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Arkansas / State / 95th General Assembly, 2025 Regular Session

Act 340 of 2025 (SB 246), § 79 Created the Arkansas Heroes Scholarship, counting a military disability retirement as well as a 100 percent permanent and total rating

Needs reviewEnactedProgram createdScope changed

Signed Takes effect

Expands benefits Created the Arkansas Heroes Scholarship and counts a military disability retirement as well as a 100 percent rating.

Enacted Ark. Code Ann. §§ 6-82-2501 to 6-82-2508 in the Arkansas ACCESS Act. A disabled veteran is a person awarded Armed Forces disability retirement benefits or VA compensation for 100 percent permanent and total disability; residence is one of three alternative routes; children are covered to 26 and spouses until remarriage; the award covers costs beyond federal DEA for eight semesters. Repealed the law enforcement dependents subchapter but only amended § 6-82-601, the Military Dependents Scholarship. Approved March 18, 2025; effective August 5, 2025. Flagged because the Division of Higher Education describes only the 100 percent route and a strict one-year residence rule, and the old Military Dependents Scholarship rules are still codified.

Progress

Path to law: Bill in a two-chamber legislature

  1. Introduced Done,
  2. In committee Done, Senate Education
  3. Passed one chamber Done, Senate
  4. Passed both chambers Done, House
  5. Signed by the governor Done, Act 340
  6. In effect Done,

Sponsors

  • Jonathan DismangSponsor, Republican, Senate, District 18
  • Matthew J. ShepherdSponsor, Republican, House, District 97
  • Brian S. EvansCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 68
  • Howard M. Beaty, Jr.Co-sponsor, Republican, House, District 95
  • Keith BrooksCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 78
  • Jon S. EubanksCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 46
  • Jeff WardlawCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 94
  • Sonia Eubanks BarkerCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 96
  • Karilyn BrownCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 67
  • Matt BrownCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 55
  • John P. CarrCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 15
  • Frances CavenaughCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 30
  • Cindy CrawfordCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 51
  • Zack GramlichCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 50
  • RJ HawkCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 81
  • Mindy McAlindonCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 10
  • Rick McClureCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 29
  • Stephen MeeksCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 42
  • Jason NazarenkoCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 4
  • Ryan A. RoseCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 48
  • Randy TorresCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 17
  • Carlton WingCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 70
  • Brandon AchorCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 71
  • Rick BeckCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 43
  • Les D. EavesCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 58
  • Steve UngerCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 19
  • Wade AndrewsCo-sponsor, Republican, House, District 98

What it touches

  • Ark. Code Ann. § 6-82-2503
  • Ark. Code Ann. § 6-82-2505
  • Ark. Code Ann. § 6-82-601

Catalog entries (2)

Official record

Read Act 340 of 2025 (SB 246), § 79 on the jurisdiction's own record