HB 1522 Summary

• Extends student loan repayment deferral benefits to Arkansas National Guard members on state active duty, including for medical school graduates, nursing students, and nursing loan program participants, by suspending interest accrual and repayment obligations during active service.

• Expands voting rights for Arkansas National Guard members on state active duty by allowing absentee ballot applications and voting for affected service members, their spouses, and dependents absent from their voting residence.

• Provides license renewal extensions and fee waivers for National Guard members on state active duty, covering professional licenses (nursing, optometry, veterinary medicine), driver's licenses, permits, registrations, and state fees or tuition payments.

• Allows temporary business closure without unemployment insurance account termination when owners enter state active duty with the Arkansas National Guard, with restoration of business experience rating upon resumption within one year of discharge.

• Extends civil relief protections and insurance license provisions to National Guard members ordered into state active duty by the Governor under state law or federal authority for emergency management purposes.