AR SB553

Municipal treasurers (elected or appointed) must complete 8 hours of training provided by the Arkansas Municipal League in cooperation with Arkansas Legislative Audit within 180 days of taking office

Failure to complete required training within 180 days places the municipality in noncompliance, triggering notification from the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee and potential withholding of turnback funds

Municipalities may assign treasurer duties to other employees or contract with private qualified persons, defined as Arkansas residents with government/municipal accounting experience or who have completed the required training

Fund collection duties cannot be assigned outside municipal employees, but disbursement duties for payroll, bonded debt, or bond-funded construction projects may be contracted out with proper internal controls and insurance/bonding requirements

Effective date: July 1, 2026