Rules for the Arkansas Long-Term Care Facility Nursing Assistant Training Program, 20 CAR pt. 403 & REPEAL Rules for Conducting Criminal Records Checks for Employees of Long-Term Care Facilities, 20 CAR pt. 404

Statement of Necessity The Division of Provider Services & Quality Assurance (DPSQA) promulgates rules to implement Act 105 of 2025. The Act adds a definition of “General Nursing Experience”, amends the time period from five (5) years to ten (10) years in which a registered nurse must possess one year of long-term care nursing experience in a nursing facility in order to qualify as a primary instructor for the Nursing Assistant Training Program, and now requires primary instructors to attend an eight-hour class authorized by the Department of Human Services that updates attendees on applicable laws and rules, best practices, and common issues encountered in long-term care facilities. The rule also updates required training hours to reflect clock hours of training required by 42 C.F.R. § 483.152.

No public hearing was held on this rule. The period expired on April 27, 2026. The agency indicated 42 that it received no comments. Lacey Johnson, an attorney with the Bureau of Legislative Research, made the following observation and received the following response: Section 403-102(11), the definition of general nursing experience, includes language indicating that “general nursing experience” is not limited to the items listed. Section 403-401 also lists items that constitute general nursing experience but does not include the “without limitation”/”not limited to” language. RESPONSE: We corrected those two sections to match exactly.

• Rule packet: E.12.a DHS DMS Rules for AR LTCF Nursing Asst Training Prgm and REPEAL and Act 105 of 2026
• ALC summary agenda Jun 18, 2026
• ALC agenda Jun 18, 2026
• ALC meeting video Jun 18, 2026