HB1647 is a broad technical and conforming amendment bill that renames the Arkansas Division of Information Systems as the Office of State Technology throughout state law. It updates dozens of code sections to replace the old agency name with the new one and to align references to the director, chief technology officer, chief data officer, chief privacy officer, revolving funds, reporting duties, and related oversight bodies. The bill also includes a codification correction provision allowing the Arkansas Code Revision Commission to make additional name changes in existing law, and it contains an emergency clause making the act effective July 1, 2025.
Substantively, the bill preserves the agency’s existing role in providing and coordinating state information technology services, cybersecurity support, data governance, electronic records standards, telecommunications contracting, and assistance to schools, higher education, emergency management, and other state entities. It continues the agency’s authority over core IT infrastructure, billing, procurement, planning, and data-sharing functions, while updating statutory language to reflect the new name and organizational placement within the Department of Transformation and Shared Services. The bill also maintains references to the agency’s revolving funds and reserve mechanisms used to finance operations and equipment acquisition.
The bill’s impact on state law is primarily administrative and conforming rather than policy-changing. It revises numerous statutes across education, elections, emergency management, corrections, finance, health, technology procurement, records management, and public information access to ensure that the renamed Office of State Technology is the entity recognized in law. It also preserves legislative oversight structures and reporting requirements tied to advanced communications and information technology, while clarifying that state agencies should continue to use or coordinate with the office for approved technology services and standards.
The general sentiment around the bill appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. The voting history shows unanimous support in both chambers, with a 98-0 House third reading vote and a 33-0 Senate third reading vote. The absence of committee transcript discussion and the nature of the bill suggest it was viewed as a routine government reorganization and nomenclature update rather than a substantive policy fight.
There is little visible contention in the bill text or voting record. The only potentially notable issue is the breadth of the conforming changes, which touch many statutes and preserve the office’s significant role in state technology governance, procurement, and data management. However, no opposition is reflected in the recorded votes, and the emergency clause indicates lawmakers wanted the name change to take effect quickly and cleanly at the start of the fiscal year.
HB1647 amends a wide range of Arkansas statutes to replace references to the Division of Information Systems with the Office of State Technology and to update related titles, duties, reporting lines, funds, and oversight provisions. It preserves the agency’s existing authority over state information technology, cybersecurity, data governance, records standards, telecommunications support, and shared services, while making conforming changes across multiple subject areas and authorizing code revision corrections. The act also includes an emergency clause, making it effective July 1, 2025.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and largely procedural in nature. It passed the House 98-0 and the Senate 33-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. With no committee transcript discussion available and no recorded opposition, the overall sentiment was favorable and noncontroversial.
There is no clear recorded contention in the available materials. The bill’s main effect is a government name change and related statutory cleanup, which typically draws little opposition. The only possible point of concern is the breadth of the office’s continuing authority over state technology, data, and procurement, but no legislator or committee member is shown raising objections in the provided record.