Arkansas Legislative Arkansas Legislative HistoryHistory

SWALL Annual Meeting 2006SWALL Annual Meeting 2006

Kathryn C. FitzhughKathryn C. FitzhughUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock Law University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law

LibraryLibraryLittle Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, Arkansas

501-324-9974 (KCF’s line)501-324-9974 (KCF’s line)501-324-9970 (Reference Desk)501-324-9970 (Reference Desk)

kcfitzhugh@ualr.edukcfitzhugh@ualr.eduCopyright 2006, Kathryn C. Fitzhugh. All Copyright 2006, Kathryn C. Fitzhugh. All

rights reserved.rights reserved.

Arkansas General AssemblyArkansas General Assemblywww.arkleg.state.ar.uswww.arkleg.state.ar.us

Senate: Senate: www.arkansas.gov/senate/www.arkansas.gov/senate/ House: House: www.state.ar.us/house/www.state.ar.us/house/ Meets in odd-numbered years for 60 days; Meets in odd-numbered years for 60 days;

can vote to extend a session.can vote to extend a session. Special sessions.Special sessions. There Oughta Be a Law! A ManualThere Oughta Be a Law! A Manual, Ref KFA , Ref KFA

4021 .A244 1992, describes the legislative 4021 .A244 1992, describes the legislative process. process.

Arkansas General AssemblyArkansas General Assemblywww.arkleg.state.ar.uswww.arkleg.state.ar.us

85th General Assembly85th General Assembly Arkansas Senate Arkansas Senate | | House of Representatives House of Representatives | | Senate/House CalendarsSenate/House Calendars|| State of Arkansas Website State of Arkansas Website Frame Version / Frame Version / Legislators and Committees Legislators and Committees ActsActs Bills and Resolutions Bills and Resolutions Previous Legislative SessionsPrevious Legislative Sessions Arkansas CodeArkansas Code Research ResourcesResearch Resources Meetings and Events Meetings and Events Staff Organizations Staff Organizations Batch Bill StatusBatch Bill Status Education Issues Education Issues Agency Budget Information Agency Budget Information -Bills Referred to Committees- -Bills Referred to Committees- View ActView Act

(Ex: 2)(Ex: 2)

View BillView Bill

(Ex: HB1002)(Ex: HB1002)

Today's Meetings Today's Meetings * - Denotes a Non-Legislative Meeting * - Denotes a Non-Legislative Meeting There are no scheduled meetings for this dateThere are no scheduled meetings for this date Site MapSite Map | | Privacy PolicyPrivacy Policy | | Contact UsContact Us

This site is maintained by the Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research, Information Systems Dept., and is the official website of the Arkansas This site is maintained by the Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research, Information Systems Dept., and is the official website of the Arkansas General Assembly General Assembly

Bills and ResolutionsBills and Resolutions Current bills under “Bills and Resolutions” Current bills under “Bills and Resolutions”

on General Assembly’s website.on General Assembly’s website. Older bills and resolutions under “Previous Older bills and resolutions under “Previous

Legislative Sessions/Historical Acts and Legislative Sessions/Historical Acts and Bills;” 1987-date.Bills;” 1987-date.

Arkansas Legislative DigestArkansas Legislative Digest. Summarizes . Summarizes and indexes the bills and resolutions. and indexes the bills and resolutions.

Lexis: AR Bill Tracking and Full Text Bills. Lexis: AR Bill Tracking and Full Text Bills. Current dataCurrent data

Westlaw: AR-BILLS. Current data.Westlaw: AR-BILLS. Current data.

Bill TrackingBill Tracking

General Assembly’s web site: Path: Bills General Assembly’s web site: Path: Bills and Resolutions/Bill Status.and Resolutions/Bill Status.

Lexis: AR Bill Tracking. Current data.Lexis: AR Bill Tracking. Current data. Westlaw: AR-BLLTRK. Current data.Westlaw: AR-BLLTRK. Current data. Arkansas Legislative Digest Arkansas Legislative Digest & & DigestWeb. DigestWeb. Arkansas House of Reps.: 501-682-7771.Arkansas House of Reps.: 501-682-7771. Arkansas Senate: 501-682-6107.Arkansas Senate: 501-682-6107.

Session LawsSession Laws Effective dates: An act becomes effective Effective dates: An act becomes effective

on the 91on the 91stst day after the final adjournment day after the final adjournment of the session in which the act was passed of the session in which the act was passed if the act has no emergency clause.if the act has no emergency clause.

Arkansas Attorney General’s opinion each Arkansas Attorney General’s opinion each year gives the exact effective date. See year gives the exact effective date. See www.arkansas.gov/ag/opinions/, 1991-www.arkansas.gov/ag/opinions/, 1991-date; print and microform copies for date; print and microform copies for earlier dates.earlier dates.

Older acts: preface of Older acts: preface of Arkansas Statutes Arkansas Statutes Annotated Annotated (superseded code) gives (superseded code) gives effective dates for 1838-1979. Our effective dates for 1838-1979. Our present code: present code: Arkansas Code Annotated.Arkansas Code Annotated.

Session LawsSession Laws Under “Acts” on General Assembly’s web Under “Acts” on General Assembly’s web

site.site. Older session laws, 1987-date, under Older session laws, 1987-date, under

“Previous Legislative Sessions.”“Previous Legislative Sessions.” Acts of Arkansas. Acts of Arkansas. 1837-date. Biennial 1837-date. Biennial

except for special sessions. 1 east & Sp. except for special sessions. 1 east & Sp. Coll. KFA 3625 .A22Coll. KFA 3625 .A22

Territorial acts on microfiche.Territorial acts on microfiche. Westlaw: Current: AR-LEGIS. Archive: Westlaw: Current: AR-LEGIS. Archive:

AR-LEGIS-OLD, 1991-date.AR-LEGIS-OLD, 1991-date. Lexis: Current: Arkansas Advance Lexis: Current: Arkansas Advance

Legislative Service.Legislative Service.

