17
Medicaid, and Developmental Disabilities Study Subcommittee of the 18
Legislative Council. 19
(c)(1) The purpose of the study required under this section is to 20
study issues and ideas related to the reform of the state's workforce and 21
social services and to consider related legislation that may be necessary to 22
remedy any issues identified during the course of the study. 23
(2) The study required under this section shall include without 24
limitation a study of: 25
(A) State models for coordinating and fully integrating 26
workforce, social services, education, child care, and healthcare programs; 27
(B) Alternative approaches that the state should consider 28
to achieve improved outcomes in workforce and social service programs, 29
including without limitation: 30
(i) Programs of the Workforce Innovation and 31
Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. § 3101 et seq., including without limitation 32
oversight for an integrated regional services delivery system; 33
(ii) The unemployment insurance program; 34
(iii) Vocational rehabilitation programs; 35
(iv) The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 36 As Engrossed: S1/22/25 SB50
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program; 1
(v) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; 2
(vi) The Employment and Training Program for 3
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients; and 4
(vii) The Child Care Assistance Program; 5
(C) Performance outcomes of various workforce programs, 6
including without limitation an analysis of the number of common participants 7
enrolled in multiple programs across state agencies; 8
(D) The creation of an asset map that incorporates office 9
locations, case management systems, and customer intake and eligibility 10
procedures for the services and programs studied under this section; and 11
(E) Legislation that may be necessary to address any 12
issues identified in the course of the study conducted under this section. 13
(d) The Hospital, Medicaid, and Developmental Disabilities Study 14
Subcommittee of the Legislative Council may form work groups to focus on 15
specific issues or topics as needed. 16
(e) In conducting the study required under this section, the Hospital, 17
Medicaid, and Developmental Disabilities Study Subcommittee of the 18
Legislative Council may include and consider input from subject matter 19
experts, who may be used to facilitate meetings, conduct research, or provide 20
technical assistance. 21
(f)(1)(A) On or before October 1, 2026, the Hospital, Medicaid, and 22
Developmental Disabilities Study Subcommittee of the Legislative Council 23
shall file with the cochairs of the Legislative Council a final written 24
report of the activities, findings, and recommendations of the Hospital, 25
Medicaid, and Developmental Disabilities Study Subcommittee of the 26
Legislative Council under this section, including any draft legislation. 27
(B) Upon adoption of the final written report filed under 28
subdivision (f)(1)(A) of this section, the Legislative Council shall submit a 29
copy of the adopted final written report to the Governor, the Speaker of the 30
House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. 31
(2) The final written report required under subdivision (f)(1) 32
of this section shall: 33
(A) Contain recommendations for the integration of the 34
services and programs considered during the study, including without 35
limitation any state department or agency reorganizations needed to achieve 36 As Engrossed: S1/22/25 SB50
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desired outcomes for the people of Arkansas; and 1
(B) Address the following key components: 2
(i) How current services and programs are organized 3
and administered at the state agency level; 4
(ii) A vision for how service delivery can be 5
integrated for the benefit of all Arkansans who rely on the services and 6
programs studied, including without limitation services and programs 7
delivered at the state, regional, and local levels; 8
(iii) Opportunities for financial integration and 9
efficient methods for allocating costs across multiple services and programs; 10
(iv) Recommendations on how supportive services, 11
such as child care, trauma recovery, and health insurance, can better support 12
employment outcomes; 13
(v) Identification of efficiencies leading to cost 14
savings that can be used for enhanced services, such as increased resource 15
availability for Arkansans to access education and training; and 16
(vi) Identification of opportunities for Arkansas to 17
participate in any federally authorized workforce demonstration project, 18
including without limitation provisions requiring waiver requests. 19
(g) During the course of the study required under this section, the 20
Director of the Division of Workforce Services shall provide updates to the 21
Hospital, Medicaid, and Developmental Disabilities Study Subcommittee of the 22
Legislative Council related to efforts by the United States Congress to 23
reauthorize and reform the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 24
U.S.C. § 3101 et seq., including without limitation opportunities to 25
incorporate recommendations contained within the final report through new 26
demonstration and waiver authority or other changes to current federal laws. 27
(h) The study required under this section expires on December 31, 28
2026. 29
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/s/J. Boyd 31
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APPROVED: 2/25/25 34
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