Attachment A Act 956.pdf

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Attached to
Consulting and Actuarial Services State and local contract opportunity
Solicitation number
S000000450
Issued by
Arkansas

About this file

This document is a Senate Bill (SB 491) from the 95th General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, introduced by Senator K. Hammer and Representative Achor. The bill requires vendors contracting with the Employee Benefits Division to submit data for verification through an independent audit process. Specifically, the legislation mandates that each contract shall be for at least one year and be automatically renewable, and that vendors must agree to data verification under a new section of Arkansas Code (§ 21-5-425).

The bill establishes penalties for vendors providing inaccurate data, including a civil penalty of $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for subsequent violations, as well as potential loss of licensure or authorization to operate in the state. The Director of the Employee Benefits Division is tasked with developing the independent audit process and may request vendors to submit to this audit. The bill includes an emergency clause, stating that accurate data is critical when considering the fiscal impact of legislation and protecting the residents of Arkansas. The act is set to become effective upon approval by the Governor, expiration of the Governor's veto period, or override of a gubernatorial veto.

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Attachment B Business Associate Agreement.pdf PDF
Attachment C Non-Disclosure Agreement.pdf PDF
S000000450 Technical Proposal Packet.docx DOCX document

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Text version

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

Act 956 of the Regular Session

Act 956 of the Regular Session

*ANS402* 04-15-2025 09:15:44 ANS402

State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H4/15/25 1

95th General Assembly A Bill 2

Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 491 3

By: Senator K. Hammer 5

By: Representative Achor 6

For An Act To Be Entitled 8

AN ACT TO REQUIRE A VENDOR THAT CONTRACTS WITH THE 9

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIVISION TO SUBMIT DATA FOR 10

VERIFICATION BY AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT; TO IMPOSE A 11

CIVIL PENALTY ON A VENDOR THAT PROVIDES INACCURATE 12

DATA; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER 13

PURPOSES. 14

Subtitle 17

TO REQUIRE A VENDOR THAT CONTRACTS WITH 18

THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIVISION TO SUBMIT 19

DATA FOR VERIFICATION BY AN INDEPENDENT 20

AUDIT; TO IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALTY ON A 21

VENDOR THAT PROVIDES INACCURATE DATA; 22

AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 23

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 25

SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 21-5-404(10), concerning the powers, 27 functions, and duties of the State Board of Finance concerning contracts with 28 qualified vendors, is amended to read as follows: 29

(10)(A) To direct the office to contract with qualified vendors, 30 as defined by the board, offering the plan options under the program as 31 prescribed by the board without regard to § 19-11-228 or other statutes 32 requiring competitive bidding. 33

(B) Each contract shall: 34

(i) be Be for a term of at least one (1) year but 35 may be made automatically renewable from term to term in the absence of 36

As Engrossed: H4/15/25 SB491

2 04-15-2025 09:15:44 ANS402

notice of termination by either party; and 1

(ii) Require a qualified vendor to agree to 2 verification of the vendor's data under § 21-5-425; and 3

SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 21, Chapter 5, Subchapter 4, is amended 5 to add an additional section to read as follows: 6

21-5-425. Verification of data of vendor — Independent audit process — 7

Civil penalty — Rules. 8

(a) A vendor that contracts with the Employee Benefits Division under 9 this subchapter and a fiscal impact is required shall agree to verify the 10 accuracy of the data the vendor provides to the state. 11

(b) The division shall not contract with a vendor for services for the 12 division that does not agree to submit to an independent audit process to 13 verify the accuracy of the vendor's data. 14

(c) The Director of the Employee Benefits Division: 15

(1) Shall develop an independent audit process to verify the 16 accuracy of the data a vendor provides to the state; and 17

(2) May request a vendor submit to an independent audit process. 18

(d) A vendor that is found through the independent audit process under 19 subdivision (c)(2) of this section to have provided inaccurate data to the 20 state is subject to: 21

(1) A civil penalty of: 22

(A) Five hundred dollars ($500) for a first violation; and 23

(B) One thousand dollars ($1,000) for each subsequent 24 violation; and 25

(2) Loss of licensure or authorization to operate in this state. 26

(e) The director shall promulgate rules to implement this section. 27

SECTION 3. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 29

General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that using accurate data is 30 indispensable when considering the fiscal impact of legislation for this 31 state; that vendors may not provide accurate data and the state needs an 32 independent audit process to enable the state to verify the accuracy of 33 vendor data; and that this act is immediately necessary because it is vital 34 to know the fiscal impact of the passage of legislation to protect the 35 residents of this state. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and 36

As Engrossed: H4/15/25 SB491

3 04-15-2025 09:15:44 ANS402

this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public 1 peace, health, and safety shall become effective on: 2

(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 3

(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 4 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 5 bill; or 6

(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 7 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 8

/s/K. Hammer 10

APPROVED: 4/21/25 13

StartBillText

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