---
type: "Bill"
title: "TO REQUIRE THE ARKANSAS BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN COUNSELING TO ISSUE A PROVISIONAL LICENSE FOR A LICENSED ASSOCIATE COUNSELOR AND A LICENSED ASSOCIATE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST."
description: "TO REQUIRE THE ARKANSAS BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN COUNSELING TO ISSUE A PROVISIONAL LICENSE FOR A LICENSED ASSOCIATE COUNSELOR AND A LICENSED ASSOCIATE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ar"
legislature: "Arkansas Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "HB 1256"
citation: "Arkansas HB 1256 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Irvin", "Wooldridge"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 16
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2025-01-27T20:50:11+00:00"
last_action: "2025-03-04T22:53:26+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7ebca9c3-53e1-49ff-ba3e-f68db230026d"
source_url: "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/FTPDocument/?path=%2fSessionInformation%2LegislativeMeasures.txt"
source_hash: "72f6942c31a56d6800f53e60a1ae3ec0e6089172e528a9979c0a22e58c3cb2bb"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ar"]
---

# Arkansas HB 1256 (2025) — TO REQUIRE THE ARKANSAS BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN COUNSELING TO ISSUE A PROVISIONAL LICENSE FOR A LICENSED ASSOCIATE COUNSELOR AND A LICENSED ASSOCIATE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Act 231** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=231.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R)
2. **Amendment H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FAMEND%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1256-H1.pdf)
3. **HB 1256** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2025/2025R/Bills/HB1256.pdf)

## Sponsors

- Irvin — primary (person)
- Wooldridge — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-01-27T20:50:11+00:00** Filed `introduction`
- **2025-01-27T23:53:27+00:00** Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE `reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2025-02-17T14:35:17+00:00** Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
- **2025-02-17T14:35:19+00:00** Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed. `amendment-introduction, amendment-passage`
- **2025-02-17T15:27:40+00:00** REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
- **2025-02-18T20:44:40+00:00** Returned by the Committee Do Pass `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-19T19:57:54+00:00** Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-02-19T22:42:25+00:00** Received from the House.
- **2025-02-19T22:43:08+00:00** Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE - SENATE `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2025-02-26T23:25:32+00:00** Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-02-27T20:11:14+00:00** Read the third time and passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-02-27T20:11:21+00:00** Returned to the House as passed.
- **2025-02-27T20:43:04+00:00** Returned from the Senate as passed.
- **2025-02-27T20:43:07+00:00** TO BE ENROLLED
- **2025-02-27T20:43:09+00:00** Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
- **2025-03-04T22:53:26+00:00** Notification that HB1256 is now Act 231 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7ebca9c3-53e1-49ff-ba3e-f68db230026d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Arkansas legislature records).