Older Session Laws onOlder Session Laws onwww.arkleg.state.ar.uswww.arkleg.state.ar.us

Previous Legislative SessionsPrevious Legislative Sessions Historical Acts and Bills (from now, back to 1987)Historical Acts and Bills (from now, back to 1987) Search Historical Acts and BillsSearch Historical Acts and Bills

2005 Regular Session (85th General Assembly)2005 Regular Session (85th General Assembly) 2005 Regular Session Acts2005 Regular Session Acts

2005 Regular Session Bills and Resolutions2005 Regular Session Bills and Resolutions 2005 Arkansas Code Sections Amended2005 Arkansas Code Sections Amended 2005 Regular Session Fiscal Summary2005 Regular Session Fiscal Summary 2005 Regular Session General Summary2005 Regular Session General Summary 2005 Regular Session House Journal2005 Regular Session House Journal

House and Senate JournalsHouse and Senate Journals

House Journals. 2003-date. House Journals. 2003-date. Senate Journals. 2003-date. Senate Journals. 2003-date. Both on General Assembly’s web site Both on General Assembly’s web site

under “Previous Legislative under “Previous Legislative Sessions.” Both contain minutes of Sessions.” Both contain minutes of proceedings – summaries of bills, proceedings – summaries of bills, voting records, selected speeches. voting records, selected speeches.

Code Conversion Tables and Code Conversion Tables and Historical NotesHistorical Notes

Arkansas Code Annotated (Ark. Code Ann.)Arkansas Code Annotated (Ark. Code Ann.) = = Official Code. Arkansas’ current code (since 1987). Official Code. Arkansas’ current code (since 1987). Publisher: Lexis Law Pub. Tables Volumes A & B. Publisher: Lexis Law Pub. Tables Volumes A & B.

Have act no. > tables give you current code section Have act no. > tables give you current code section or status (repealed, obsolete, superseded, etc.) or status (repealed, obsolete, superseded, etc.) Follow up with citator.Follow up with citator.

Historical Notes: Give original and amending act Historical Notes: Give original and amending act numbers and dates.numbers and dates.

Historical Notes: Give pre-1987 code section Historical Notes: Give pre-1987 code section numbers. The Code Revision Commission changed numbers. The Code Revision Commission changed Ark. Code numbers in 1987. Not all pre-1987 code Ark. Code numbers in 1987. Not all pre-1987 code sections have changed so the old code numbers sections have changed so the old code numbers must be used in research. Search unamended acts must be used in research. Search unamended acts under old (pre-1987) code numbers and new code under old (pre-1987) code numbers and new code numbers.numbers.

Research Reports:Research Reports:1966-19881966-1988

Indexed by the Indexed by the Arkansas Legal Index Arkansas Legal Index at at http://themis.law.ualr.edu:81http://themis.law.ualr.edu:81

Staff Report – Arkansas Legislative Staff Report – Arkansas Legislative Council. Council. KFA 3620 .S72KFA 3620 .S72

Research Report.Research Report. KFA 3620 .R43 KFA 3620 .R43 Informational Memos.Informational Memos. KFA 3620 .A77 KFA 3620 .A77 Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Arkansas Bureau of Legislative

Research may have more: 501-682-Research may have more: 501-682-1937.1937.

What Arkansas Does Not HaveWhat Arkansas Does Not Have

Floor Debate. Try local newspapers Floor Debate. Try local newspapers for excerpts: for excerpts: Arkansas Democrat-Arkansas Democrat-GazetteGazette; ; Arkansas Democrat Arkansas Democrat and and Arkansas Gazette Arkansas Gazette in print and on in print and on Lexis (from 1984) and Westlaw’s Lexis (from 1984) and Westlaw’s ARKGAZABS database with no date ARKGAZABS database with no date coverage specified.coverage specified.

Publication or recording of committee Publication or recording of committee reports.reports.

Publication or recording of hearings.Publication or recording of hearings.

ArticlesArticles Mullane, Mullane, Statutory Interpretation in Statutory Interpretation in

Arkansas: How Arkansas Courts Interpret Arkansas: How Arkansas Courts Interpret Statutes. A Rational Approach. Statutes. A Rational Approach. 2005 Ark. 2005 Ark. Law Notes 73. Essential reading.Law Notes 73. Essential reading.http://law.uark.edu/library/publications/http://law.uark.edu/library/publications/lawnotes2005/mullane73.pdflawnotes2005/mullane73.pdf

Mullane, Mullane, Statutory Interpretation in Statutory Interpretation in Arkansas: How Should a Statute Be Read? Arkansas: How Should a Statute Be Read? When Is It Subject to Interpretation? What When Is It Subject to Interpretation? What Our Courts Say and What They Do. Our Courts Say and What They Do. 2004 2004 Ark. Law Notes 85.Ark. Law Notes 85.http://law.uark.edu/library/publications/http://law.uark.edu/library/publications/lawnotes2004/mullane.pdflawnotes2004/mullane.pdf

FINFIN

Questions: Call the reference desk, Questions: Call the reference desk, 501-324-9970.501-324-9970.

Kathryn’s direct line: 501-324-9974.Kathryn’s direct line: 501-324-9974. Happy researching!Happy researching!