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HB 1866

Appropriation; MDOT to hire consultant for study on most efficient design of a certain corridor along MS Hwy 305 in DeSoto County.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rodney Hall and 2 co-sponsors

Arkansas requires public schools to install audio recording in all locker and changing rooms starting 2027–28, with notices, access rules, and 90-day retention minimum.

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Bill Summary · HB 1866

Summary — HB 1866 ("Eli’s Law") — Arkansas (2025 session)

Note: HB 1866 is a bill number used in multiple states for different measures (documents provided include unrelated Pennsylvania and Illinois HB 1866 texts). This summary covers the Arkansas version introduced by Rep. Brooks and Sen. J. Dotson (titled “Eli’s Law”), which would require audio recording devices in school locker/changing rooms.

Purpose / Intent

To improve student safety, deter misconduct in locker rooms and changing rooms, and preserve contemporaneous evidence for investigations by requiring public schools to install audio recording devices in those locations.

Key provisions

  • Scope: Applies to each public school district and each open-enrollment public charter school in the state.
  • Implementation date: Requirement begins with the 2027–2028 school year (per Amendment H1).
  • Installation: Each locker room and changing room on a school’s property must have an audio recording device installed.
  • Notice: Schools must post a conspicuous sign inside each affected locker/changing room notifying individuals that audio recording is in use.
  • Record retention and destruction:
    • Schools may not destroy recordings for at least 90 days after creation.
    • Recordings generally may not be retained longer than 12 months unless there is an allegation of wrongdoing for which the recording may serve as evidence.
    • At least 10 days before destroying a recording, the school must publish a notice of intent to destroy the recording on its website.
  • Access to recordings:
    • Can be requested by a school district or charter school administrator; or
    • By a parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis for a student when presenting an allegation of wrongdoing for which the recording may be used as evidence.
  • Funding: School districts and charter schools may use available state funds to implement the requirement, including state school-safety allocations.

Who is affected

  • All public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools in Arkansas (administration responsible for installation and records management).
  • Students and staff who use lockers/changing rooms (impact on privacy and how allegations are investigated).
  • Parents/guardians and school administrators as potential requestors and users of recorded evidence.

Fiscal impact

  • Arkansas Department of Education: no direct fiscal impact to the agency.
  • Cost to local districts: Districts are responsible for purchasing/installing devices and storage/management of recordings. No statewide cost estimate is provided in the documents; districts may use available state school-safety funds.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Amendment H1 clarified the start year (2027–28), retention limits, and access/notice rules.
  • The bill text and amendment history indicate it advanced through committee and amendment processes in spring 2025. (Several documents provided mix actions from other jurisdictions; confirm current enactment status with the Arkansas legislative records for final disposition.)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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