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HB 1808

Health insurance; creating the Ensuring Transparency in Prescription Drugs Prior Authorization Act; determination; consultation; prior authorization; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Carl Newton and 1 co-sponsor

Creates a recommended Bill of Rights for municipal firefighters, guiding due-process protections and privacy, with municipalities free to adopt all or part.

Becomes law without Governor's signature 05/29/2025
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Bill Summary · HB 1808

Summary — HB 1808 (95th General Assembly, 2025)

Title: Amend municipal fire department law; create a Bill of Rights for firefighters
Sponsors: Rep. A. Collins (primary), Rep. Andrews (cosponsor), Sen. C. Tucker
Introduced: January 9, 2025
Provided status: Died in Committee (see note below)

Purpose

HB 1808 would add a new Subchapter 2 to Arkansas Code Title 14, Chapter 53 to establish a recommended "Bill of Rights for Firefighters" for municipal fire departments. The subchapter is presented as a model set of minimum procedural protections and workplace rights that municipalities may adopt by local ordinance.

Key provisions (by code section)

  • 14-53-201 — Purpose

    • Declares intent to recommend basic Bill of Rights protections for municipal firefighters.
    • Allows a municipality to adopt any or all procedures in the subchapter as a guide for negotiating personnel issues (Amendment H1 changed language from "shall" to "may").

  • 14-53-202 — Definitions

    • Defines "firefighter", "formal proceeding", and "official departmental charges."

  • 14-53-203 — Disciplinary proceedings (minimum standards)

    • No adverse inference or punitive action for a firefighter’s refusal to participate in an investigation or interrogation, except when on duty or fully compensated under applicable overtime rules.
    • Interrogation location limits: investigator's office, duty station, or other reasonable place.
    • At interrogation start, firefighter must be told the nature of the investigation and identity/authority of investigator(s).
    • Only one interrogator questions at a time; interrogation must allow reasonable rest/personal breaks.
    • Prohibits threats/harassment/promises to induce answers (immunity offerings permitted).
    • Interrogations must be fully recorded; firefighter may independently record and have one chosen witness present (an attorney or an uninvolved department member).
    • Formal disciplinary proceedings may not occur absent written official departmental charges that specify alleged conduct, date/time, witnesses, and specific rules violated.
    • Right to pre-disciplinary hearing before the fire chief and to have a chosen person present.
    • Charges must be signed by the charging party.

  • 14-53-204 — Promotion/assignment privacy

    • Firefighters cannot be required to disclose personal financial/asset information (property, income, assets, debts, expenditures) for promotion or assignment purposes.

  • 14-53-205 — Notification

    • Except in exigent circumstances, firefighters must receive written departmental charges a reasonable time before personnel action that could reduce pay, benefits, or status.

  • 14-53-206 — Political activity

    • Off-duty firefighters (or when not acting in official capacity) may engage in, or refrain from, political activity; they may not be prohibited or forced to participate.

  • 14-53-207 — Remedies

    • Prohibits retaliation for exercising rights under the subchapter.
    • States the subchapter is not the exclusive legal remedy for firefighters.

Who is affected

  • Primary: municipal firefighters in Arkansas and municipal fire departments.
  • Secondary: municipal governments and fire chiefs (procedures for investigations, hearings, and personnel records/promotion practices).

Procedural/timeline notes

  • The bill text provided was prepared as engrossed (H3/20/25 S4/7/25) and included House Amendment H1 (changed mandatory language to permissive) and Senate Amendment S1 (added Rep. Andrews as a sponsor).
  • Metadata supplied with the request lists conflicting legislative actions (some indicating progression and enrollment) but the bill information header lists the status as "Died In Committee." Users should verify current status using the official Arkansas legislative database or clerk’s records for final disposition.

Practical impact

If adopted by the state or by municipal ordinances adopting these provisions, the bill would create standardized due‑process protections for firefighters in municipal disciplinary matters, increase procedural transparency (recorded interrogations, written charges, notice), protect certain private information from being required for promotions, and affirm off‑duty political rights. Municipalities could choose whether to adopt all, some, or none of the recommended procedures.

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

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