Dear President Pro Tempore Hester and Speaker Evans,

Pursuant to my authority under Ark. Const. Art. 6, § 15, I am returning without my approval Senate Bill 451, entitled “To require the Department of Human Services and the Department of Education to establish regional behavioral health programs; to amend the law concerning the education of certain students; and to declare an emergency.”

School administrators, teachers, and principals are increasingly managing student behavioral issues, including aggression and violence. These issues cause disruptions in the academic environment, distracting from schools’ core function: a safe environment where all students can learn. Without sufficient interventions, these issues will continue to distract from our focus on academic improvement.
 
I have directed the Secretaries of the Department of Education and the Department of Human Services to work with interested parties to come up with a solution that is more tailored to the needs of our local public schools.

--
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Governor of Arkansas