Arkansas legislation · 95th General Assembly (2025 Regular)
Arkansas SB554: TO CREATE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM
Status: Chaptered, April 23, 2025
What the bill says
An act to be entitled an act to create the behavioral health loan forgiveness program; and for other purposes. subtitle to create the behavioral health loan forgiveness program.
From the enrolled text:
An Act To Be Entitled AN ACT TO CREATE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Subtitle TO CREATE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 81, is amended to add an additional subchapter to read as follows: Subchapter 21 -- Behavioral Health Loan Forgiveness Program 6-81-2101. Definitions. As used in this subchapter: (1) "Behaviorally underserved community" means a given geographical area in this state that the Secretary of the Department of Human Services determines has unmet needs for behavioral health services caused by factors, including without limitation: (A) The ratio of mental health professionals to the population in the given geographical area; (B) The ratio of licensed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors to the population in the given geographical area; (C) The percentage of the population with incomes below the federal poverty level in the given geographical area; (D) Accessibility within the given geographical area to *JMB366* 03/20/2025 4:13:24 PM JMB366 SB554 mental health professionals and alcoholism and substance use counselors; and (E) Other relevant criteria the secretary may deem necessary for a determination of unmet needs for behavioral health services in the given geographical area; (2) "Eligible loan" means the student loan debt incurred by a participant …
Sponsors
- Clarke Tucker (D, 14) · primary sponsor
- Jeremy Wooldridge (R, 1)
Latest actions
- : Notification that SB554 is now Act 1022
- : DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR.
- : Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.
- : ORDERED ENROLLED
- : Returned from the House as passed.
- : Returned to the Senate as passed.
- : Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
- : Returned by the Committee Do Pass
- : Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE
- : RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE
Votes
- House Roll Call #1374 (April 16, 2025): 76 yea, 15 nay, passed
- House Roll Call #1355 (April 15, 2025): 95 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Roll Call #868 (April 7, 2025): 35 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Roll Call #832 (April 3, 2025): 26 yea, 1 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is SB554?
- SB554 is a bill in the Arkansas Legislature (95th General Assembly (2025 Regular)): TO CREATE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM.
- What does SB554 do?
- In its own words: An act to be entitled an act to create the behavioral health loan forgiveness program; and for other purposes. subtitle to create the behavioral health loan forgiveness program.
- What is the status of SB554?
- Chaptered as of April 23, 2025. Latest action: Notification that SB554 is now Act 1022 (April 23, 2025).
- Who sponsored SB554?
- Clarke Tucker (D, 14), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for SB554?
- On the Arkansas Legislature website: https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R&measureno=SB554
Source: official Arkansas record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.