HB 1685 Arkansas House · 2025 Regular Session

TO CREATE THE GROCERY TAX RELIEF ACT; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE SALES AND USE TAXES LEVIED ON FOOD AND FOOD INGREDIENTS, AS AFFIRMED BY REFERRED ACT 19 OF 1958; AND TO EXEMPT GROCERIES FROM STATE SALES AND USE TAXES.

HB 1685, known as the Grocery Tax Relief Act, exempts groceries from state sales and use taxes. This legislation amends existing state law regarding sales and use taxes levied on food and food ingredients. The bill directly affects consumers by removing the state sales tax typically applied to their grocery purchases.

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

Apr 2025

Introduced Mar 5, 2025 Signed Apr 22, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Act 1008 → HB 1685 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from Act 1008 to HB 1685 and updated with new session dates for the 95th General Assembly in 2025. The substantive policy content of the bill appears unchanged, with only formatting and header information modified to reflect the new bill number and legislative session dates.

TECHNICAL

Bill number changed from Act 1008 to HB 1685 to reflect new legislative session numbering

Added session dates (H3/17/25, H4/1/25, S4/8/25, S4/9/25) to document legislative timeline

Removed original Act 1008 designation from header

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 22, 2025

Signed into law

Notification that HB1685 is now Act 1008

lower

Apr 16, 2025

Lower · Passed

Senate amendment # 2 read and concurred in.

lower

Apr 16, 2025

Lower · Passed

Senate amendment # 1 read and concurred in.

lower

Apr 15, 2025

Lower · Passed

Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass, concur in Senate Amendment No. 1 & 2

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to the Committee on REVENUE & TAXATION- HOUSE

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Returned from Senate as passed, as amended # 1 & 2

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Returned to the House as passed as amended # 1 & 2 .

upper

Apr 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read the third time and passed.

upper

Apr 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass

upper

Apr 10, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to REVENUE & TAX - SENATE

upper

Apr 8, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to REVENUE & TAX - SENATE

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Returned by the Committee Do Pass

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Introduced

Amendment No. 2 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.

lower

Mar 17, 2025

Introduced

Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.

lower

Mar 5, 2025

Introduced

Filed

lower

2 primary · 39 co-sponsors