HB1777

House Bill 1777 amends Arkansas law regarding the authority of municipalities to vacate and abandon public streets or alleys. Currently, municipalities can vacate streets that have not been used by the public for five years or those abutting properties owned by educational institutions or colleges. This bill expands that authority to include cases where all property abutting a street or alley is owned by a museum as defined by state law. By amending Arkansas Code § 14-301-301(b), the bill grants city or town councils the power to vacate these streets regardless of whether they have been actively used by the public for the five-year period. The legislation aims to provide museums with the same capacity as educational institutions to consolidate their property by absorbing unused or unnecessary public rights-of-way.