HB 1350 Summary

• Amends Arkansas Code § 6-13-631 to require school districts with 10% or greater minority population and 8,000+ total population to use single-member zones for board elections in compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.

• Establishes timeline requiring school districts to adopt a resolution 120 days before the second-year election following the federal decennial census, choosing between 5, 7, 9 single-member zones, or 5 zones plus 2 at-large positions.

• Requires school districts to file zone plans with county election commissioners 90 days before filing deadlines, including maps and racial population documentation for county approval.

• Exempts school districts operating under preconsolidation agreements, having zoned boards compliant with Voting Rights Act, or currently under federal court orders enforcing desegregation or voting rights compliance.

• Requires all school districts to submit letters to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education by August 1 of the second year following the decennial census stating compliance status, with 20% withholding of state funds for non-compliance.