HB1555

House Bill 1555 amends Arkansas law to exempt internal cybersecurity policies and guidelines from the definition of a 'rule' under the state's Administrative Procedure Act and related statutes. It authorizes the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology to conduct closed meetings when discussing cybersecurity incidents or attacks involving public entities, such as the state, counties, municipalities, or school districts. These closed sessions are exempt from the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. The bill specifies that information concerning internal cybersecurity policies or guidelines must be kept confidential and cannot be disclosed by the committee. It also limits the scope of these closed meetings strictly to matters involving cybersecurity incidents or policies. Any member of the General Assembly may attend these closed hearings, and other individuals may attend by invitation of the committee co-chairs.