The Arkansas Legislature, explained
The Arkansas General Assembly has a 100-member House of Representatives and a 35-member Senate. It meets in a regular session in odd-numbered years, open to any bill, and in a shorter fiscal session in even-numbered years, mostly for budget bills. The next regular session convenes January 11, 2027.
Last checked against the sources below.
These guides explain how the Arkansas Legislature works, in plain English, with a source for every rule and date. They are written for anyone who has to follow the Capitol: staff, advocates, reporters, local officials and residents. None of them takes a side on any bill.
At a glance
- Chambers
- House of Representatives, 100 members. Senate, 35 members.
- Simple majority
- 51 votes in the House, 18 in the Senate.
- Regular session
- Odd-numbered years, starting the second Monday in January unless the Legislature sets another date. Any bill may be considered.
- Fiscal session
- Even-numbered years, for appropriation bills. Any other bill needs two-thirds of each house to be considered.
- Session length
- 60 calendar days for a regular session and 30 for a fiscal session, unless extended by the votes the Constitution requires.
- Next session
- Regular session convenes Monday, January 11, 2027, at noon.
Rules here come from the Arkansas Constitution and from the House and Senate rules in force when each page was last checked. Each chamber adopts its own rules at the start of every General Assembly, so check the dates at the end of each guide.
The guides
- 2027 Arkansas legislative session: dates and deadlinesThe 2027 Arkansas regular session convenes Jan 11, 2027. Every filing deadline from the Bureau of Legislative Research, with sources.
- How a bill becomes law in ArkansasEvery step of an Arkansas bill, with the real numbers: committee votes, 51 House and 18 Senate votes, governor options, and effective dates.
- What is the Arkansas fiscal session?Arkansas holds a 30-day fiscal session in even years for budgets. Here are the rules, the vote needed for other bills, and recent dates.
- Arkansas legislative glossaryPlain-English definitions of Arkansas legislative terms: ALC, JBC, BLR, engrossed, do pass, sine die, fiscal session, quorum court, and more.
- Arkansas Legislature hearing and floor videoWhere to watch Arkansas House and Senate committee hearings and floor sessions live or on demand, and how to find the part you need.
- Arkansas lobbyist registration, in plain EnglishWhen you must register as a lobbyist in Arkansas, the deadline, and session-time reporting, summarized from statute. Not legal advice.
Where to start
If you are new to the Capitol, read how a bill becomes law first, then keep the glossary open while you read bill histories and agendas. If you are planning for January, the 2027 session dates page lists every filing deadline the Bureau of Legislative Research has published.
The official record lives at arkleg.state.ar.us: bills, calendars, agendas, roll calls and video links. The Gavel puts the parts of that record that touch your day on one page.
Sources
- Arkansas Constitution of 1874, full text (Garland County)garlandcounty.orgArt. 5, §§ 2, 3 and 5, chamber size and sessions
- Arkansas Constitution, Article 5 (Ballotpedia)ballotpedia.orgSection 17, session length
- Arkansas Senate: How a bill becomes a lawsenate.arkansas.gov
- Bureau of Legislative Research: 2027 Regular Session important datesarkleg.state.ar.us