Bill
HB 1798
Arkansas establishes a Green Envelope Program, enabling diagnosed individuals to obtain a driver’s envelope with mental-illness communication guidelines and essential documents for
Note on source materials and conflicts
- The documents provided include multiple, conflicting items under the same bill number: primarily an Arkansas bill titled “To Establish a Green Envelope Program,” administrative fiscal notes from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), and (separately) an unrelated Illinois HB1798 draft amending the Children and Family Services Act. The header metadata (title referencing Alcorn State funding) and a “Died In Committee” status also conflict with the Arkansas documents (which show the bill passing in some entries). This summary focuses on the Arkansas Green Envelope Program text and DFA fiscal analysis because those materials are the most detailed and consistent in the packet. Where status is uncertain, that is noted below.
Purpose and intent
- Establish a “Green Envelope Program” to improve communication between law enforcement and individuals diagnosed with a mental illness during interactions, including motor vehicle stops. The program is intended to make it easier for officers to recognize that a person has a diagnosed mental illness and to provide guidance on communication approaches.
Key provisions
- New statutory section (Ark. Code § 27-15-103):
- Legislative intent language establishing the program.
- DFA must develop and make available a specially designed green envelope by January 1, 2026.
- The envelope must hold a driver’s essential documents (driver’s license, vehicle registration, contact card).
- The envelope’s exterior must include communication guidelines tailored to assist law enforcement in recognizing and adapting interactions with individuals with mental illness.
- Beginning January 1, 2026, an individual diagnosed with a mental illness may request the green envelope at their local DFA (Revenue) office.
Fiscal and administrative impact (per DFA)
- Minor one-time IT modification to the Arkansas Integrated Revenue System (AIRS) Driver Service/Motor Vehicle: estimated $10,000.
- Initial order of envelopes estimated at $735.
- No ongoing significant fiscal impact claimed; implementation requires updates to OMV manuals/web content and staff training at revenue offices and driver services.
- DFA legal analysis recommends adding a statutory definition of “mental illness” and clarifying what documentation, if any, is required to obtain an envelope.
Who is affected
- Individuals in Arkansas who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and who drive—these persons may request the envelope.
- Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Office of Motor Vehicle, Office of Driver Services, state Revenue Offices) for design, distribution, training and minor IT changes.
- Law enforcement officers interacting with envelope-holders (unfunded training implications may arise for law enforcement agencies if they incorporate the envelope guidance into practice).
Procedural timeline and status
- Key Arkansas actions recorded (dates in Mar–Apr 2025): introduced/read in House, amendment adopted (3/19/25), committee recommendations noted, readings and enrollments recorded; some entries indicate passage and transmittal to the Governor and an Act number (Act 531). However, the header metadata for this packet lists the bill status as “Died In Committee,” and there is also an unrelated Illinois bill bearing the same number in the materials.
- Recommendation: verify final status and enactment in the official Arkansas legislative records (or the jurisdiction of interest) because the provided records are internally inconsistent.
Related material (unrelated bill in packet)
- An Illinois HB1798 (separate jurisdiction, different subject) would prohibit final approval of a foster/adoptive placement if a background check reveals a felony conviction for human trafficking or sex trafficking. This is a distinct bill and not part of the Arkansas Green Envelope program.
Notes and implementation considerations
- The statute as drafted lacks a statutory definition of “mental illness” and does not specify documentation requirements to obtain an envelope—DFA recommends amending to clarify qualifying conditions and required proof.
- Practical implementation will require careful privacy considerations (medical confidentiality) and coordination with law enforcement training.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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