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HB 1646

Promoting lower insurance premiums by creating a variable insurance premiums tax rate that does not exceed two percent.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Carolyn Eslick and 1 co-sponsor

K–5 school libraries must lock non-age-appropriate sexual content; students may access only with written parental consent, with escalating discipline for staff who fail to comply.

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
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Bill Summary · HB 1646

Summary — HB 1646

Bill number: HB 1646
Primary sponsors (documents): Rep. McGrew; Sen. M. McKee; (separate document) Rep. Lilian Jiménez
Subject area: Elementary school library media materials / parental consent / educator discipline

Status: Mixed/ambiguous in provided materials (user lists "Died in Committee"; other documents show amendments, engrossment, and actions). The text summarized below reflects the Arkansas-engrossed version (95th General Assembly, Regular Session 2025) contained in the materials.

Main purpose

To require public elementary school (configured K–5) library media centers to store certain materials described as "non-age-appropriate sexual content" in locked compartments within a designated area, and to restrict student access to those materials unless prior written parental (or guardian/in loco parentis) approval is obtained. The bill also establishes progressive disciplinary consequences for school employees who knowingly fail to comply.

Key provisions

  • Requirement: Public school library media centers in buildings configured as elementary schools with K–5 students must store non-age-appropriate sexual content in a locked compartment within a designated area.
  • Access control: Students enrolled in the school may not view or check out such materials from the locked compartment unless the library receives prior written approval from the student’s parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis.
  • Definition: "Non-age-appropriate sexual content" is defined as materials that include explicit instruction, promotion, or advocacy of sexual ideology, behaviors, or orientations not developmentally appropriate for K–5 students.
  • Enforcement and progressive discipline:
    • First documented allegation of a knowing failure to comply must be recorded by the school principal and district superintendent; the principal and superintendent may suspend the individual (employee) for up to five days without pay.
    • A second knowing violation is to be referred to the Professional Licensure Standards Board by formal complaint; the Board may suspend the individual’s teaching license.
    • A third knowing violation requires revocation of the individual’s teaching license by the Board.
  • Drafting/terminology amendments: Earlier drafts used the term "locked rooms"; an amendment replaced this with "locked compartments" and reorganized the disciplinary language.

Who would be affected

  • K–5 public elementary school students and their parents/guardians.
  • School librarians, teachers, principals, and other staff responsible for library materials.
  • School district superintendents and the Professional Licensure Standards Board (as adjudicator of repeated violations).
  • Potentially school operations with mixed-grade configurations (see implementation note).

Fiscal impact & implementation notes

  • Arkansas Dept. of Education fiscal note (3/5/25) indicates no fiscal impact to ADE.
  • Comment in fiscal note: school buildings whose grade configuration extends beyond K–5 may complicate management of a locked compartment system (operational considerations for mixed or K–12 schools).
  • No additional funding or appropriation provisions appear in the text.

Legislative/administrative status and related bills

  • The materials include amendment history (Amendments H1 and H2) refining language and penalties and marking the bill "As Engrossed" on 3/12/25 and 3/31/25.
  • A companion bill (SB 2778) is referenced in the materials.
  • Note: The document package included unrelated or parallel legislative texts from other states (Indiana, Illinois) that are not part of this Arkansas proposal. The procedural history in the materials is inconsistent; confirm current status with the Arkansas legislative website or clerk for an authoritative final disposition.

If you want, I can:
- Verify current official status and final disposition in the Arkansas legislative database, or
- Produce a one-page plain-language handout for parents/school staff describing operational implications and sample parental consent language.

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

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