Arkansas amends law on firearms in employer parking lots

Arkansas has enacted legislation (Senate Bill 555) that amends the state's law concerning transportation and storage of firearms by employees in employers' parking lots. Senate Bill 555 takes effect on July 29, 2021.

Background:

Under existing law, private employers are generally prohibited from barring an employee from transporting or storing a legally owned handgun in the employee's private motor vehicle in the employer's parking lot when the handgun:

• Is lawfully possessed;
• Stored out of sight inside a locked private motor vehicle; and
• Is stored inside a locked personal handgun storage container that is designed for the safe storage of a handgun.

Senate Bill 555:

Senate Bill 555 replaces the word "handgun" with "firearm" and removes the requirement that it be stored inside a locked handgun storage container. Thus, effective July 29, 2021, employers are prohibited from barring an employee from transporting or storing a legally owned firearm in the employee's private motor vehicle in the employer's parking lot when the firearm is:

• Lawfully possessed; and
• Stored out of sight inside a locked private motor vehicle.

Employer Rights:

Employers have the right to:

• Prohibit non-employees from storing a firearm in an employee's motor vehicle in the employer's parking lot; and
• Prohibit an employee from entering the private employer's place of business or parking lot because the employee's private motor vehicle contains a firearm in the following circumstances:

Compliance Recommendations:

Employers should review policies and procedures to ensure compliance with Senate Bill 555 and train supervisors on the amendments. Please contact your dedicated service professional with any questions.