Bill > SB553

This bill amends the Arkansas Municipal Accounting Law to establish new training requirements and responsibilities for municipal treasurers. Specifically, the bill mandates that all municipal treasurers, whether elected or appointed, must complete eight hours of training provided by the Arkansas Municipal League in cooperation with Arkansas Legislative Audit within 180 days of taking office. If a treasurer fails to complete the required training, the municipality will be considered noncompliant. The bill also clarifies that if a treasurer cannot fulfill their duties, the municipality can assign specific accounting responsibilities to another employee or contract with a qualified private person who has government accounting experience or has completed the mandatory training. Additionally, the bill outlines procedures for addressing noncompliance, including requiring the governing body to ensure the treasurer attends training and documenting such requirements in meeting minutes. The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee will be responsible for notifying municipalities of noncompliance and monitoring their efforts to rectify accounting record issues. The bill will become effective on July 1, 2026, providing municipalities ample time to prepare for the new training and compliance requirements.

Government Affairs

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=sb553&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R