SB71

Senate Bill 71 seeks to prohibit the State of Arkansas and other public entities from engaging in discrimination or providing preferential treatment based on race, ethnicity, or other protected characteristics. The bill amends or repeals several existing Arkansas statutes that mandate diversity-focused recruitment, retention, and affirmative action plans in education and state government. Specifically, it removes requirements for public schools and higher education institutions to maintain minority-focused teacher and administrator recruitment plans and student retention programs. It renames the 'Equity Assistance Center' to the 'Equality Assistance Center' while shifting its mission to focus on general nondiscrimination. Furthermore, it modifies the 'Critical Needs Minority Teacher Scholarship Program' to remove explicit eligibility criteria based on minority status, focusing instead on geographical needs. The bill generally aims to move the state's public policies toward a race-neutral standard in employment, education, and licensing.