SB 591 Arkansas Senate · 2025 Regular Session

TO PROHIBIT RACE-SELECTION ABORTION IN THIS STATE; AND TO CREATE THE RACE DISCRIMINATION BY ABORTION PROHIBITION ACT.

SB 591, also known as the Race Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act, prohibits abortions in Arkansas if the decision is based on the race of the unborn child or the pregnant woman. The bill establishes a legal framework to prevent such race-selection abortions within the state. This legislation directly affects individuals seeking abortions and medical professionals providing abortion services in Arkansas.

Issues: ✗ Healthcare

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

Apr 2025

Introduced Mar 31, 2025 Signed Apr 23, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Act 973 → SB 591 · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text shows minor formatting and spacing adjustments with no substantive policy changes. The core definitions regarding abortion exceptions (life preservation, health preservation, removing dead unborn children, and ectopic pregnancies) remain identical between versions. The only visible differences are spacing variations in line numbers and header formatting.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting adjustments including spacing changes in line numbers and header alignment between Act 973 and SB 591 versions

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

Apr 23, 2025

Signed into law

Notification that SB591 is now Act 973

upper

Apr 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

Returned from the House as passed.

upper

Apr 16, 2025

Lower · Passed

Returned to the Senate as passed.

lower

Apr 16, 2025

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Apr 15, 2025

Lower · Passed

Returned by the Committee Do Pass

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read the third time and passed.

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Introduced

Filed

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors