Bill > HB1748

This bill adopts the Uniform Electronic Legal Materials Act (UELMA) in Arkansas, establishing a comprehensive framework for managing and authenticating electronic legal materials. The bill defines "legal material" to include the Arkansas Constitution, Arkansas Code, state agency rules, court decisions, and judicial rules, and specifies that official publishers (such as the Arkansas Code Revision Commission, Secretary of State, and Arkansas judiciary) must follow specific guidelines when publishing electronic legal materials. Key provisions require official publishers to: designate electronic records as official, authenticate electronic records to ensure they remain unaltered, provide a method for users to verify the record's authenticity, preserve and secure electronic legal materials, and ensure public access to these materials on a permanent basis. The bill also requires publishers to consider national standards, user needs, and compatibility with other jurisdictions when implementing these requirements. Importantly, the act modifies certain provisions of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act and will become effective on January 1, 2026, with the goal of promoting uniformity in how electronic legal materials are handled across states.

Government Affairs

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1748&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R