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HB 1774

County services; provision of services within towns.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Marty Martinez

Expands Arkansas Fair Housing Commission from 7 to 13 voting members, adds structured appointment rules (industry reps + consumer/advocate seats) and staggered terms.

Left in Counties, Cities and Towns
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Bill Summary · HB 1774

Summary — HB 1774

Note on source material: The documents provided contain multiple, conflicting items (different titles, texts from different states). The primary bill text included in the packet amends Arkansas Code § 16-123-303 (the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission). However, the bill header and some metadata reference an appropriation for a Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and other appropriation language from Illinois. This summary focuses on the substantive statutory text provided (changes to the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission). Verify with the official state legislative site for the correct jurisdiction/version before taking action.

Main purpose

To amend the membership, composition, appointment procedures, and terms of the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission by expanding and specifying the commission’s membership categories and appointment process.

Key provisions and changes

  • Commission size

    • Current: seven (7) members.
    • Proposed: thirteen (13) voting members.

  • Appointment breakdown

    • Seven (7) members appointed by the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation.
    • Three (3) appointed by the Speaker of the House.
    • Three (3) appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
    • Specific appointment categories and consultation requirements are set for several slots.

  • Specified professional representation (Governor appointments require consultation with relevant industry groups)

    • Real estate:
    • One licensed real estate broker/salesperson with ≥5 years in residential sales.
    • One licensed real estate broker/salesperson with ≥5 years in multifamily property management.
    • One licensed real estate broker/salesperson with ≥5 years in real estate practice.
    • Governor to consult the Arkansas Realtors Association for these appointments.
    • Homebuilding:
    • One licensed homebuilder with ≥5 years; Governor consults Arkansas Home Builders Association.
    • Mortgage lending:
    • One mortgage broker with ≥5 years at a registered mortgage company; Governor consults Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas.
    • Banking:
    • One banker with ≥5 years; Governor consults Arkansas Community Bankers and Arkansas Bankers Association.

  • Consumer representation

    • Seven (7) members will represent consumers and must not be active (or can be retired) in real estate, homebuilding, mortgage lending, or banking.
    • One Governor-appointed consumer member must represent individuals with disabilities (Governor to consult Governor’s Commission on People with Disabilities).
    • Of the consumer reps:
    • Three appointed by the Speaker; one of these must be a fair housing attorney or advocate with ≥5 years’ experience.
    • Three appointed by the President Pro Tempore; one of these must be age 60+ to represent the elderly.
    • At least four of the consumer appointments must be persons protected under §§ 16-123-310 — 16-123-316.

  • Terms, vacancies, and limits

    • Standard terms: four (4) years; members serve until successors appointed and qualified.
    • Initial staggering: six (6) initial appointees serve two-year terms and seven (7) serve four-year terms (staggering determined by the Commission).
    • No member may serve more than two (2) four-year terms.
    • Vacancies filled by the same appointing authority for the unexpired term.

  • Other organizational rules

    • Members are full voting members.
    • Governor-appointed members must include one from each U.S. congressional district; Speaker/President Pro Tempore appointee congressional-district requirements rotate between specified districts.
    • The Commission elects a chair from among its members.
    • The Commission must meet at least quarterly.
    • Appointing authorities should attempt to reflect the state’s geographic diversity.
    • Commissioners may receive expense reimbursement and stipends per § 25-16-905.

  • Transition/temporary language

    • Existing commissioners continue to serve and exercise powers until their terms expire (temporary non-codified provision).

Who is affected

  • The Arkansas Fair Housing Commission’s composition and operations.
  • Stakeholder groups explicitly named for consultation (Arkansas Realtors Association, Arkansas Home Builders Association, Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas, Arkansas Community Bankers, Arkansas Bankers Association, Governor’s Commission on People with Disabilities).
  • Consumers and protected classes whose representation on the Commission is expanded or specified.
  • The Governor, Speaker of the House, and President Pro Tempore — who gain defined appointment responsibilities and district-based rotation obligations.
  • Potentially homeowners, renters, real estate industry, lenders, builders, and fair housing advocates through Commission decisions and priorities.

Procedural/timeline aspects and status

  • Introduced (per header) January 8, 2025.
  • The header indicates status: “Died In Committee.” However, the legislative-action log in the provided materials contains entries from multiple states and inconsistent actions (reads, committee reports, enrollments). Because of conflicting records, the current official status should be confirmed on the appropriate state legislature’s website (likely Arkansas) before relying on it.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Expanding the Commission from 7 to 13 members increases representation of industry stakeholders (real estate, banking, builders, mortgage lending) while also specifying consumer representatives and protected-class representation. This may change the balance of perspectives and influence on enforcement, policy guidance, complaint resolution, and outreach.
  • Formal consultation requirements institutionalize industry input on appointments.
  • More structured representation (age, disability, legal advocacy) may broaden expertise and advocacy capacity on the Commission.
  • Administrative effects include managing more appointments, confirmations, possible stipend costs, and implementing the initial staggering of terms.

If you want, I can:
- Verify which jurisdiction/version is authoritative and fetch the official bill status;
- Produce a short briefing focused on likely policy consequences for fair housing enforcement in Arkansas.

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

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