2026 Policy Agenda

The structure of the modern Arkansas workforce has changed substantially, with a growing share of workers engaged in independent contracting, gig-based employment, and other non-traditional arrangements. The traditional employer-based benefits model leaves many of these individuals without access to health coverage and other critical supports. Portable benefits funds — voluntary, worker-controlled accounts attached to the individual rather than any single employer — offer a market-based solution that travels with workers across jobs. AFP Arkansas supports portable benefits policies that expand access to these accounts without creating legal frameworks that inadvertently reclassify independent contractors as employees, preserving the flexibility that both workers and businesses depend upon.