TO AUTHORIZE ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE CHAMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE MEETINGS OF THE SILVER HAIRED LEGISLATIVE SESSION, LEADERSHIP ARKANSAS, ARKANSAS GIRLS STATE, AND ARKANSAS BOYS STATE.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by DeAnn Vaught

Authorizes the Arkansas House Chamber for 2025–2026 use by four civic programs to hold their mock legislative sessions.

READ AND ADOPTED.

Purpose

HR 1048 is a House resolution authored by Representative Vaught that authorizes use of the Arkansas House Chamber for specified civic and leadership programs. Its intent is to permit those organizations to hold their mock legislative or civic sessions in the State Capitol’s House Chamber during 2025 and 2026.

Key provisions

Authorizes access to and use of the Chamber of the House of Representatives in the State Capitol Building for the meetings of:

the Silver Haired Legislative Session (biennial),
Leadership Arkansas (annual),
Arkansas Girls State (annual),
Arkansas Boys State (annual).

Applies specifically to the 2025 and 2026 meetings of the listed programs.

Does not amend statutory law or appropriate funds — it is a permission/house-management resolution authorizing facility use.

Background / context

Silver Haired Legislative Session: a nonpartisan biennial program (since 1977) that engages senior citizens in a mock legislative process.

Leadership Arkansas: a multi-session leadership/government program whose class annually conducts a mock legislative session at the Capitol.

Arkansas Girls State (since 1942) and Arkansas Boys State (since 1940): weeklong immersive civic-education programs for high‑school juniors that culminate in mock government and legislative activities at the State Capitol.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiaries: participants and organizers of the four programs (seniors, leadership program participants, high‑school students).

Secondary impacts: House management (scheduling and facility operations), Capitol security, custodial and legislative staff who support such events.

No direct changes to state law, entitlements, or budget line items are created by the resolution itself.

Procedural status and timeline

Introduced: February 6, 2025 (Representative Vaught).

Recorded actions indicate the resolution was read and adopted (listed as “READ AND ADOPTED”) and later placed on and adopted from the Congratulatory & Memorial Resolutions calendar (records show activity through May 2025).

Effective for the 2025 and 2026 sessions of the named programs; implementation would be coordinated by House management and relevant program organizers.

Potential impact

Facilitates civic education and public engagement by allowing established programs to use the formal legislative chamber for mock sessions.

Symbolically reinforces the Capitol’s role as a civic-education venue.

Administrative effects limited to scheduling, security, and routine facility support; no new spending or legal authorities are created.

Bill