§ 14-2-102 - Records of military discharges.
14-2-102. Records of military discharges.
(a) It shall be the duty of the quorum court in each county of the State of Arkansas to appropriate from any moneys in the general fund any sum as may be necessary, not exceeding in any county the sum of one hundred dollars ($100), for providing a suitable record book for the purpose of recording military certificates of discharge.
(b) The record shall contain a complete copy of discharges and shall contain an index of the names of the discharged soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, members of the Coast Guard, merchant marines, members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, Women's Auxiliary Volunteer for Emergency Service, nurses, and members of all other branches of the armed forces with reference to page, alphabetically arranged.
(c) (1) A military service discharge record or DD Form 214, the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty of the United States Department of Defense, filed with the county recorder for a veteran discharged from service less than seventy (70) years from the current date shall be confidential, kept in a secure location, and may be viewed or reproduced only by:
(A) The veteran;
(B) The veteran's spouse or child;
(C) A person with a signed and notarized authorization from the veteran;
(D) A funeral director who:
(i) Is licensed and regulated by the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors under 17-29-201 et seq.;
(ii) Is assisting with the veteran's funeral arrangements; and
(iii) Presents a signed and notarized authorization from the veteran's spouse, child, or next of kin;
(E) A county or state veterans' service officer who is assisting the veteran or the veteran's family with a veteran's benefit application; or
(F) A person authorized by a court to view or copy the military service discharge record or DD Form 214 upon presentation of a court order.
(2) The county recorder shall record the names and addresses of all persons viewing or copying a military service discharge record or DD Form 214 under this subsection.
(3) No fee shall be charged for reproduction costs under this subsection.
(4) Upon petition by a veteran or other requestor eligible to view the records who has a notarized authorization from the veteran, the court may order the removal of the records from the county recorder's record book.
(d) (1) A military service discharge record for a veteran discharged from service more than seventy (70) years from the current date and filed with the county recorder shall be a public record.
(2) No fee shall be charged for reproduction cost under this subsection.
(e) (1) The county recorder may maintain a record book that contains any of the following information about veterans for public record:
(A) Name;
(B) Rank;
(C) Unit of military service;
(D) Dates of military service;
(E) Medals conferred upon veterans; and
(F) Awards conferred upon veterans.
(2) If the county recorder does not maintain a record book, then upon specific request for the information, the county recorder shall review a military service discharge record or DD Form 214 and provide only the information in subdivision (e)(1) of this section to the requestor, without allowing the requestor to review the military service discharge record or DD Form 214.