What new Arkansas laws go into effect on July 1?

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — When the clock strikes midnight on July 1, a handful of new laws will take effect in Arkansas.

The laws below range from cyber response, body art and the Uniform Classification and Compensation Act.

Act 846

The Arkansas Department of Finance and the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State are set to receive a billing certification from the Arkansas Cyber Response Board on or after July 1.

This will begin the process of the insurance program and funds will be deposited into the Arkansas Self-Funded Cyber Response Program Trust Fund.

Act 846 said the state’s government agencies are being increasingly attacked “from malicious actors resulting in substantial risks, damages, and losses” and an overwhelming cost of cybersecurity insurance comes with those threats.

The law said any city, county, or school district can opt-in and add money to a trust fund, where the funds will be used to form the Arkansas Self-Funded Cyber Response Program.

“The program is in lieu of, or in addition to, various cybersecurity insurance policies and to thereby effectuate substantial savings in the cost of a response to a cyberattack for those
participating governmental entities,” the law said.

The law said all municipalities, school districts and counties in the state can participate in the program. The program will cover losses including repairing software and hardware damage done by the cyberattack.

Click here to read the bill in full.

Act 688

Act 688 says any body art instructors who are training student artists now have to complete a course in sanitation guidelines and safety, be 21 years of age and complete 250 instructional hours from a state-approved instructor program if the artist instructor is a permanent cosmetics artist instructor.

“Permanent cosmetics” is defined in the law as “the application of pigment placed in the skin by a needle” and includes examples such as permanent makeup, pigment lightening, scar camouflaging and scalp micropigmentation.

The law differentiates a permanent cosmetic artist from a tattoo artist.

Act 688 also raises the limit of getting permanent cosmetic procedures from 13 to 18. It says anyone under 18 can get a procedure if it is a “medical necessity” and medical and parental consent are given.

Act 172

This law says it will amend the Uniform Classification and Compensation Act.

The law says the 15 levels are “General Salaries”, all of which have minimum, medium and maximum amounts.

The previous version set the minimum salary of GS1 (General Salary Level 1) as being paid no less than $22,880. Medium-range salary for GS1 was $27,390 and the maximum salary was $31,900.

Under the new law, the salaries for GS1 employees are $32,405, $42,406 and $51,686.

The law says all salaries in information technology, medical professional and senior executive roles receive raises.

The state’s entry-level IT job maximum jumps from $48,434 to $53,278 and the entry-level medical professional salary maximum will go up from $43,340 to $53,278.

Under the new law, employees won’t receive a market adjustment to their salaries by more than 3%. However, the law introduced “special compensation awards” where agencies can award their employees bonuses based on “outstanding performance” or “completing a major project milestone.”

The “special compensation awards” can either be a lump sum of up to $5,000 or up to 40 hours of paid leave.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.