PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE OF FINAL RULES

The following final rules of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) have a proposed effective date, effective repeal date, and effective amendment date of December 5, 2025:

New Rules:

Rules to be repealed:

Rules to be amended:

In addition to the final rules, the public comments on the proposed rules, ATRS’s responses to the public comments, post-public comment amendments to the proposed rules, summaries of the proposed rules, and financial impact statements may be accessed on the ATRS website at https://www.artrs.gov/board-rules or copies may be obtained by contacting the Executive Director’s office at (501) 682-8853.

The current rules may also be viewed at https://www.artrs.gov/board-rules or at the ATRS office Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.


The Code of Arkansas Rules codifies the general and permanent rules of all Arkansas state agencies, including the rules of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System. Effective December 1, 2025, all prior formats for the ATRS rules will be removed from the ATRS website and replaced with the Code of Arkansas Rules format.

The ATRS rules may be found in Title 24, Chapter III, Subchapter A, Part 10 of the Code of Arkansas Rules. You may access the Code of Arkansas Rules here: https://codeofarrules.arkansas.gov/

The Code of Arkansas Rules citations for each ATRS rule as well as a PDF of the cited rules are provided below.

Board Policies

Board Policy 1 - Board Governance

Board Policy 2 - Board Objectives

Board Policy 3 - Executive Director

Board Policy 4 - Investment Policy

Board Policy 5 - Private Equity Investment

Board Policy 6 - Real Asset Investment

 

ATRS Rules

Organization and Operation

Rule 1 - Rules of Organization and Operation

24 CAR § 10-101 et seq

Composition and Election of Board of Trustees

Rule 4 - Election of Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System

24 CAR § 10-201 et seq

Investment

5-1 Investment Introduction (Repealed, July 7, 2024)

5-2 Standard of Care (Repealed, July 11, 2024)

5-3 Asset Allocation (Repealed, July 7, 2024)

5-4 Investment Goals (Repealed, July 7, 2024)

5-5 Investment Strategy (Repealed, February 10, 2016)

5-6 Investment Consultants (Repealed, July 7, 2024)

5-7 Investment Managers (Repealed, July 7, 2024)

5-8 Soft Dollars (Repealed, July 7, 2024)

Membership

Rule 6 - Membership and Employer Participation

24 CAR § 10-301 et seq

Reporting/Eligibility

Rule 7 - Service Credit, Contributions, and Reporting

24 CAR § 10-401 et seq

Purchase/Refunds

Rule 8 - Free Service Credit, Purchasable Service Credit, and Purchase Accounts

24 CAR § 10-501 et seq

Retirement/Benefits

Rule 9 - Retirement and Benefits

24 CAR § 10-601 et seq

Return to Service

Rule 10 - Return to Service and Teacher Deferred Retirement Option Plan

24 CAR § 10-701 et seq

Survivors/Domestic Relations Orders

Rule 11 - Survivors and Domestic Relations Orders

24 CAR § 10-801 et seq

Internal Revenue Code

Rule 12 - Protection of "Qualified Trust" Status of ATRS under IRS Code § 401(a)

24 CAR § 10-901 et seq

Administrative Adjudications

Rule 13 - Administration Adjudications and Informal Resolutions: Staff Determinations and Manifest Injustice Referrals

24 CAR § 10-1001 et seq

Retirement Fund Asset Accounts

Rule 14 - Retirement Fund Asset Accounts

24 CAR § 10-1101 et seq

Benefit Restoration Plan and Trust

Rule 15 - Benefit Restoration Plan and Trust

24 CAR § 10-1201 et seq

Cash and Savings Help Program for Members

Rule 16 - Cash and Savings Help (CASH) Program

24 CAR § 10-1301 et seq

Resolution 2024-33 Establishing the CASH Program for Fiscal Year 2025

Manifest Injustice

Rule 17-1 (Repealed, July 7, 2024)

* Indicates rule is under emergency rulemaking or the regular rule promulgation process; or both. If the rule is under emergency rulemaking, you will need to contact ATRS to get a copy of the rule that is currently in effect. If the rule is undergoing the regular rule promulgation process, this rule is subject to change.