To Require Reporting On The Number Of Students Receiving Accommodations For A Disability At Institutions Of Higher Education.
Summary
HB1728 amends Arkansas higher education law to require annual reporting by institutions of higher education that receive Title IV federal student aid funds on the number of students with disabilities who are registered to receive accommodations. The required reporting focuses on undergraduate students and must include the number of students registered for accommodations, the percentage of all undergraduates they represent, and the total number of undergraduate certificates or degrees awarded to those students.
The bill also directs the Division of Higher Education to include this information in the Comprehensive Arkansas Higher Education Annual Report. To protect student privacy, institutions are not required to report data if doing so would reveal personally identifiable information or if the number of students with disabilities is less than 3% of the total student population. The bill is framed around improving statewide data collection on postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities and using that information to better connect students to education and workforce opportunities.
Impact
HB1728 creates a new reporting requirement in Arkansas Code § 6-60-123 and amends § 6-60-703 to add students with disabilities to the categories covered in the annual higher education report. It does not create a new benefit program or mandate accommodations; instead, it changes state reporting obligations for eligible colleges and universities and expands the Division of Higher Education’s annual data collection and publication duties. The practical effect is to make disability-related higher education data more visible in state reporting while preserving confidentiality limits for small populations and personally identifiable information.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill was broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House by a wide margin, 89-1, and the Senate unanimously, 35-0. The bill’s findings emphasize workforce development, educational outcomes, and the need for better statewide data, which likely contributed to its favorable reception. No committee transcript is available, but the vote totals indicate strong bipartisan agreement.
Contention
The main policy issue reflected in the bill is how much disability-related data institutions should be required to report and how to balance transparency with privacy. The bill’s privacy carveouts address concerns that reporting could identify individual students, especially at smaller institutions or where few students receive accommodations. Any potential opposition would likely center on administrative burden for colleges or confidentiality concerns, but the near-unanimous votes suggest little sustained controversy in the legislative process.