---
type: "Bill"
title: "TO CREATE A PATHWAY FOR A GRADUATE OF A FOREIGN MEDICAL SCHOOL TO BE LICENSED IN THIS STATE IF HE OR SHE IS OFFERED FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AS A PHYSICIAN FROM A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER."
description: "TO CREATE A PATHWAY FOR A GRADUATE OF A FOREIGN MEDICAL SCHOOL TO BE LICENSED IN THIS STATE IF HE OR SHE IS OFFERED FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AS A PHYSICIAN FROM A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ar"
legislature: "Arkansas Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 601"
citation: "Arkansas SB 601 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hester", "L. Johnson"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 23
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2025-04-01T20:08:04+00:00"
last_action: "2025-04-22T21:47:35+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b32f0d98-ccba-420f-a82e-2a709e6334a5"
source_url: "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/FTPDocument/?path=%2fSessionInformation%2LegislativeMeasures.txt"
source_hash: "0110656917c84686b42eb5bed169d21ec718f168a026400334cb93b936ffb512"
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 SB 601 (2025) — TO CREATE A PATHWAY FOR A GRADUATE OF A FOREIGN MEDICAL SCHOOL TO BE LICENSED IN THIS STATE IF HE OR SHE IS OFFERED FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AS A PHYSICIAN FROM A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.

## Version chain

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

1. **Act 971** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=971.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R)
2. **Amendment H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FAMEND%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB601-H1.pdf)
3. **Amendment H2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FAMEND%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB601-H2.pdf)
4. **SB 601** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2025/2025R/Bills/SB601.pdf)

## Sponsors

- Hester — primary (person)
- L. Johnson — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-04-01T20:08:04+00:00** Filed `introduction`
- **2025-04-01T22:43:21+00:00** Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE - SENATE `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2025-04-03T18:19:05+00:00** Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-07T20:20:12+00:00** Read the third time and passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-07T20:20:20+00:00** Ordered immediately transmitted to the House.
- **2025-04-07T21:37:52+00:00** RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE
- **2025-04-08T01:17:58+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`
- **2025-04-09T13:35:23+00:00** Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
- **2025-04-09T13:35:28+00:00** Amendment No. 1 & 2 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.
- **2025-04-09T17:03:09+00:00** REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
- **2025-04-15T18:30:21+00:00** Returned by the Committee Do Pass `committee-passage`
- **2025-04-16T15:36:13+00:00** Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-16T15:36:40+00:00** Returned to Senate as passed, as amended # 1 & 2
- **2025-04-16T17:21:47+00:00** Returned from the House as passed as amended # 1 & 2 .
- **2025-04-16T17:21:54+00:00** Rules suspended.
- **2025-04-16T17:22:00+00:00** Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment.
- **2025-04-16T17:22:12+00:00** House Amendment No. 1 & 2 read first time, rule suspended, read second time and concurred in.
- **2025-04-16T17:22:21+00:00** Rules suspended.
- **2025-04-16T17:22:33+00:00** Read the third time and passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-16T17:22:37+00:00** ORDERED ENROLLED
- **2025-04-16T19:21:05+00:00** Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.
- **2025-04-16T19:21:09+00:00** DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. `executive-receipt`
- **2025-04-22T21:47:35+00:00** Notification that SB601 is now Act 971 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b32f0d98-ccba-420f-a82e-2a709e6334a5`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Arkansas legislature records).