TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT AND COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS; AND TO AMEND A RULE OF THE SUPREME COURT AND COURT OF APPEALS UNDER THE AUTHORITY GRANTED BY THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION.

This bill, now Act 975, amends the jurisdiction of Arkansas courts by granting the Arkansas Court of Appeals exclusive original jurisdiction over "facial constitutional challenges." This means that cases in which a party seeks to have a state law, code provision, or administrative rule declared unconstitutional in all its applications will now originate in the Court of Appeals. Previously, such challenges typically began in the circuit courts. This change affects how certain constitutional challenges are heard and by which court, and it will take effect on November 1, 2025.